Today, many people in the community doubt that the nonprofit swap is worth it. Think about resources differently. We must alter the discussion if we are to change people's perceptions of us. Rather than acting as agencies which take resources from the community with which to solve problems, our roles should be to clarify the issue, communicate a vision, convene people for a community discussion, frame the discussion and bring our values to the table. He advocates focusing the community discussion on defining the issue, agreeing on how it affects the community, identify the resources needed to address the issue effectively and facilitate the development of engagement strategies.
Foundations can be important partners in helping to convene the broader community.
We will be moving out from the management core of the organization to involve board members and their community networks, potential partners in the community, businesses, government, religious institutions and other sectors of the community. As we move out from our core, our control decreases, he noted. Resources are directed at important community issues, which can create additional resources. We will achieve broader community buy-in to the strategies. We will establish new community connections, including new financial frameworks, which will increase the size of our tool box.