Urban Business Support’s Post

These are 2 of the most experienced place-based change makers around. For those interested in how to enable communities to create change, come and hear Dame Julia and David in conversation

This #GivingTuesday and beyond, funders need to start asking themselves whether their everyday financial and business practices are perpetuating this system, and if so, how they can change them. Rakiba Kibria, VP of Revenue, and Jess Yupanqui Feingold, co-CEO of Common Future discuss funder culture and the changes that are necessary for racial and economic justice. https://lnkd.in/gZnFqGMq

What a fantastic Article Helen Kidd 👏 This is well worth a read. It applies to so many organisations, partnerships and businesses. Do you provide this sort of training?

Congratulations to the Detroit Regional Chamber for last week's insightful and thought-provoking 2024 Mackinac Policy Conference. Kresge would also like to thank Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, for her valuable insights at two sessions at #MPC24. Here is what the Regional Chamber wrote about Valerie’s contributions: The 2024 Mackinac Policy Conference brought together influential leaders to discuss critical issues and shape Michigan’s future. One of the notable speakers was Valerie Jarrett, the Chief Executive Officer of The Barack Obama Foundation. During the conference, she emphasized the importance of creative placemaking and reimagining our future. Here are some key takeaways from her session: 1.     The Power of Place: Jarrett highlighted the significance of a shared sense of place. When community leaders harness this power, it becomes a tool for building a unified future. Communities that can build and distribute resources while maintaining a strong sense of self are the ones that thrive. 2.     Government’s Role: Drawing from her experience in the Obama Administration, Jarrett emphasized that the federal government should lay the foundational groundwork for building place and improving infrastructure. However, local communities and business leaders should actively contribute to growth and progress. It’s an investment, not charity. 3.     True Timeline of Progress: Building place and civil infrastructure takes time. Progress occurs incrementally over decades. Lewis Jackson from The Kresge Foundation emphasized the need for honest benchmarks where residents can see progress. Redefining what makes a neighborhood livable is essential, beyond traditional definitions. You can watch her two sessions here: The Power of Place: Shaping Who We Are and Building Our Future: https://lnkd.in/eEE2bq3N A Conversation with Valerie Jarrett: https://lnkd.in/eD8yJpv3

#NarrativeTips Celebrate the wins loudly - and explain the role of collective effort and solidarity. The work of progressing towards a more inclusive, more just, more sensible set of policies and practice is hard. Boy is it hard. And we spend a lot of time in the difficult space of thinking about and talking about the problems. Most of you will know about negativity bias - part of our fast thinking system that means we recall and tend to create predictive mental models around negative outcomes. Which makes it hard to believe positive change will happen. But the reality is it does! and to counter this (and other mental models that get in the way) we need to frame the wins well. When we win, when progress is made (even imperfect progress because we are humans after all), its useful to celebrate it in a way which explains for people the steps that were taken, especially the collective, collaborative steps that were taken to get us there. Frame the solidarity of different groups of people coming together across different parts of our community (as a side note I think it is not so useful to frame it in war like terms which is an extrinsic set of values). So yesterday, people in local politics in Wellington made some great decisions about housing in the city. It was a win for a more inclusive city, and to get here took the efforts of many people working together, across different communities, to demand better long term decisions from our decision makers for our public good. It included enormous efforts into deepening public understanding on the issues (yup framing matters), as well as just good old fashioned organising so decision makers can hear. That is how big change happens. Keep at it https://lnkd.in/eT9Tx3Rg

As the consulting space evolves, so do I. One part of my medium-term strategy at Five Oaks Consulting, Inc. (say, in the next 2-3 years) is to shift *part* of my practice by serving local Upstate New York clients - nonprofits and philanthropic organizations. Both those in rural and urban parts of Upstate New York. After 20 + years of having lived in Upstate New York, which is part of what some choose to call the 'rustbelt region' of America, i.e. the region in the North East of America that has been economically and socially depressed for decades (though is also experiencing a slow but steady resurgence!), I feel that I have developed some credibility to do local/regional work. After all, the very same issues that my clients work on internationally -- social justice, poverty, discrimination, you name it -- play out just as much in my own region where I live. And the organizational development needs and pain points of clients are quite comparable, even if the particular context can vary distinctly for sure. One baby step in this direction: The Gifford Foundation based in Syracuse, NY, just added me to their website Resources page on Local Consultants. Thank you, Gifford Foundation! PS: to be clear - I intend to continue to do international work, but hope to gradually add this to my offerings 💪 https://lnkd.in/gFg7R42

February 12 to 16, 2024, is Chamber of Commerce Week in British Columbia. Therefore, it is an opportune time to recognize and celebrate the meaningful work undertaken by the chambers of commerce and boards of trade in communities across the province. These local business organizations are more than just community boosters. They are convenors, collaborators and catalysts for positive change and are integral to creating sustainable, healthy communities. Whether it’s advocating to local, provincial or federal governments for changes to public policy on matters that stretch far beyond taxation to include societal issues like housing, healthcare, and mental health and addictions, developing innovative programs and initiatives to support business, or leading charitable works that contribute to social well-being, local chambers of commerce and boards of trade are the trusted “boots on the ground” that understand the unique needs of their communities. The BC Chamber of Commerce applauds and celebrates each and every one, and thanks their executives and boards of directors for their tireless work to support their businesses and communities. This week, we encourage BC residents and businesses to learn more about their local chamber of commerce or board of trade, and to get involved in the important work they do to improve the health and prosperity of the community they serve. #BCBusiness #BCBiz #BCCC #BCChamber #BCChamberofCommerce #BoardofTrade #ChamberofCommerce #CelebrateChambers #BCChamberWeek #PolicyPriority #ChamberofCommerceWeek #ChamberWeek

Capacity building is the process of strengthening an organization's ability to fulfill its mission effectively for achieving long-term impact in your community. Whether it's enhancing leadership skills, improving internal infrastructure such as human resources, or expanding community outreach to increase volunteers, capacity building empowers nonprofits to maximize their impact and reach their full potential within their own networks. Read our latest blog 'Capacity Grants for Supporting Growth' https://lnkd.in/g43qshXN

Let's learn about the acts you can engage with today: The ACE Act: H.151/S.113 would establish a fund to provide grants to organizations focused on the arts, culture, humanities, and interpretive sciences to remove barriers encountered by people with disabilities. By dedicating these resources to cultural organizations, we can build a creative economy where everyone can find enjoyment and belonging in the stories, performances, and exhibits present in our communities. How to support: https://lnkd.in/gHVnatzx The Downtown Vitality Act: This would establish the Downtown Vitality Fund and dedicate 5% of revenues from online sales in Massachusetts to support staffing and operations of cultural districts, business improvement districts, main street associations, and parking benefit districts in Gateway Cities and other low-income communities. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gjy8bdyD Cultural Equity in Tourism: H.3244/S.2194 would establish a grant program within the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism to support tourism marketing and promotional expenses for arts and cultural organizations and prioritize amplifying the stories of historically marginalized or underrepresented cultures. By increasing local and regional tourism to more culturally diverse spaces and events, Massachusetts can support economic vitality for everyone. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gUPAcdRY

For some of us the dog days of summer are coming to an end. But for those of us in the high education space this is an extremely busy time of the year. Are you an #alumniofficer and trying to find ways to engage with students? Those first few months on campus are scary and everyone is adjusting to a new normal. The #alumnioffice should working with other institutional partners to support students during this time of transition. Let's not forget your non traditional students or international students their transition may require a different approach. Let's us help you bridge the gap between your specific data-your staffing resources and your processes to help you make the most of this critical time with new students on campus.