Here are the top 7 things that have made all the difference in their ability to scale a national coalition in a relatively short time and in the midst of a global pandemic.
When joining a coalition, many people have more negative experiences than positive ones. Sure, it starts great, but such efforts lose momentum over time, and little comes from it. Participants leave jaded and more resolved to just “go it alone”.
They knew this going in and wanted to telegraph in every way possible that BIA was different. So, they scheduled a regular meeting cadence and committed to making meetings matter. The sense of accomplishment associated with early milestones made us feel like we were a part of something greater. Even now, they derive a sense of pride from how fast the work has moved, which has caused them to want to drive even harder (and wiser) going into their next chapter.
They are a pretty ambitious bunch, so the work has moved rather quickly. They agreed early that if at any point they reached an impasse, that they would pause to ensure everyone was clear and that members felt good about the general direction. They operated by the principle, of when building anything new with others, trust is the glue. Without it, people lose faith, disengage and move on. Over time, their “trust battery” grew stronger. Members began to build relationships with the organization and with one another. The more they accomplished together, the more faith they had in one another and in BIA. Today, trust remains focal for them. They’re always trying to find new ways to build it because they know that BIA will not survive without it.
The Black Innovation Alliance model has always been about figuring out the most efficient and effective ways to direct resources and opportunities to ecosystem leaders and builders. As a result, their members have received access to free memberships, subscriptions, speaking opportunities, earned media and press, grant funding, earned revenue opportunities, and even membership stipends.
We know that people join coalitions for the cause, but Black people are disproportionately expected to support the cause, often receiving little in return – either directly or indirectly. At BIA, we’re always looking to add value for our members because they are the lifeblood of our work.
At BIA, we believe that the genius necessary to solve our community’s greatest challenges lies in the hearts and minds of Black people. Therefore, our biggest task at BIA is to build the infrastructure that allows them to activate that genius (what we refer to as giving birth to their “idea babies”).
They relied on their members to guide our strategic work and support program implementation as a distributed network. If someone had a bright idea that the community agrees aligns with their mission, their members know they will be asked to lead on it. Their work is alive and dynamic because their members are not following; they lead in just about every aspect of their work.
Because they know the power of organizational culture in creating a quality experience, they’ve been intentional about building a healthy one from the beginning. This meant creating safe and fun spaces, doing what they said they were going to do, being transparent, offering people grace, assuming the best (not the worst), showing up for one another, and committing to action. At BIA, it’s their commitment to ensure that their members feel welcomed, seen, felt, and heard at all times.
At this stage, they wanted to learn as much as they could about one another, their partners, the space, the work, and the communities they serve. In all things, their members knew that they were committed to learning and doing better. They encourage each other to hold them accountable and prioritized iteration in all things.
Love is not a foreign word in their work. We have great affection for their members and a deep love for the work and the communities they show up for every day. It’s not a weak or a sappy love, but a bold and audacious love that allows them to speak the truth and bring life. They efforts to deploy a generative love in their work, from the most expansive plans to the tiniest of details.
Says BIA, "Love is a powerful thing. It’s what will keep BIA growing, our work transforming, and our vision for the world ever unfolding."
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Urban Excellence is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is dedicated to making world class personal growth and development programs, training, coaching, resources and services available and accessible for all.
CONTACT