CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
For Community Leadershipby a Community Foundation
Presenter’s Name
Organization
Contact
Framework
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Stepping Up to Leadership
• Visionary and inclusive
• Beyond single issues and partisan politics
• Grounded in clear values, committed to improving quality of community life
We need new forms of civic dialogue, engagement, and
leadership that are:
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Using the CFLeads Framework
• Specific to community leadership by community
foundations
• Manageable ‘bites’
• Making the shift from occasional to intentional community
leadership
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Defining Community Leadership
The community foundation
is a catalyzing force
that creates a better future for all
by addressing the community’s most critical or persistent
challenges,
inclusively uniting people, institutions and resources,
and producing significant, widely shared and lasting results.
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
First Level Building Blocks
A. The community foundation manifests the values, culture
and will to exercise community leadership.
B. The community foundation continuously builds the relationships
to exercise community leadership.
C. The community foundation accesses and develops the resources
necessary to exercise community leadership.
D. The community foundation accesses and develops the
understanding and skills to exercise community leadership.
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
A. Values, Culture and Will
• Embed community leadership in the DNA of the
foundation
• Overcome organizational silos
• Prepare internally to increase impact
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
B. Relationships
• Building relationships is ongoing
• Staff and board members are all involved
• Board members, donors and volunteers receive
information, become more engaged, support community
leadership work internally and externally
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
C. Resources
• Includes more than money, but money matters
• Types of resources:
◦ Provide staff, meeting space, amenities for collaborations
◦ Serve as fiscal agent when no one else can
◦ Loan in-house expertise (i.e., communications staff, sit on committees)
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
D. Understanding and Skills
• Can acquire internally, on-the-job, specialized hires,
consultants, community partners
◦ Commission studies, scans
◦ Create indicator projects (i.e. Vital Signs)
◦ Stakeholder interviews, focus groups
◦ Convene organizations, entities that all deal with a particular issue
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block AValues, Culture and Will
1. Effect change that advances the common good
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block AValues, Culture and Will
2. Increase opportunity, diverse participation and fairness
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block AValues, Culture and Will
3. Focus on results-driven learning
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block AValues, Culture and Will
4. Be humble, respectful and transparent
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block BRelationships
1. Join with or convene those involved in or concerned about an issue
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block BRelationships
2. Engage and support other community leaders
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block CResources
1. Use internal systems to maximize ability to influence community change
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block CResources
2. Use human resources to exercise community leadership
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block CResources
3. Engage donors and other co-investors
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block CResources
4. Ensure business model provides flexible financial resources
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block DUnderstanding and Skill
1. Actively learn about, with, and for the community
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block DUnderstanding and Skill
2. Understand processes of community improvement:
Second-Level Building Blocks
• community development• economic development• community organizing• cultural change• systems change
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block DUnderstanding and Skill
3. Stimulate dialogue and understanding; build
consensus
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block DUnderstanding and Skill
4. Strategically craft and act on community leadership
opportunities
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block DUnderstanding and Skill
5. Engage in public policy to advance the common good
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Building Block DUnderstanding and Skill
6. Measure the impact of community leadership work
Second-Level Building Blocks
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Story Reflection Tool
• Think about your community leadership strengths and
gaps
• To start, reflect on a specific community leadership
experience – it may be completed or in progress…
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Story Reflection Tool:Instructions
• Gather a group of people
• Identify leadership activities
• Complete activity in document
• Repeat as needed
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Assessment and Planning Tool
• Checklist to think about leadership attributes and
capacities your community foundation has in place
• Steps to take to get the attributes / capacities that you
want and don’t have (yet)
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
Assessment and Planning Tool: Instructions
• Gather into teams
• Review relevant building blocks
• Identify building blocks in place
• Inventory those needed
• Plan action steps
• Act by making choices
CFLeads – Adapted with permission by Community Foundations of Canada © CFLeads in collaboration with Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for the Council on Foundations, 2008
For More Information
• Go to the “Building Community Vitality: A Leadership
Toolkit” members area of the CFC website to find other
tools, resources and stories to help you