A COMMUNITY BUILDING CONFERENCE . MPLS, MN
CHANGE COUNCIL
You are working toward a better world.
A more just, socially and environmentally conscious world.
BUT THE WAY YOU WORK,
ISN'T WORKING.
Join the Change Council and together, let’s start shaking up HOW we make a difference.
So that we CAN make a difference.
WHAT IS
THE CHANGE COUNCIL?
Non-profit and grassroots groups provide a variety of meaningful contributions to support and advance community well-being across the Twin Cities region. These groups exist within a broader ecosystem of private and public institutions that also support the community in a variety of ways. Yet, a wide range of inequities by cultural and socioeconomic factors across most community facets like housing, education, healthcare, safety, development, and the environment persist.
The time is now to identify, develop, and enact new ways to accelerate and deepen community well-being that lessens cultural and socio-economic inequities. Non-profit and grassroots groups can lead the way by coming together to align on critical changes in how we think about and do our work. This requires broad and collective action.
In support of advancing change that furthers community well-being by nonprofit and grassroots groups, a Change Council with various community representatives is taking steps to help constitute a Change Agenda informed by those who see themselves as community champions across nonprofit, for-profit, and private and public institutions.
The Change Council believes that the road to deepening community well-being starts by prioritizing what needs to change in how we think about and do our work, followed by commitment and resources to support the change. Considering this, the Change Council invites all those who see themselves as community champions to complete a survey to help identify the Change Agenda priorities for nonprofit and grassroots groups across the Twin Cities region.
OUR VALUES
CENTERING LIVED EXPERIENCE
We honor the richness that individual narratives of those striving to build equitable, accessible, and just communities afford. It’s their proximity to being told to wait, hang on, work within the system, and (or) be patient that naturally informs perspectives on how to move beyond what is to what could be.
EXISTING DATA
We know enough. There is an immense opportunity to declare that the existing cadre of articles, research studies, white papers, infographics, program evaluations, strategic plans, and proclamations regarding ways to further community well-being is sufficient. The collection of these existing insights is more than enough to inform what is needed to further community well-being.
SHARED VISION
A view of what’s possible to support community wellbeing does not necessarily require consensus. Ultimately, the belief that we can win together is foundational to our success.
COLLECTIVE ACTION
Driving material inroads toward the communities we need to holistically survive. vs. the communities we have require more than a few nonprofit organizations, community groups, and or community advocates committed to behavioral change.
DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS
Diverse viewpoints are honored in the context of servicing change.
THE CHANGE SURVEY
The Change Council believes that the road to deepening community well-being starts by prioritizing what needs to change in how we think about and do our work, followed by commitment and resources to support the change. Considering this, the Change Council invites all those who see themselves as community champions to complete this survey to help identify the Change Agenda priorities for nonprofit and grassroot groups across the Twin Cities region.
SURVEY TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 18TH 2023
THE CHANGE AGENDA
DEEPEN HONESTY
Expand the organizational group narratives around impact to include defining and naming the funding and staffing needed to move an organization or group from existing to thriving
DEFINE ORGANIZATIONAL WELL-BEING
Establish a mutual understanding and standard around the organizational structures and budgets for small-, mid-, and large-scale nonprofits and groups to operate well; for the purpose of operating efficiently and effectively.
RIGHT-SIZE ESSENTIAL NONPROFITS & GROUPS
Develop a process that defines essential nonprofits and groups and summarize their current infrastructure vs. needed infrastructure to fully invest in and support the work they are doing. Utilize insight to inform a collective advancement and funding strategy.
STREAMLINE COALITION & COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
Design a process for coalition and collaborative efforts to register their work for the purpose of helping folks identify others already working on similar aims with the goal of encouraging and facilitating more collaboration and less redundancy for greater and accelerated impact.
ALIGN EFFORTS WITH FUNDING & CAPACITY
Strive to only maintain programs, services, and key initiatives that have the necessary funding and personnel to advance the objectives and goals identified for the work.
CHAMPION RESOURCES TO SUPPORT NONPROFIT MERGERS
Instigate the development of dedicated funding to support the exploration and (or) execution of mergers across nonprofits for the purpose of increasing efficiencies, reducing redundancies and competition, and accelerating the desired community impact.
