The Center for Participatory Change Strategic Plan
Goals and Strategies for 2004-2006
Mission and Vision
The Center for Participatory Change's mission is to help people across Western North Carolina recognize their own power, work together and transform their communities.
We have a vision of everyday people transforming Western North Carolina, creating just and inclusive communities. They believe they can make change, know how to make change, and take up the challenge to do it.
Guiding Principles
CPC aims to be a multicultural, multilingual, multiracial organization that fosters participation and communication honoring people of all languages, races and cultural backgrounds.We believe that regular people have the skills and knowledge to make improvements in their communities, if given the opportunity and support.
We are committed to working with those who struggle to have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives, whether they are marginalized by race, gender, poverty, or for other reasons.
We know from our work that major community change occurs when democratically run groups based in low-wealth communities define and meet their own needs.
Strategic Plan Goals
Sustaining Our Work
CPC increases its own capacity and preserves the qualities that make it unique.By 2006, we will see:
- A clear articulation of what makes CPC unique
- A staff structure that supports our mission and values as CPC matures
- Staff and Board that reflect the diversity of CPC's grassroots partners
- A multi-cultural Board that fully governs and feels ownership of CPC
- Staff and Board with a deeper understanding of racism
- A more sustainable and diversified funding base
- A plan for CPC and our partners to raise money collaboratively
- Dialogue and decision on a CPC office and resource center space
To accomplish these goals CPC will:
- Conceptualize and clarify the experiences, attitudes, values, and theory of change that characterize CPC
- Reflect on CPC's organizational structure, research larger and similar organizations, to improve the structure as CPC grows and matures
- Develop a sustainable structure for CPC's Board of Directors that produces meaningful involvement
- Conduct annual Board retreats
- Develop processes for internal CPC meetings where people participate fully in their first language
- Develop a deeper awareness and understanding of culture and race
- Develop and carry out a long-range fundraising plan that reduces CPC's reliance on foundations
- Provide training for Board and Staff on grassroots fundraising and social entrepreneurship
- Develop ways to collectively fundraise with grassroots partners that will reduce competition and create synergistic fundraising opportunities for all partners
- Reflect on and maintain awareness of the power dynamics with grassroots partners and other Western North Carolina organizations as CPC mature
- Develop a plan for CPC's office and meeting space needs
- Document the internal development of CPC
Building Local Grassroots Strength
CPC helps grassroots groups recognize their own resources and wisdom, strengthen their organizations, and improve their communities.
By 2006, we will see:
- CPC continuing to learn, and use this learning to improve the training and resources it provides to local grassroots groups
- A process that defines CPC's role as groups develop from their early stages through maturation
- CPC with a balance of involvement among culturally diverse communities
- CPC and our partners with a deeper knowledge and understanding of racism
- People fully participating in multi-lingual meetings in their first language
- A set of community building resources in Spanish that are culturally appropriate
- A set of publications that capture the collective wisdom of CPC and our partners
To accomplish these goals CPC will:
- Improve our ability to provide support and training to grassroots groups - both generally and in identified high-priority areas
- Create and use a "stages of development" model for assessing CPC's role with maturing grassroots groups
- Help grassroots groups understand the fundraising "system" and connect to funders
- Continually evaluate the balance of work among our grassroots partners: rural Appalachian, African American, Latino, Cherokee, and other groups
- Develop a deeper understanding, analysis, and awareness of culture and race through continued learning, reflection, and evaluation of CPC's anti-racism work
- Develop anti-racism tools, materials, and processes
- Effectively carry out multilingual and multicultural community building work; discover how to create spaces where people are able to speak comfortably in a meeting in their first language; designate resources for interpreters, transportation, and other gathering costs
- Create and disseminate a set of culturally relevant "how to" community building materials in Spanish
- Create and disseminate publications that share the knowledge and wisdom that CPC staff and grassroots partners have gained through their experiences
Building Coalitions and Fostering Systems Change
CPC fosters the capacity of grassroots groups to influence policy and systems change at local, regional, and statewide levels.
By 2006, we will see:
- Strong grassroots coalitions defining and carrying out their own agendas
- Community-based leaders and groups working together across racial and cultural lines to promote understanding and build relationships
- Grassroots leaders participating in and influencing the political system
To accomplish these goals CPC will:
- Strengthen ourselves as a resource for policy and systems change, educate ourselves on effective models and develop tools and processes for grassroots groups and coalitions
- Support the Coalicion de Organizaciones Latino Americanas as it evolves into its own organization and support similar grassroots coalitions as they emerge
- Bring grassroots leaders together to build relationships across racial and cultural lines
- Organize multiracial and multilingual gatherings to discuss regional policy and systems change
- Link grassroots people with governmental and systems-level decision makers
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