BUILDING ONE COMMUNITY
A powerful champion
THE CHALLENGE
Impact through leadership development and strategic growth
Building One Community (B1C) was founded in 2011 in Stamford, CT by a group of community leaders who were determined to meet the needs of local immigrants to assure their success in their new community. Immigrants who relied on a patchwork of services in a system that didn’t fully understand their needs – and those who went without any support at all – discovered a place created with them in mind. Since then, thousands of Stamford-area immigrants and non-immigrants have come together to build one stronger community. Quite simply, B1C is an organization dedicated to immigrants, and there is no other organization like it in Connecticut.
In 2020, B1C sought out The Strategy Group’s help to create a leadership development program to shape and define an organizational culture of learning and professional development while at the same time developing strong internal leadership and investing in the social sector by developing future leadership. The program had two components that spanned 24 months: (1) leadership academy and (2) coaching. Concurrently, B1C worked with The Strategy Group to develop a new strategic plan for 2022-24.
THE PROCESS
Small learning opportunities lead to big impact
The Strategy Group was called in to help facilitate a number of small learning opportunities over the course of 24 months. These included:
Large Group Sessions – B1C staff met quarterly to address issues identified in B1C’s CRE Talent Management Assessment Profile.
Management Group Sessions – All supervisors met quarterly focused on management-related topics including:
• Essential Management Skills • Planning • Nonprofit Organizations • Organizational Culture • Relationship Building • Supervision • Negotiations • Managing External Environment • Leading Change
Coaching Sessions – Each manager had individual coaching sessions with an experienced executive coach.
THE OUTCOME
Long-term sustainability with a solid strategic plan
With a solid foundation of work underway, B1C embarked on a strategic planning process in the summer of 2021 to develop a roadmap for organizational development over the next three years. The plan gives B1C the opportunity to focus on financial sustainability, explore growth and geographic expansion while continuing to help immigrants become self-sufficient contributors to the community.
Grounded with both a purposeful and aspirational mission and vision already in place, the B1C Strategic Planning Committee focused its work around developing core values for the organization, as well as meaningful goals and strategies around four focus areas: Programs & Services, Communications & Development, Data & Systems, and Talent.
B1C is well-prepared to shape future programming and implement its Strategic Plan with its board, staff, advisors, and community partners. B1C remains committed to offering the most effective range of programs and services that are designed to educate, employ, and empower its immigrant families and individuals on their journey to becoming self-sufficient contributors to the community while engaging the entire community.
“The Strategy Group helped support our team during an intense transition period where we were challenged to reimagine, pivot, and recommit our programs and ways of operating. Through her outstanding facilitation skills, Debra Hertz helped our team learn and engage in professional expectations, articulate our values, and connect them with our actions and impact as an organization. She has been a great thought partner to me in a time of growth and preparation for expansion while holding space for our end goals.”
Anka Badurina | Former Executive Director, Building One Community
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