BLACKBAUD — Thought Leadership Series: Knowledge and Grantmaking. Blackbaud partners with thought leaders to better inform philanthropic practice. Through this partnership, we conveyed the notion of knowledge work as shared meaning making and provided a field overview, concepts and a process for aligning knowledge work with grant strategy. Read report.
PEAK GRANTMAKING — PEAK is a philanthropy support organization whose approach embodies “principles, equity, advocacy, and knowledge” and includes attention to a “learn, share and evolve” principle. Knowledge Designs to Change is working with PEAK leadership, a cross-organizational team, and a member advisory committee, to explore member perspectives, experience, and needs in the emerging field of knowledge work. The co-designed process includes training, insight groups, a Knowledge Opportunity Scan™, and co-analysis. The end result will be an embedded understanding and framing of knowledge work as an essential field within philanthropy and the development of a core competencies track for those engaged in knowledge work.
FWG — The Fund for Women & Girls of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation engaged Knowledge Designs to Change to conduct their first Landscape Analysis to expand their research to include experience and understandings of community members and providers across the region. The report takes a knowledge network perspective and includes a strategy development framework that acknowledges the varying supports needed by girls and women across their lifecycle. Read report.
CAFC — Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is the leading regional arts and culture network in Fairfield County Connecticut. They are currently doing a deep dive to re-examine their structure and programming from an equity perspective. Knowledge Designs to Change partnered to support organizational advancement and impact. This included informing strategy, co-designing an indicator framework, and, at times, filling a co-facilitation role in equity offerings for members. Read report.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF COASTAL FAIRFIELD COUNTY — Habitat CFC engaged Knowledge Designs to Change to work with its Advancing Black Homeownership advisory committee to co-design and conduct a community needs assessment. The process resulted in a new framework highlighting the multiple aspects of “access” relevant to Black communities in Fairfield County Connecticut. Read report.
CPEN — Community Placemaking and Engagement Network. Knowledge Designs to Change has entered into partnership with CPEN, a grassroots-led collaboration that activates change within the Newhallville neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut. CPEN was formed by Doreen Abubakar to work with residents and leaders to gain access, resources, and community building skills. KD2Change is partnering to identify and develop knowledge tools and capacity that can contribute to this community leadership and change strategy.
URBAN CONNECTicut aspires to create a community of scholars and change-makers who engage and explore big questions now emerging in urban society. We co-construct this work to amplify civic possibility and bring together residents to activate civic influence.
UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION — Knowledge Designs to Change provided co-design and facilitation of a series of faculty sessions to refine and deepen a shared sense of organizational community and purpose along with departmental structures to foster engagement and continued excellence. The process was designed with department leadership to be a reflective and co-creative process, with tools and practices that encourage an enduring climate of collegiality, excellence, and shared work. The process centered on the department’s deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and leadership for educational change.
PARENTII — Parent Inquiry Initiative. Building on a multi-year relationship, Knowledge Designs to Change has become a participant in a learning agreement between Dr. Paige Bray and the University of Hartford’s Parent Inquiry Initiative, Parentii, and the Kettering Foundation. Parentii is a collaborative inquiry project that seeks to learn about and develop parent leadership, voice, and agency to influence community change that benefits children and families in Connecticut. This exciting partnership continues to deepen my understanding and practice of knowledge construction in civic networks for change.
CEIO — Co-creating Effective and Inclusive Organizations and Organizers is a New Haven based network learning initiative that focuses on whole systems change within and across community serving organizations. CEIO approached Knowledge Designs to Change to co-design a documentation and impact process for the implementation phase of their initiative. After a dedicated Knowledge Opportunity Scan™, I facilitated a year long collaborative inquiry process with a group of CEIO core team partners and change agents from partner community serving organizations and organizers. Read report.
