StriveTogether - Collective Impact “Building a Cradle to Career Civic Infrastructure”

1. StriveTogether - Collective Impact “Building a Cradle to Career Civic Infrastructure” Non-profit Agency Update and Input Session October 2, 2014 FSW, Inc.

2. Update • What is this work and how is it different? • Pre-Work • Building the Accountability Structure • Next Steps

3. What do communities usually do? • We look for a heroic leader to fix things • We undertake “one-off” projects • We advocate for investing in “silver bullets”

4. How is this different? • Unity and inclusiveness • Alignment of outcomes • Measure progress toward goals • Persist using continuous improvement • Mobilize resources for impact

5. Work Together to Move Outcomes Convene around Programs/Initiatives Improve Prove Addition to What You Do Is What You Do Advocate for What Works Advocate for Ideas Collective Impact Collaboration

6. Pre – Work Overview: • September 2013 United Way (support of BOA and GE) brought Jeff Edmondson from StriveTogether to Bridgeport to discuss the possibility of building a cradle to career civic infrastructure in Bridgeport. • While attendees said “Yes” when asked if this work was worth pursuing, there was a clear expression of caution given the erosion of trust, high level of fatigue and conflicting agendas. • As a result, United Way (UW) committed to significant additional pre-work to: • Gain additional input/insights • Demonstrate inclusiveness/promote broad engagement • Build understanding of Collective Impact • Help raise the dialog • Identify the right leadership • Determine next steps

7. Pre-Work Continued… Engagement/Input- Communications- Issued White Paper Developed one page basic Information Sheet Established webpage/very basic Partnership with Sacred Heart School of Management/Effective Communication Strategies Project Ongoing expansion of communication list • Over 150+ interviews conducted • Input Summarized (Attributes for Leadership Team, Candidate Recommendations, Consensus Observations, Recommendations)

8. Core Leadership Team Attributes: • Servant leaders/no agenda • Neutral (not immediately polarizing)/community credibility • Diverse/culturally competent/community competent • Influencers/not all the same old/can keep the order • Cross walkers/can help bridge divides • Can model respect, forgiveness, active listening, transparency, can consider different opinions, values talents and assets of the community • Willingness/courage to lead in difficult times

9. Consensus Observations- • Community is deeply divided/feelings are much more personal and difficult to recover from • Trust is hard to come by/ certain groups or individuals are significantly more polarizing and need to be part of the larger engagement but not seen as leading the effort • Community wants to move forward to make positive impact but is rudderless at the moment • Concerns exist about how CI will impact funding /resource allocation- “Will this take money away from the community?” • The community is changing and the traditional distribution of power and influence is not the future • Leadership needs to be developed/long time lock on leadership positions has stifled new leadership potential/diminished energy, enthusiasm, innovation • Strategies/actions need to be sustainable and have community ownership/buy in • Funders must not set the agenda but should support the agenda

10. Recommendations- • Cannot be owned or driven by United Way/Board. Core Leadership Team and community must lead (UW is the support organization). The community will listen and watch this carefully. • United Way should engage other organizations to provide backbone functions in areas they are expert in. This will not only avoid duplication and leverage community assets, it can help model servant leadership/collaboration/setting differences aside, etc… • Prior to diving into outcomes/measures/evidence/investment, the Core Leadership Team must get out into the community to listen and learn with authenticity and help/model/pursue truth telling and forgiveness work to help with healing and trust building. • Core Values and Guiding Principles for the initiative should be developed very early on. • Communications must be transparent, culturally relevant, frequent and authentic. • Extensive, ongoing, daily, work must be undertaken to promote broad community level engagement and further develop an understanding of the initiative.

11. What the Community had to say… “We can not surrender.” “We have many assets in Bridgeport that we need to tap.” “The voice of divisiveness can not continue louder than the voice of unity.” “We need to replace the anger and hatred with love and understanding. We owe this to our children.” “We can make progress if we are inclusive and if we don’t leave residents on the outside looking in.” “Our children need to see our leaders working together to solve problems regardless of our differences.” “We need to focus positively. People are tired of the ugly, negative dynamics.” “We need to respect one another even if we have differences.”

12. Core Leadership Team Frank Borres, CEO Adrienne Farrar Houel, President & CEO American View ProductionsGreater Bridgeport Community Enterprises, Inc. Chairman, Citywide NRZ Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, Bishop Bill Jennings, President & CEO Diocese of Bridgeport BridgeportHospital Ramon BulerinDanette Jones BDI – Stratford Copious Realty Group Joseph Carbone, President & CEO Delores Laws The WorkPlace, Inc. The Dawn Carmen Colon, Executive Director Dr. Fred McKinney, President & CEO Alpha Community Services, YMCAGreater New England Minority Supplier Development Council Pablo Colon III, Vice President Janet Ortiz, Director Radio Cumbre Broadcasting, Inc Nehemiah Commission Rosa J. Correa, Director, Strategic Relations Rabbi James Prosnit Career Resources, Inc. Congregation B’nai Israel George Estrada, Vice President for Facilities Frances Rabinowitz, Interim Superintendent University of Bridgeport Bridgeport Public Schools Anita Giliniecki, President Reverend Cass Shaw, President & CEO Housatonic Community College Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport Armando Goncalves, Market President, Southern CT Martha K. Shouldis, Ed.D., President & CEO Peoples’ United Bank St. Vincent College Victor Tran Donna Thompson Bennett, Curriculum Manager/Consultant 2014 UCONN Graduate Parent Leadership Training Institute

13. Role of Core Leadership Team • Champion Vision • Affirm Direction • Promote the Initiative • Encourage Broad Engagement • Advocate for What Works • Keep the Order • Model and Enforce Core Values and Guiding Principals

14. Core Leadership Team: Recent Action- • Affirm Membership. Is there anyone else should help lead? • Select Chairperson(s), Tri-Chair Structure • Attended the Planning Retreat on July 30th • Community Sessions

15. DRAFT- Accountability Structure CORE LEADERSHIP TEAM Community OPERATIONS/IMPLEMENTATION TEAM Community Community OUTCOMES COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK FUNDERS TABLE DATA TABLE Community

16. Next Steps: • Community Sessions • Design Institute • Baseline Report • Community Action Networks

17. Facilitated Discussion Area # 1 – Vision, Mission, Naming Area # 2 – Outcomes and Indicators Area # 3 – Guiding Principles and Core Values