Relationships are at the core of our mission. We recognize the importance of listening to each other's perspectives, establishing shared understanding, and grounding our vision, directed by the stages in our partnership & engagement framework.
Community Partnerships & Engagement encourages partners to see and understand issues and priorities from different perspectives. We learn much when actively listening, even when—especially when—opinions and ideas challenge those of our own.
Wherever possible, we incorporate the 7 principles of Kwanzaa (Nguzo Saba) and align ourselves with groups that hold the same or similar values. We work to ensure each partnership is reciprocal, expansive, and has the betterment of society as its foundation.
We build relationships through the three fundamental stages of our partnership & engagement framework:
1. Establishing a foundation
The first four stages of the partnership & engagement framework are foundational stages. Before any partnership can start, it is essential to have an understanding of values, shared understanding, self determination, and shared interests to guide the work and support a mutually rewarding partnership.
2. Mapping out engagement
The next three stages are types of engagement. These entail coordination, collaboration and collective action. Work in these stages revolves around alignment of strategic directions, working together on specific project, and scaling efforts towards the betterment of a region. Partners could be engaged in one, two, or all of three of these stages simultaneously.
3. Revisit, rethink & evolve
Revisit, rethink & evolve emphasizes the importance of pausing to reflect and look at the growth of our principles and impact. Only then can we determine opportunities to evolve. This stage doesn’t just happen at the end, but throughout the entire process.
View the partnership & engagement framework