#15: The Power of Connection: Why Local Engagement is Essential for Sustainability
“When organizations engage with the local community, and the mind shift moves away from seeing community outreach as something for only the community who has the need, it transforms all stakeholders into powerful allies.”
Synopsis: Dontae Latson shares personal examples from diverse small communities that redefine the definition of "family" to go beyond bloodlines, emphasizing that true family arises when communities unite. This engagement transforms our perceptions and interactions, fostering a culture of support that drives sustainable change.
Economics is a pillar that plays a key role in sustainability; however, its weight does not / should not overshadow the importance of the other pillars, society/ culture. In fact, these pillars have equal importance in the role that they place.
I also shared in a previous blog post that while funding is pertinent for organizations to move forward and be effective, without effective programming and intentional capacity building*, donors are hesitant to invest. These are two sides to the same coin. Therefore, community engagement and capacity building should be considered with the same diligence that seeking funding receives- ultimately, these pillars work in tangent with one another and you cannot have one without the other.
*When I speak about capacity building in this sense, I am speaking in very broad terms- capacity building can have a variety of shapes and forms depending on the needs of an organization. Ultimately though, I’m referring to strengthening skills, resources, processes, and abilities of individuals/ communities etc so they not only improve, but achieve the goals they have, and ultimately thrive in their specific context.
Something that struck me in the various conversations I have had recently was the perspective regarding the pillar of “society” often only extended to those communities in which work was being done. The idea of community engagement extended so far as to the serviced population, but rarely outside of that realm. As I softly asked questions regarding this to have a better understanding, what I found interesting was that there was often a disconnect about the role of community and its engagement when thinking about sustainable practices; as one organization explained, they were not created to work with ‘privilege’, rather they were there to serve the communities in need with their limited resources.
As I mulled similar responses over, I began to think about the disconnect for sustainable practices in relationship to the ‘society/ culture’ pillar. Community engagement and capacity building doesn’t just extend to the ‘other’, it also starts at home within your own community.
Why Is Engaging the Local Community Necessary for Sustainability?
Outreaching beyond the community that is being served and engaging the local community is a cornerstone for an organization’s sustainability for a variety of reasons.
1) To begin, when an organization is open to engaging with the local community, and not just the community they are serving, they are acting as a bridge and laying a foundation of partnership. This creates not only trust, but builds credibility for the work that the organization is doing. The organization moves from being faceless to being a known entity within the community. This also connects to the pillar of economics in that it helps create a stronger support base. The local community becomes a direct source for volunteers, donors, and advocates which is vital for funding and manpower.
2) It also encourages authenticity within the community and moves away from an ‘outreach’ mentality to social justice and shared vision of wellbeing for all in the broader community.
Around the world each culture has proverbs that talk about the strength coming together brings:
In the US a common saying is: “A cord of 3 strands is not quickly broken”
In China they say: 三个臭皮匠，胜过一个诸葛亮 (Sān ge chòu píjiàng, shèng guò yī ge Zhūgě Liàng); The meaning roughly translates to: Three cobblers with their wits combined are better than Zhuge Liang the master mind. (Zhuge Liang was a brilliant military strategist in ancient China).
In Kenya they say: "Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable"
Every culture recognizes that when we come together as one, we are stronger and more effective. When organizations encourage authentic community connections and the emphasis shifts to the idea of interdependence rather than independence, community-driven initiatives are often created and survive long-term, even if program funding becomes limited or professionals may leave.
#15:
The Power of Connection: Why Local Engagement is Essential for Sustainability
3) When an organization engages the local community and encourages the mindset of shared partnership, they are moving away from a “ME” to “WE” mentality. When we put individual skills together, resources are able to be effectively leveraged in ways that might not be possible otherwise. By creating a capacity-built community, resources such as funding, volunteers, physical assets, etc are not only managed efficiently and transparently, but there is also less redundancy. As a result, the impact increases 10 fold in value. From a donor perspective (economics pillar), joint initiatives are attractive as they seek efficient resource utilization and accountability.
4) Finally, capacity building and local community engagement encourages not only problem solving, but resilience. Often the best resources a community has is sitting at the table next to them. Capacity building equips communities with not only strategic planning, but also skills such as conflict resolution, data analysis, etc. From invaluable local knowledge, cultural nuances, social dynamics, etc, when communities are tapping into the resources they have within, they are able to collectively address challenges and adapt to changing circumstances. As a result, often the partnership driven programs are more resilient, more relevant, and more impactful.
I personally love the imagery of a woven basket- when we all bring our individual resources and weave them together, we are able to create longer lasting impact
In essence, when organizations engage with the local community, and the mindshift moves away from seeing community outreach as something for only the community who has the need, it transforms all stakeholders into powerful allies.
It lays a strong foundation for creating successful and sustainable partnerships that have more impact than if they were to work alone.
Final Thoughts…
Engaging the local community is essential for effective sustainability, as it fosters trust and builds relationships that extend beyond the immediate population. When an organization considers the pillars of sustainability: society/ culture, in addition to the pillar of economics, the entire community benefits and a ripple effect occurs that enhances visibility and support. Not only does this drive growth that is both economically and socially responsible, it lays the foundation for a more resilient and sustainable future for all.
If your organization is looking for ways to create sustainable solutions for programs and funding, we’d love to connect and explore how we can assist you.
