Becoming a Catalyst for Systemic Community Change

“I believe the adaptive skill training provided by Ki Thoughtbridge through the Advanced Leadership Institute was one of the most powerful programs in the Community Progress Initiative.  It taught people to relate to each other in new and different ways by fostering respect, civility, equity and inclusion – ultimately creating the trust required for new solutions to emerge.”  Kelly Lucas, President & CEO, Community Foundation of Greater South Wood County

Across the country community foundations are being called upon to play an important leadership role in improving the quality of life of their communities by stimulating and coordinating philanthropic giving while also being responsive to the changing needs of local constituents--not only donors and grantees, but also volunteers, board members, nonprofit organizations, the media, collaborative partners in the public, private, and nonprofit communities, and the disadvantaged and previously disengaged.  Even though there is a rich history of community foundations establishing priorities for community action, providing financial and other resources to support community change efforts, and encouraging research on and solutions to community social welfare problems, very little is documented about how community foundations actually function as change agents helping citizens to create and advance new visions for their communities. 

This gap is addressed here with a story from Central Wisconsin, where one rural community foundation together with a collaborative partner, took the lead in transforming community culture by promoting civic engagement, building social capital, and supporting entrepreneurial opportunities and vigorous business development.  It is a story of devastation, renewal and growth.  It's a story of hope, promise, resilience and pride.  It is a story of transformational change at the individual, institutional, and community level.  It's a story of what can happen when community foundations carry on a tradition of community leadership, responsible citizen engagement, and philanthropic investment for the common good.

The story begins nine years ago when Consolidated Papers, Inc., the major employer, economic force, and provider of civic leadership and philanthropic support in the county seat of Wisconsin Rapids, was purchased by an international company.  The new owners completely revamped the executive structure, moving the headquarters to Finland and eliminating much of middle management. Also in 2000, the second major industry in the county, cranberry farming, was devastated by a depressed market. Personal attitudes and beliefs about the future suffered. Only 3 out of 56 high school students surveyed indicated they were planning to stay in the community – and these were the farmers, “tied to their land.”  By 2005, central Wisconsin's South Wood County was being described as a “dying community” – with 4,500 jobs lost in a community with total employment of approximately 12,000. 

The culture of the community reflected the reality that power, control and decision-making had been concentrated in the hands of a few for generations – resulting in significant inequities in access to information, leadership and socioeconomic stratification. The nearly century-long presence of a single, predominant employer and industry had fostered elements of dependency, insularity and a strong sense of entitlement.  

In April 2004, the Community Foundation of Greater South Wood County – a rural community foundation with assets of $18 million – facilitated a coordinated effort to transform community culture. The goal was to make the community more self-reliant: to put the area's economic future into the hands of the people living and working there. The foundation partnered with the Heart of Wisconsin Business and Economic Alliance to launch the Community Progress Initiative (CPI), providing a structure that would support broad-based inclusive community involvement, responsible citizenship, entrepreneurial opportunities and vigorous business growth – all the while continuing to nurture a spirit of individual philanthropic giving in support of the common good.

The Progress Initiative was to achieve three broad outcomes through a number of specific programs and projects.^[1]  First, the Initiative worked to create a business-friendly culture that encouraged the expansion of existing businesses, provided technical support to new start-up businesses, and linked owners to investment capital.  A second outcome was to create an innovative, entrepreneurial, self-reliant culture by increasing capital and attracting funding.  And finally, the Progress Initiative nurtured community leadership, relationships, networks, and knowledge in ways that built strong and positive local communities.  Ki Thoughtbridge played a key role in accomplishing this final goal through the Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI).  With a specific focus on communication, conflict resolution, change management, and trust building this program fostered respect, civility, equity, and inclusion while teaching people to relate to each other in new and different ways.  The ultimate goal was to create and maintain a strategic leadership group that would support regional planning and increase the momentum of social and economic change in the Central Wisconsin area. 

The launch of the Initiative signaled a time of transformative change for individuals who were now being provided with the tools and skills to become adaptive leaders.  Through the ALI, community residents combined the concepts of community stewardship with the skills training necessary to lead change, and the tools required for managing conflict constructively.  The sale of Consolidated Papers, Inc. and the ensuing ‘crisis' of employment, along with the Progress Initiative, served as the impetus for change at the community foundation as it shifted from being a “charitable banker” to being a “catalyst to strengthen the community.”  And finally, the community mobilized efforts around creating an innovative, vibrant, self-reliant community with a prosperous local economy. 

The Community Progress Initiative advanced many different ideas and programs that were designed to improve the region.  A particular emphasis was placed on engaging citizens in building on existing resources to strengthen and expand the local economy, creating an entrepreneurial self-reliant culture, and planning for the future. People in the community credited the work of the Initiative with “rejuvenating this community.”  As one person said, “all of the sudden people are thinking, ‘yes you know, this is a pretty nice place on the planet and we should be proud of it.  We should be proud of it, let's make it better and let's go out and promote it.'”

Much of the success in this community is directly related to how people are communicating across historically entrenched geographical, ideological, industry-related, and socioeconomic boundaries.  It's not that the boundaries no longer exist, but rather community members are finding ways to put the past into perspective.  Through various collaboratives, industry-specific networking, government partnerships, and true commitment to work and converse with people in new and different ways, the residents in Central Wisconsin are “making it happen.”

Today, there is a cadre of adaptive leaders, and residents are more self-aware and inclusive.  The community foundation has embraced its leadership role and now boldly articulates three core goals that are expected to produce a resilient, thriving community that embraces and supports all people. 

There is practical value for community foundation leadership throughout the country in South Wood County's experience. The lessons include the following.

1. There is both challenge and great potential in collaboration.  It should go without saying that when individuals or institutions with complementary strengths come together in support of a common goal, together they can do far more than if they were to attempt to do the work solo.  However, in spite of the many potential benefits, there are a number of challenges including finding resources needed to sustain the effort, creating a structure for the effort, and formulating a shared vision that does not detract from individual mission and organizational development/capacity.  
   
   
2. Community foundations have a powerful convening role. One of the core goals of CPI was to shift from a culture of entitlement and dependence to one of self-reliance and independence. Broad civic engagement was essential to achieving this objective and the community foundation was at the helm, bringing diverse groups together to promote the common good. This type of inclusivity produced an unexpected multiplier effect. The synergistic results of “just getting together with people and talking about a common cause” produced benefits for everyone involved. Residents of individual communities created events that built social capital.  Municipal leaders initiated conversations with the intent to share services.  Local business owners learned more about opportunities that would allow them to expand and grow their businesses.  And residents had a venue and an audience to promote and celebrate the unique aspects of their communities. Of course, it is not always easy to be inclusive. Sometimes, in spite of massive effort, stimulating involvement can be a difficult task. Some may be apathetic, indifferent or disinterested. Others may be unaware or misinformed. And still others may be conflicted, concerned or outright opposed to a particular course of action. But true outreach engages responsible critics by listening to their concerns, focusing on common interests and encouraging involvement. 
   
   
3. The real leadership work in a community is adaptive work.  Don't lead from above and don't assume you have all the answers.  Leadership doesn't have to mean leading the meeting or the agenda, but rather leadership is about providing tools where necessary.  This kind of leadership facilitates engagement and brings additional people around the table particularly because the ones at the table are apt to think either they need to make it happen or find the people who can.  This kind of leadership also promotes broad ownership; no one is telling anyone else how to do it when what's being done is crafted by those who are ultimately affected.  And finally, surprising things that were not expected can happen.  Give them the tools, and trust that the people will make the right decisions for their community.

About the Author

Judith L. Millesen, PhD, is an associate professor of political science at Ohio University and serves as a consultant to the Community Foundation of Greater South Wood County working with them on organizational development and strategic planning.