Our Approach: Helping Individuals and Teams to Lead
At Community Matters, we believe that things get done when leaders and teams take action. To us, the surest way to make real, sustainable change is to:
- Challenge and trust those directly affected to do the necessary work
- Build the teams that can get the work done
- Seek out opportunities to collaborate, especially with "unlikely" partners
- Develop and articulate a clear analysis of the data
- Bring together institutional, civic, and financial resources
- Take action on a carefully crafted and shared agenda
- Deliver on promises, holding all parties accountable for achieving results
- Reflect on achievements and challenges, and apply lessons learned
- Tell your story
Tools for Change
Community Matters brings these skills and expertise to its work with clients and partners:
- Organizational Development and Non-Profit Management
- Strategic Planning
- Coordination and Facilitation
- Leadership Development and Coaching
- Program Development
- Philanthropic Strategy & Partnership
- Labor-Management Collaboration
- Impact Evaluation
- Research, Reporting and Documentation
Forging a Working Relationship
When Community Matters works with a prospective client, we take the time to understand the situation or opportunity that the organization, team or collaboration faces, probing fairly deeply into the thinking and experience of the leaders. We also do a careful assessment of the ways in which CM might help: while we often find we can be of use, we are not shy about suggesting other options or resources if we feel they offer a better fit.
As a part of this process, we assign a CM lead partner to each CM client or project. Many Community Matters efforts involve us both; others are led by a single partner.
As a part of this process, we assign a CM lead partner to each CM client or project. Many Community Matters efforts involve us both; others are led by a single partner.