Power of We Consortium
A unique, sustainable model for capacity building and community improvement is transforming Michigan’s Capital Area. It’s called the Power of We Consortium, and it has:
- Provided access to health care for more than 50 percent of the formerly uninsured,
- Built and sustained a neighborhood-based system of community centers and community development initiatives that support grassroots change,
- Democratized access to community data and social services information by developing innovative Web-based tools and a 2-1-1 call center,
- Developed data and discharge systems that were replicated statewide to improve support for the homeless,
- Helped low-income households transition from welfare to work by investing millions of dollars in education, home ownership, and business development, and
- Expanded access to fresh, affordable produce in former “food deserts."
This power to create change comes from the network of
regional relationships that are cultivated and sustained by the Power
of We Consortium (PWC). The Consortium's name, the Power of We, stems
from its members' beliefs - that what affects one person affects the
entire community, that many of the community's most vexing challenges
are interrelated, and that by working together, positive change is
achievable.
The Power of We Consortium wants nothing less than to make the
Capital Area the most livable region in Michigan. Toward that end, it
has established
The work of the Power of We Consortium is grounded in and guided by principles of collaboration. Those principles include:
- Change is contextual: PWC members assume that those who have a genuine stake in the community know the most about its challenges and how best to overcome them.
- Get at the root of the problem: Because many "problems" are really symptoms of much larger, more systemic issues, the PWC gathers relevant data, adequately frames problems, and finds solutions that address underlying causes.
- Address injustice: Many of the causes of community problems are rooted in inequities, so the PWC seeks to address disparities that limit residents' access to resources and opportunities.
- Diversity is one of the Capital Area's greatest strengths: The Capital Area is one of the most diverse, integrated communities in the nation, and the PWC actively seeks to engage all segments of the community in its efforts.
- We are all leaders: The PWC is more effective to the extent that all stakeholders have opportunities to play leadership roles.
- Relationships are power: The PWC is a decentralized network whose power comes from its relationships rather than a centralized institution focused on control.
- Do it yourself: Rather than waiting for external support or intervention, the PWC first looks to the knowledge, skills, and resources of community members and institutions.
- Invest strategically: The PWC's Investors Steering Committee uses tools like "braided contracts" to coordinate investments and focus resources where they are most likely to leverage change.
Those principles of collaboration are expressed in five "community practices" - the methods the PWC uses to maximize its impact. Those practices are:
- Engaging and mobilizing community members in the identification of issues and the development of solutions;
- Facilitating dialogue and creating connections across a diverse array of people to achieve breakthroughs in thought and action;
- Identifying and supporting civic leadership so that all community stakeholders - not just policymakers and resource holders - are involved in decision making;
- Using all the assets of the community for change so that community-based groups view institutional resources as their assets and institutions view the community's assets as their greatest resource; and
- Sharing and using data and information to support and monitor progress through data democratization, the full use of technology, and increasingly creative uses of communication techniques.
For more information about the Power of We Consortium, contact Peggy Roberts at (517) 887-4691.