Bridge-Builders Between Those in Need and Resources

In a country that has such great divisions between those who are powerful and those who are not, there are few institutions that we can describe as bridge-builders—i.e. institutions that are in touch with both those in need and those with resources. I believe the members of the Alliance for Children and Families and United Neighborhood Centers of America are such bridge-builders.

Indeed, the main difference between the nonprofit sector and the for-profit sector is our ability to serve as an independent community voice and to work for positive social change. Yet, enduring social change cannot take place without the participation in the democratic process by the people who are most affected.

That is where civic engagement comes into the equation. We have all been around long enough to realize that it is imperative to play as active a role as the law allows us if we are ever going to see real and positive change for poor families, abused children, older adults, and the many others we serve.

Yet, the type of societal change I am referring to requires overcoming attitudinal barriers with “authentic demand” for social and economic policies. Authentic demand seeks to give voice to the constituents whose lives stand to be most affected by change.

Through three programs—National Family Week, New Voices at the Civic Table, and Building Community Voices—the Alliance has worked to inform and educate our members on establishing civic engagement activities that prominently include authentic demand. The exceptional examples and experiences of the three programs have clearly shown us that the serious matters we must contend with daily are indeed best represented by these “authentic voices.” As Charles De Gaulle said, “I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.”

As explained on pages 16 and 17 of this magazine, the Alliance has now secured generous funding from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Annie E. Casey Foundation to combine these three programs into one multi-year effort. By streamlining the efforts of these successful programs, we can improve and increase the assistance we provide to members in getting their boards, other volunteers, and constituents involved in civic engagement as a regular part of programming.

In addition, a significant aspect of this new effort is distributing—beginning later in 2008— the Alliance for Children & Families Magazine to the 10,000 board representatives of our 525 Alliance and UNCA member agencies.

As these 10,000 board representatives begin receiving this magazine, the magazine content will feature a “magazine within a magazine” as to include articles and information which emphasize the integral role boards and constituents play in civic engagement. Other content will focus on strengthening board governance specifically for nonprofit human services so your board will be poised to embrace a significant civic engagement role.

This does not mean we will change the content so much that it will not appeal to executives and staff. Rather, we trust that staff will value this information and the key messages contained in this new segment, which will be integral in establishing or reinforcing your civic engagement efforts with all the stakeholders in your agency and community.

In addition, we will increase publication of the magazine from its current three times per year schedule to four.

The greatly expanded circulation of the magazine, coupled with the additional editorial content geared towards strong board governance and civic engagement facilitation, will be a significant part of creating the conditions necessary within member organizations to help lift those barriers and amplify authentic voices for constructive social change.

Shortly, the Alliance will contact you to determine how to best distribute the Alliance for Children & Families Magazine to your board. I thank you in advance for your cooperation in completing this immense task.

I believe that there is the opportunity to use the authentic voices within your board and constituents to turn callousness into compassion, and compassion into creativity. With continued perseverance, we can hopefully one day fulfill a vision of an active and responsive civil society.