Cultural Diversity Resources CI Report – Final

What has been most instrumenta to your progress?

Crucial progress was made using a ‘system approach’ to collaborate with grassroots ethnic and traditional organizational ‘structures’ to achieve collective impact. System involves a grouping of interdependent organizations to achieve specific goals and objectives. Partnerships developed among Multicultural Alliance (MA) members from 4-6 ethnic ‘grassroots’ nonprofits with direct service for growing numbers of New Americans and minorities of color.

Cultural Diversity Resources (CDR) serve as an ‘intercultural bridge’ to increase inclusion and provided support in organizing, building and connecting ethnically diverse leaders with other community leaders to collaborate on programs to better serve ethnically diverse low-income families. MA members listed progress as increased trust, self-confidence, ownership, connections, visibility, resources and collaboration among themselves and with ‘traditional institutions’ to better access and serve clients in grassroots communities. The ‘system’ mindset fosters interaction, interconnection and interdependence among one another which resulted in co-sharing of resources, funding, volunteers, and activities to meet community needs.

Grassroots ethnic community leaders on a steering committee, who oversees the goal, objectives and work-plans, was important for progress. This was made possible through ongoing partnerships with the ‘Multicultural Alliance’ (MA) coalition of six ethnic-based nonprofits collaborating on common activities to maximize limited resources and avoid duplication of services. Alliance started with four and expanded to six members. The Alliance system is resourceful in the use of existing resources and assets as well as fostering the sharing of limited finances and resources among members.

Partnerships among Alliance member and traditional agencies made progress utilizing the diverse talents, resources and skills with no language and cultural barriers, time flexibility and availability to transportation to access and connect with growing numbers of New Americans with limited English proficiency and underserved communities of color with disparities. Increased trust, established relationships and support among MA members implemented solutions to meet community needs creatively, productively and effectively for collective impact.

Training and mentorship of ethnic leaders and volunteers of Alliance members (i.e. internal assets of nonprofits) increased their knowledge, skills and confidence about leadership, board issues and managing nonprofits productively and effectively. Twelve leaders attended sessions on board issues, grant research and writing, fundraising, program evaluation, financial and volunteer management taught by community professionals. Building leadership with shared problem-solving and decision-making is vital for ownership, action and long-term sustainability. Bilingual and cultural volunteers provided valuable support for the underserved population in place of traditional agencies with set hours and lack of diverse staff. Capacity building and training of ethnically diverse volunteers created a strong community support group of helpers who are trusted, accessible and strengthened social networking for New Americans and low-income minority families. We learned that progress is better achieved when clients were assisted in ways that were convenient, accessible, authentic, expedient with no cultural, language, time or transportation barriers using ‘grassroots’ ethnic leaders/volunteers.

Key lessons learned

One key factor for success is training, utilizing and empowering human resources and their skills. “Building on internal assets” led to the recruitment, training, and support for more ethnic leaders and volunteers, who provided free direct services for their grassroots communities, that is crucial to maintain and sustain the work and growth of these nonprofits. Community professionals shared their knowledge and skills with coalition leaders but more time is needed for mentorship. Developing volunteers helps to build and sustain vital nonprofit services for low income families. Too few leaders and volunteers can result in fast burnout. Without paid staff and trained volunteers, some follow-ups were slow, poor or unreliable. We learned that it is important to have not only time but patience and flexibility in building coalition leadership to get work done. MA members learned and shared future ideas: (i) encourage female and multigenerational leadership, (ii) establish a support group for ethnic leaders to be actively engaged to foster positive change and, (iii) engage more public support, advocacy and funding to consolidate and sustain community innovation in progress.

Community innovation grant provided the vital support and opportunity for Cultural Diversity Resources to organized diverse ethnic grassroots’ nonprofits as joint forces in a Multicultural Alliance (MA) working together and with other traditional agencies to bring about change. MA shared common goal to advance common interests and causes while leveraging resources and measurement for collective impact in a system. This led to CDR’s stewardship role to coordinate and mobilize resources to set up the infrastructure, planning and communication that is vital for MA to implement work-plans. Technical Assistance funds gave more time, information and resources which enhanced “internal assets” with upgraded Information Technology hard and software to improve its communication and services. QuickBooks managed all aspects of finances. NeonCRM software improved fundraising skills to track donors and volunteers. Created websites and social media. Both CDR and MA members benefitted from the availability and accessibility to updated IT system and e-learning which resulted in systemic change that is more inclusive,equitable and resourceful through maximizing and sharing existing resources.

Reflections on the community innovation process

All three elements – inclusion, collaboration and resourcefulness- were important for our work progress on an ongoing basis. Our current testing and implementing solutions process focused on ‘building the internal assets’ which successfully trained and empowered ethnic leaders and volunteers to have knowledge and skills to manage nonprofits effectively with support and mentorship by professionals.The Multicultural Alliance members were inclusive but not fully collaborative at the beginning but improved with regular meetings and communication with shared problem-solving and decision making. Resourcefulness was important and repeated to get more work done. MA members learned, shared, connected and collaborated to avoid duplication of services, shared funds, staffing, facilities and resources which resulted in productivity and efficiency with collective impact. Partnerships with traditional agencies resulted in collaborative activities. Our next work is Phase III in community innovation process with testing and implementing solutions on ‘Building external assets’ to increase community engagement and ownership, advocacy for system level change, and mobilize funding for sustainability.

Other key elements of Community Innovation

Two key elements contributed to innovation progress. First crucial element is having trained and educated human resources (staff and volunteers) for Multicultural Alliance which is a coalition of grassroots nonprofits to create solutions that meet needs of people most affected by them. It is important for MA leaders and volunteers to have good nonprofit training and mentorship by community professionals with expertise and connections to guide new and smaller nonprofits which included their meaningful input and involvement. Success of this community process relies on the trust and teamwork developed among members in the Multicultural Alliance system to help each other with support from professionals.
Second key element is having one major organization such as Cultural Diversity Resources, with diverse staffing/board expertise, 25 years of nonprofit experience, community connections, and financial resources, to play a stewardship support role in training, organizing and managing coordination for MA community partners for collective impact. Technical assistance funds upgraded information technology hardware and software which improved financial, donation and volunteer management.

Progress toward an innovation

CDR’s innovation utilized a “system” approach for collective impact which involves multiple organizations from diverse sectors working in coordination to address community needs. Innovative change took several stages and each phase resulted in some progress. *Phase I brought diverse ethnic nonprofits working together at grassroots level through the Multicultural Alliance coalition which provided direct service to low- income New Americans and immigrants. MA used and shared existing funds, facilities, supplies, staffing, and activities while maximizing strengths and avoiding duplication of services.*Phase II focused on ‘building of internal assets” through training and mentorship to prepare and empower grassroots community members, who are directly affected, manage their organizations effectively in collaboration with traditional organizations. Using the system approach increased collaboration among multiple organizations and diverse individuals for inclusion and resourcefulness. It resulted in effective leadership, equitable and sustainable resources to reduce systemic racial, social and economic disparities. Phase III on ‘building external assets’is needed for innovation progress.

What it will take to reach an innovation?

CDR’s innovation assumed a ‘system’ approach to address problems and issues for collective impact. This approach considers the interactive and interdependence of internal and external factors in organizations working in a system. Having completed Phase II on ‘building internal assets,’ additional work is needed in Phase III on “building external assets” for sustaining action and impact through building public support and engagement, communication strategies and advocacy for systemic social change and mobilizing funding for long term sustainability. Phase III will expand outreach for more community engagement, continuous improvement, advocacy to leverage more existing assets and engaging funders for inclusion, equity and sustainability. Trust, relationships and positive change are further strengthened in collective sharing, learning and working through an interactive, interdependent and interconnected system of diverse organizations, participants and funders. A portion of Bush community innovation grant will be set aside as grants opportunity for MA members to apply for creative, inclusive and collaborative ways to reduce disparities as a united front for collective impact.

What’s next?

CDR will apply for Community Innovation grant to transition into Phase III of the project with the following work-plans:
1. Broader community role – Develop plan to attract and recruit more diverse stakeholders and multiple organizations who share Multicultural Alliance goal to advance common interests while leveraging skills and resources to reduce disparities. Foster consensus on common mission, goals, accountability, shared action and measurable outcomes.
2.Communication on intercultural collaboration – Develop and implement communication strategies to foster a mindset shift for a system approach where everything is interrelated and interconnected to achieve collective impact. Include internal and external communication to engage key stakeholders and funders for action.
3. Mobilize and diversify funding for sustainability -Mobilize funding to support grassroots activities and collaboration with traditional organizations to better serve needs of low income population. Build more public and funders engagement and support. Set aside grants to develop and implement change. Increase MA’s ability to gain better access to information, resources, skills and power for positive change

If you could do it all over again…

Provide all Multicultural Alliance members the opportunity to complete two forms: (1) self- assessment of their organizations using SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) and (2) Wilder Collaboration Success Factors to increase understanding and accountability about what factors will influence collaboration success. Both forms will accomplish two goals:
(1) Collective awareness and understanding of the issues, problem, challenges or opportunities for ‘realistic’, resourceful and successful solutions based on SWOT analysis results.
(2) Collective understanding of the community innovation process for inclusion, collaboration and resourcefulness.
Information gained will better prepare everyone involved in the community innovation process for shared problem-solving, decision-making, and accountability. With limited funding and resources, both self- assessment and collaboration results are important for members to know to prioritize their strategies and actions and value collaboration with diverse key stakeholders and organizations since everyone and everything is interrelated, interconnected and interdependent in the system for collective impact and success.

One last thought

Cultural Diversity Resources was given the opportunity to start community innovation project to mobilize and empower immigrants and refugees in Fargo-Moorhead to reduce disparities with some progress made in two phases. CDR completed Phase I (capacity-building & collaboration initiated the Multicultural Alliance coalition among ethnic leaders and grassroots nonprofits) which led into Phase II (building of “internal assets” to train, prepare and empower ethnic leaders and volunteers to develop and implement appropriate services to meet clients’ needs through partnerships and sharing of facilities, funds and resources).CDR will apply for Community Innovation grant to transition into Phase III with “building of “external assets” to increase public engagement and support, advocacy for inclusive & systemic social change and mobilize funding for long term sustainability. MA coalition had expanded as result of trust & positive working relationships including partnerships with traditional agencies. Innovation will expand in Phase III to engage more key stakeholders, and funders in the system for continuity and sustainability to gain collective impact in reducing disparities.