By:Rebecca Saltman Issue: Collaborative Leadership Section: Community
Denver’s Approach to Prosperity
For most of human history, we’ve been on a singular quest to get bigger, better, richer, faster. We’ve developed tools and factories and products and cities that make our lives simultaneously easier and more efficient. We’ve specialized our knowledge base into skill sets, and compartmentalized our skill sets into jobs, allowing people to achieve far-reaching results with limited resources. And as a people, we’ve been incredibly successful.
But all good things must come to an end. Despite the best efforts of everyone from the White House to your house, we are dealing with a host of new challenges: disappearing incomes, rising pollution levels, collapsing businesses, rampant unplanned development, and ultimately, a dramatic disconnect from families, friends, and neighbors. These concerns are all a shared burden, as is our desire to build healthier, more vibrant communities that can combat these seemingly intractable ills.
Fulfilling this desire will take a fundamental shift in leadership, civic engagement, governance, and planning – a shift that can survive the onslaught of 21st century economic realities. This shift needs to ensure that all community members are informed, connected, and ready to repeatedly turn challenge into opportunity. Communities, businesses and governments across the country are currently waking up to the fact that their old tool kits are no longer working. The individuals they govern have already “smelled the coffee” on this front and are driving to Starbucks!
CommunityMatters (CM), an initiative of the Orton Family Foundation, is ready to take the lead by providing the tools, models and inspiration to act. This coalition of community leaders, thinkers and doers forms a “commons,” wherein people can find resources, get and give advice, and share stories of community action. CM does not advocate for any specific actions or policy changes, but seeks to empower people to become community leaders, to find creative local solutions to community problems, and to break down the boundaries between disciplines and organizations to forge a collaborative approach to creating enduring change at the community level.
“We believe in the power of the individual, and collaborative leadership in the community starts with local citizens. Elected officials typically follow more than they lead, so leadership needs to come from the grassroots,” says Bill Roper, President and CEO of the Orton Family Foundation.
“As political gridlock and the economic downturn continue month after month, citizens are perhaps newly ready to find a different way forward – one that emphasizes community over consumerism, collaboration over individualism, responsibility over apathy, local action over national or state control.” The Foundation created the CommunityMatters Initiative to make a space for collaboration and sharing between varied organizations, and to facilitate local leadership that can address big problems. Still in its infancy, CommunityMatters is actively seeking input, partners, and ideas to help grow this vibrant network, which in turn will help grow dynamic communities across the country.
CommunityMatters held their third national conference (CM’10) recently in Denver, Colorado to highlight the importance of diverse voices and coalitions in pursuing the “heart and soul” of each attendee’s hometown. CM’10 gathered 250 people – a diverse interdisciplinary crowd from 35 states plus D.C. and Canada - to forge a collaborative approach to creating enduring change at the community level. The breakdown was as varied as the stories they told: 18 percent from city/town governments, 9 percent from community initiatives, 7 percent from the requisite state and federal agencies, 26 percent from NGOs, and another 10 percent from sundry universities and research affiliates. Maine resident Jane Lafleur said, “The conference did wonders for me. My brain feels nourished again after a long drought! It feels great to have met so many talented, inspiring people. Loved it all!”
Previous and ongoing projects were singled out and analyzed during CM’10, as both teaching tools and inspirational guides. A tour through the city of Golden, Colorado provided one such showcase opportunity. CommunityMatters, collaborating with the Orton Family Foundation’s Heart & Soul Community Planning and others, developed a supplemental code, policy and capital improvement plan to achieve a “Golden Vision 2030.” Golden Vision 2030 is using new tools that were emphasized at CM’10 and can help to make citizens’ interactions with government a two-way street such as: CommunityViz, a GIS-based visualization and modeling software; AnyWare Polling, a mobile phone-based polling platform that allows people to instantly respond to survey questions; Community Almanac, a website that allows people to map and share stories and multimedia about their communities; and other online engagement and social networking applications.
The four days of speakers, learning sessions and discussions included many events and demonstrations that proved how interdisciplinary thinking and tools help enhance community. Portland-based civic theater company Sojourn Theatre engaged attendees and synthesized their words and thoughts into a rousing closing performance. Attendees listened to and helped select the winners of the Strong Communities Competition, a partnership between Ashoka’s Changemakers and CommunityMatters that sought to identify and recognize the most innovative community building projects in the U.S. and Canada. New York Times bestselling author Chip Heath (Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard), addressed the necessity of directing, motivating and “shaping the path.” Famed author of Diet for a Small Planet and closing keynote, Frances Moore Lappé, said it this way, “The challenge is increasing and deepening trust by engaging directly with others to create culture that works for all of us.”
The conference program was a microcosm of one of CommunityMatters’ guiding principles: address citizens’ growing hunger to go deeper in a shallow world. CM asserts that people are disenchanted with the cookie-cutter towns of disconnected communities, placeless streets and ineffective governments. But communities have yet to engage a broad base of local citizens to help them define and shape their futures. Traditional quantitative approaches to planning and community development use critical data about demographic and economic shifts, traffic counts and infrastructure needs, but fail to account for the particular ways people relate to their physical surroundings and ignore or discount the intangibles—shared values, beliefs and quirky customs—that make a community. “Experts” often look on local participation as an albatross at best, or a protest movement at worst, rather than respecting the expertise of the people who know a community most thoroughly—its residents. In its mission, the Orton Family Foundation states, “Every town has authenticity, character, spirit—its own heart and soul."
"One-size-fits-all development means that many towns in America are losing what makes them unique, those special qualities and distinctive characteristics that keep a place from becoming Anywhere, USA.”
People are trying to address issues like poverty, education, growth and sprawl in silos, when in reality they are utterly intertwined. This deliberative democracy, this collective wisdom, can have the most innocuous beginnings. In October, 2009, Victor, Idaho (population roughly 1,000) filled the historic theater, for a first-ever citywide “storytelling event.” Over 90 locals turned out to hear three longtime residents tell stories about what they found special about Victor. They came to enjoy digital stories made from interviews with residents (thanks to the diligent efforts of the local Boy Scout troop), young and old, from all points of the community compass. The event led to volunteers signing on to participate in Envision Victor’s Heart & Soul Initiative and the inception of the first Victor Wave Day, a practice recalled by one of the storytellers that used to be common years before. These small outcomes, focused as much on fun as future planning, boosted community spirit and energy for collective action.
That spirit action will be tested in the coming fiscal quarters. Rampant population growth (driven largely by national press transforming the nearby county seat of Driggs, Idaho into a tourist mecca) has led to subdivision developers and “big box” interests appearing overnight. Victor approved a Traditional Neighborhood District overlay zone in 2008 with the intent of fostering elements that many Victor residents want: bikeable streets, affordable homes, cultural events and close-knit neighborhoods. Innovative development is already springing up in the form of Mountainside Village, a mixed-use residential community that is a registered pilot neighborhood for LEED certification. City officials hope that Envision Victor will help the entire city develop and realize a shared vision for a lively, livable community.
This unique approach is the natural offshoot of Orton Family Foundation’s founder, Lyman Orton. Originally envisioned in 1995, the Foundation was founded to get small cities and towns to shape their future by collaboratively defining, articulating and acting on those elements that make them unique and distinctive. These shared values are placed at the center of the planning process. As succinctly phrased by Ed McMahon, Trustee of the Orton Family Foundation, “Do you want the character of your community to define development, or do you want outside development to define the character of your community?”
Lyman Orton grew up in the picturesque hill town of Weston, Vermont. He learned to ski in the late 1940’s on a rope-tow hill on one side of his house, attending the two-room school on the other, and being pretty much a free-range kid along with all his friends. His father and mother – literal pioneers in the mail order industry – started The Vermont County Store in 1946. He clearly had a knack for being a merchant; The Vermont County Store is now a major employer in Vermont and serves customers across America through its mail order catalogue, website, and two stores.
In the 1980s, Vermont experienced a building boom fueled in part by a rapid rise in second-home ownership. Many towns throughout the state, including Weston, found themselves unprepared and lacking the information and tools needed to protect their character while continuing to grow and change in positive directions. Orton remembers struggling with a proposal in Weston to build a wildlife theme park on the side of a local mountain, which the Planning Commission discovered was permitted under current zoning bylaws, and which the Commission was powerless to prevent. Again, it was a case of failing to engage a broad base of local citizens to help them define and shape the future of their communities.
While most places have never faced as much change and as many challenges as they do today, there has also never been a better opportunity for citizens to take charge of their future. Our communities are becoming more diverse by the day, which means an influx of new perspectives and new types of knowledge. It is both more and less than the typical voting and volunteerism – we need every citizen to become a leader in some way, to recognize the opportunity cloaked as challenge. CommunityMatters and the Orton Family Foundation are finding those opportunities more and more, daily.
Are you?
Rebecca Saltman is a social entrepreneur and the President and Founder of an independent collaboration building firm designed to bridge business, government, nonprofits and academia. www.foot-in-door.com.
Raise your hand if you’ve been affected by our “current economic situation.”
Rotary in Colorado has accomplished great things, working with the public and private sector as equal partners. But why is Rotary generally so successful at projects, both local and worldwide, that it tackles?
Building ideal teams means finding and developing leaders with bona fide skills, who are motivated and have potential. It is also just as important to cast aside those who are unable or unwilling to integrate with the team. There are four easy ways to enhance employee motivation including self-motivation, communication, and understanding employee needs. Most important, however, is providing clear policies and procedures for positive performance rewards. Simeonidis challenges herself to keep her team motivated and says, “Making sure that the company and the team perform at their absolute best and constantly deliver is my number one priority.”
Where does hope lie? It lies in a rug, and more specifically, at ARZU Studio Hope. This “for benefit” organization provides sustainable incomes to Afghani women by sourcing and selling the rugs they weave. Aptly named, “arzu” is an inspirational Dari word that means “hope.” It is also a common Afghani woman’s name. ARZU, in this case, stands for much more than its name implies. ARZU Studio Hope’s founder, Connie Duckworth, says she brings to the table “an understanding of business and a strong belief in the economic empowerment of women.” She adds, “Women are community builders, and the carpets are the vehicle for transforming lives by providing a means of financial support.”
Initially thinking that the garment industry would be a good source of income, by engaging in a field that would be considered appropriate for women’s work in the Afghani culture, she began speaking with friends who knew the industry well. To her frustration, she quickly became aware of serious limitations to this effort, such as security issues and the lack of electricity; in this gender segregated society, most women would not be allowed to leave their homes to work in a factory. So, Duckworth was forced to shed her preconceived ideas and start again. She renewed her efforts with extensive research that included studying export industries, while considering roles that would be socially acceptable for women.
Approximately 2.6 billion people—more than 40 percent of the world’s population—live on less than $2 a day. What’s worse, even though some countries have made progress towards economic equality for their citizens, more than 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where
the income gap is widening. The richest 40 percent of people in the world take in 75 percent of the world’s total income, while the poorest 40 percent earn less than 10 percent of the income.
Today, 3.8 million children, their families and communities benefit from World Vision’s community development programs that focus on vital needs such as food, security, water, sanitation, education, health, leadership training and income generation.
Between strict Federal Aviation Administration regulations, necessary or unnecessary, flying has become a chore. If squeezing into an economy seat with no leg room wasn’t enough, fliers now have less room because in an effort to save a little cash passengers are hauling every possible piece of luggage and property onto the plane and cramming them under the seats and into overhead compartments. Flying isn’t just about paying for a ticket anymore; passengers pay for everything short of boarding the plane. There’s a fee to book a reservation, to change that reservation, to board early, to get an economy seat, to upgrade that same economy seat, to another slightly larger economy seat and when your legs still don’t fit, the airline will then charge you to stow carry-on luggage, and don’t forget the receipts are an extra charge as well. By the time a flier sits down in the seat, the cost of the flight in some cases could almost double.
But wait! New patients are swarming. Unfortunately, many cannot pay for services provided. However, because of the corporate mission, these patients must be serviced. Those who can pay usually do not have to pay the full amount. Costs continue to go up, so raising prices won’t help. This is the current operating environment that the nonprofit healthcare system faces. And it’s getting worse. As the population ages, an increased number and variety of services are required. Concurrently, a higher percentage of people are trying to weather the economic downturn. Many, who may have previously had health insurance, either no longer do or are now eligible for Medicare or Medicaid, which pays only a portion of what is charged by the healthcare provider. Many times, conditions are more severe because patients wait too long to access care. For those hospital systems which are a city’s safety net, patients cannot be turned away. So, on an annual basis, the level of “charity” work continues to climb.
And looming in the background are the legislative changes that will impact the who, what, when, where, and how of healthcare delivery.
This is the scenario in which the CEO of Denver Health, Dr. Patricia A. Gabow, and her executive team recently found themselves. Waiting and continuing on as usual was not an option. Instead, they chose to work on the organization’s infrastructure. By doing so, Denver Health has positioned itself to leverage its streamlined and innovative service offerings as well as its increased focus on the patient, as healthcare reform is figured out and the economy begins to turn around. Although the end is not yet in sight, the journey has begun and benefits are being realized.
Tough times exist in the world of philanthropy and charitable giving. The New York Times reported a 5.7 percent decline in U.S. charitable giving in 2008, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently documented an 11 percent decline in giving to the 400 largest U.S. charities for 2009. Nonetheless, GlobalGiving, an innovative online marketplace for philanthropy and charitable giving, saw a 9 percent increase in dollars channeled through them, to the more than 1,000 pre-screened social enterprise and charitable projects they present to donors.
The Paradigm Project strives to reduce environmental degradation, improve the health of women and children, increase economic stability in poor households, produce a stream of verifiable carbon offsets that are monetized to drive competitive investor returns and scale community benefits. But to realize the magnitude of their impact, you must first understand the devastating circumstances driving their mission.
These women leave their homes and will spend over 30 hours a week, walking on average six miles a day, through some of the most desolate terrain; crossing through preserves, rock beds and areas that have been clear cut to haul back their weight in wood. This painstaking process exposes them to risks such as rape, beatings, and pillaging along the way. But they are not alone; they are among the 2.5 billion people in the world with limited or no access to fuels for cooking. Once they return home they are subjected, along with their children, to working hours over an open fire pit within their small huts, billowing smoke so thick and dense it burns their eyes and lungs. These open fire pits burn constantly throughout the day until the flickering embers lull the women to sleep at night. This endless chore ceases only when they are eight months pregnant or when they physically can no longer make the trek.
Most, if not all deaths are the consequence of acute lower respiratory disease that has gone untreated. The health risks alone are staggering, but consider the environmental waste and devastation from years of stripping the land.
Yet organizations across the world continue to mobilize without properly understanding the consequences that occur after they leave the given communities they were trying to help. One company, however, The Paradigm Project (TPP), is trying to stop the bleeding and change the paradigm. Neil Bellefeuille, Paradigm’s CEO, and Greg Spencer, Founder and Chairman, looked at Eastern Kenya’s foreign aid situation and realized much of what they wanted to do had already been instituted by other organizations and were already underway, “We wanted to find a way to use business as a tool to serve development,” said Bellefeuille. With enterprise in mind, Bellefeuille and Spencer decided they would distribute clean-burning cook stoves. The difference in their program versus others was that instead of giving away cook stoves, they would sell theirs, allowing families to have consumer choice. Their challenge was that they had to make the stoves affordable, so they had to look at subsidization programs.
Utilizing corporate and private funding proved to be successful in generating capital for TPP. But, to guarantee sustainability and support, the leadership team focused on delving into the complex dealings of the carbon markets to obtain carbon credits that could prove profitable to all involved. “It’s a complex process. Hopefully, as we move forward, the model will become a moniker for the way that you can access different pools of capital and utilize it for development, because that, to me, is the compelling thing about it,” said Bellefeuille.
They really understand the greater good, but it is because it affects them so directly,” said Bellefeuille. With increasing positive results, donor and capital alignment, in September TPP committed to distributing 400,000 stoves across Kenya.
Nucor not only serves as an example of the “great companies” Collins describes, but as the epitome of connection and collaboration through market enterprise. As a business owner, I have seen first-hand how the trials and tribulations of the economy can unnerve a person to their core. Giving up may seem easy, but pushing through is much more gratifying. I find comfort in knowing that the spirit and resolve of great American capitalists seek to shine and thrive each day, and thrive regardless of what is thrown their way.