Our Approach
The Three Pillars
Envision
The community must be able to envision the change they wish to see. If the vision is given to the community, the change isn’t community-driven.
Enact
The community not only must be part of the process, they should be the one leading the change. Without intentionally building power for the community, we cannot build capacity.
Sustain
The community members must be able to sustain and be stewards of the social change movements. We must avoid long term dependencies to truly uplift communities and community agency.
We believe…
empathy is not enough.
Empathy is an important value, yet it’s not enough to justify entering and changing a community. We believe equitable and sustainable change can only come from community leadership.
capacity building begins with capacity matching.
Capacity for getting involved with a project can often be a barrier. Capacity includes but is not limited to funding, time, education, and knowledge. As we aim to build capacity of a community or an organization, we must first meet them where they are and work to grow their capacity to level that is self-defined by the community.
community-centered means community-driven.
Far too often, people in marginalized and vulnerable communities who are most impacted are left out of the conversation, leading to unsuccessful and even harmful outcomes. Community members should be empowered to lead, and change should not be imposed by visitors.
equitable design leads to an exit strategy.
Any design in the community development field should prioritize an exit strategy. Preventing long-term dependence is a priority that is often treated like an afterthought.