Embracing Cultural Competency: A Roadmap for Nonprofit Capacity Builders

Beth Applegate, Principal

Applegate Consulting Group

Brigette Rouson, Principal

Rouson Associates

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Should I dive into the “cultural competency” pool?

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Who is here and what has been your experience in this area?

How many are currently or have had a cultural competency nonprofit client engagement before?

What drew you to this session?

How many are here in their role as… internal consultants?

board members?external consultants

executive directors?staff members?

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Principles of Respectful Engagement 

•Make room in the conversation for everyone•Be aware of intent and impact•Value differences•Try it on•Step up, Step back•Practice “both, and” thinking•Make your discomfort your ally•Everyone is right but partially

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Capacity Building/OD to What End?

OD Practitioners hold a wide variety of visions and missions, personal and professional values.

Authors of our book that the boundaries and context of the field of OD and capacity building are inextricably linked to advancing social justice, equity, democratic processes and empowerment values.

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OD/Capacity Building to What End?

Co-Authors are clear when asked the question: “OD/Capacity Building to what end?”

The answer is clear: We work in the field of OD/Capacity Building in service of creating a just society – one that is healthier and more vibrant – and improving the human condition.

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Culturally Competent Mental Models

The mental model, which frames our role with client systems, is rooted in three commitments:

1. To support client systems in their efforts to become healthier and more vibrant;

2. To increase client systems’ consciousness about the historical context of societal –isms affecting their health, and

3. To increase client systems’ ability and willingness to make choices that advance system health and promote social justice by recognizing the interconnectedness between the individual, organization and society.

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What is Cultural Competency?

Write Your Own Definition Take a minute now, to write your own definition

of cultural competency….

 

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Culturally Competent Capacity Building

Cultural Competent Capacity Building is a community-centered process that begins with an understanding of historical realities and an appreciation of the community’s assets in its own cultural context. The process should enhance the quality of life, create equal access to necessary resources, and partner with the community to foster strategic and progressive social change.

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Culturally Competent Capacity Building (continued)

The 3 C’s– Context: understanding historical and cultural

realties that relate to the current situation– Community: using a process that stays centered in

a group of people who face their own unique challenges and possibilities

– Change: altering conditions in ways that advance equity for people and communities of color.

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Cultural Competency and Use of Self

Values focused on myself as a change agent: Being honest with myself; modeling honesty with

others; being authentic; joining my honesty with curiosity.

Understanding and appreciating my own complexity. Building awareness of my power and privilege, working

to level it, and building real equity in the group.

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Cultural Competency and Use of Self

Building awareness of my assumptions. Maintaining sensitivity to the fact that “I don’t

know what I don’t know.” Walking the talk, being the change I want to be

in the world; believing and acting in possibility. Being open to learning from others; continual

learning; knowing that every day is a learning opportunity.

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Cultural Competency and Useof Self

Looking for the love, caring, and connections that unite us. Recognizing the complex picture of “what is”—the complexity of

multiple realities in a group that allows them to find and create what they need.

Serving with excellence and integrity; leading by example and being a person of my word.

Model listening with openness and compassion. Maintaining my humanity in this work; ensuring that when folks

leave the room, their humanity is intact.

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Culturally Competent Group Facilitation

Uncovering strength-based attributes, qualities, and core values embodied in group work.

Understanding where others are coming from; not jumping to conclusions.

Recognizing that we are all different; celebrating and embracing those differences rather than seeing them as an obstacle.

Promoting participatory democracy and the involvement of each individual in the life and direction of the organization.

Acknowledging power imbalances and creating space for voices to be heard across different levels.

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Self-Assessment in 3 Parts

My capacity to pay attention to the whole constellation of issues at play in a given situation increases my capacity to address it in a culturally competent way.

It’s particularly important to assess three areas: what’s going on with me, what’s going on in the room, and the historical context in which we are operating.

What’s going on with me in the CBODN session today? What am I wearing? How am I talking? Where am I looking? What cultural lenses do I bring with me? What language do I use? (code switching) What are my first impressions of people? What assumptions do my first impressions spark?

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What’s Going on in the room?

What’s going on in the room in this CBODN session today? How are the seats arranged? Who is sitting where? Is there a plan for movement that stretches people beyond the

usual practice—and typical power relations? Who speaks more, or with a greater sense of confidence? Who speaks less, or more tentatively? Who likely feels welcome? Who might not? How am I working to bring equity into the room? Where is the privilege in the room?

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What Historical Issues are at play?

What are the practices of CBODN as they relate to power and privilege based on:

Race and ethnicity Education Class and socioeconomic status Language Immigration status and national origin Gender, gender identity and sexual identity Physical ability Age and generation Religion Where are there likely points of internalized oppression? 18

Sources of Power

1. Positional power that comes from organizational authority or position (people providing OD technical support have this power) -often forgotten by people with the power, rarely forgotten by those without it.

2. Referred power that comes from connections to others (e.g., a staff member without formal positional power but has known the ED for years).

 3. Expert power that comes from wisdom, knowledge, experience, skills (e.g., someone is widely respected because of their skills as an organizer).

 

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Sources of Power

4. Ideological power that comes from an idea, vision, or analysis. As Victor Hugo said, "Nothing can with stand the power of an idea whose time has come." It can be an original idea 'of an individual, an ideal such as "democracy" or "liberation," or as a developed ideology.

 5. Obstructive power stemming from the ability to coerce or block (i.e., whether implicit, threatened or demonstrated, those without other sources of power may depend on it. Many activists are experts in its use).  

6. Personal power energy, vision, ability to communicate, capacity to influence, emotional intelligence, psychological savvy, etc.

 

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Sources of Power

7. Co-powering an idea that comes from the Latino community speaking to the responsibility for individual leaders to mindfully work towards supporting the personal power of others through modeling, validating and feedback.

 8. Collaborative power that comes from our ability to join our energies in partnership with others, in pairs, teams, organizations, communities, coalitions and movements.

 9. Institutional power economic, legal, and political power directly wielded by institutions (e.g., whether a corporation or police department, or one of your organizations). Exists apart from the individuals who work there at any one time; name recognition, membership, skill, etc.

 

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Sources of Power

10. Cultural power from the perspective of the dominant culture, these are the cultural norms, conditioning, and privilege regarding race/c1ass/gender/age (i.e., as with positional power, to the dominant group this is often invisible. To those with less power, it is a real and everyday experience). From the perspective of oppressed peoples, cultural power is a consciousness of community, class or culture that serves to empower.

11. Structural power covertly or implicitly exercised through the dominant institutions of society (e.g., the resistance to alternative medicine from the AMA and insurance providers, racism expressed and maintained through structures such as red-lining by lending institutions).  

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Strategies for Addressing Power

Orient new members sufficiently so there is less insider/outsider dynamic. Often those who come late to the table haven't had the same opportunity to get to know each other and the rest of the group.

Increase the numbers of those with less power. Reach out and invite voices that have not been heard previously or groups that have not been at the table.

Make your process accessible to those whose power you want to increase by changing meeting time and place, or by making sure there are transportation, childcare, and even stipends. Those with power tend to be paid for their participation in community building; those without power usually are not.

Acknowledging the differential and asking everyone; those with more power and those with less, to determine how it the differential can be addressed.

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The intersection between capacity building and cultural competency

Traditional/SiloedApproach

Governance Financial Management Fundraising Human Resources Programmatic Information Technology Facilities Cultural Competency

Integrated Approach

Governance/Cultural Competency Finance Mgmt/Cultural Competency Fundraising/Cultural Competency Human Resources/Cultural Compet. Programmatic/Cultural Competency IT/Cultural Competency Facilities/Cultural Competency

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Culturally Competent OD Practices

These principles have been affirmed many times in our research and

serve as a framework for culturally competent or culturally based

OD.

1. We understand, appreciate and utilize difference as a starting point in the discussion.

2. We fully engage all participants in decisions/processes that affect them.

3. We hold a commitment to moving through individual interpersonal relationships to examining structures of oppression.

4. We know that it requires a long-term investment; that it takes time to build relationships.  

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Culturally Competent ODPractices

5. Intentionally develop and maintain relationships with community leaders and bridge builders across race, ethnicity, and culture

6. Examine both the assets and needs of the particular groups of people with whom you are working

7. Intentionally identify and address issues relevant to the particular groups of people with whom you are working (e.g., history, language, learning style, communication, gender roles, value systems)

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Culturally Competent ODPractices

8. Make the extra effort to reach out to and include members of a particular group who often get left out

9. Routinely review your capacity-building materials (e.g., training curricula, questionnaires, manuals) and delivery techniques with members of the group with which you are working to ensure sensitivity and effectiveness

10. Consistently pay attention to how your own assumptions and cultural background could affect your interaction with other people

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Culturally Competent OD Practices

11.We leave knowledge on the ground, supporting sustainability.  

12.We have a commitment to follow through and to name the elephant(s) in the room.

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Examples

A strategic planning question like: “How effective are we as an organization in meeting the needs of _________ population?”

A staff, volunteers question: “How effective are we at reflecting and practicing cultural norms of our employees and volunteers?”

A governance question: “In fulfilling our support functions as a board, do we fund raise in culturally-appropriate ways for our organization?”

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Further characteristics of an integrated approach

Social change as the motivating force Explore cultural location, i.e.. geography, history, socio-economic

background, religion, etc. Sharing and building power Modeling and facilitating learning Breaking silence Building principled relationships Structuring engagements with a cultural lens

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Competency and Worthiness

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Anyone with a commitment to cultural competency values and the skill matching the organization needs can become a “wave maker”

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Debrief, Q&A

What’s available now to you that wasn’t available before this workshop?

What one thing you’d like to try as a result of this workshop?

Identify an accountability partner and share contact information.

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Our contact info

Beth Applegate www.applegateonline.com Beth@applegateonline.com 301-563-7075

Brigette Rouson brigette.rouson@gmail.com 202-46-2025 Office 202-421-8414 Mobile

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