Valentine's Day Ideas

I don't know about you, but a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day shows little creativity. After the initial sugar rush, I begin to wonder who I could give the remaining 99 treats to.  His and hers massages?  Done that.  Roses?  Nice for about a week and then they die.  So, I'm thinking what would be something creative to give that special someone on Valentine's Day that would have a lasting impact?  Here are a few ideas I came up with:  

Investing in others.  One of the best ways to fight poverty worldwide is investing in microenterprise.  Organizations like the Grameen Foundation and Kiva connect social investors with global entrepreneurs.  Microfinancing helps support income generating businesses that can lift families out of poverty and become self-sustaining.  

Give of yourself.  Your significant other probably has a cause that he/she is passionate about.  Show how much you care by lending your time and talent to support a social cause in your community.  Whether you volunteer at a local food bank, a school, a community-based organization or an after school program, your contribution will uplift others and endear you even further to that special someone.

Release your inner philanthropist.  Celebrate the holiday by hosting a dinner or cocktail party for close friends and family.  The catch is invited guests must make a charitable contribution to a specific cause.  You get to spend valuable time with loved ones while contributing to a greater good. 

Make Valentine's Day MEANINGFUL and MEMORABLE.  Invest in others; give of yourself and release your inner philanthropist.  

   

  

   

The Economic Benefits of Volunteerism

Frank Mirabal is the Founder and President of Contigo Research, Policy & Strategy, a national consulting firm that focuses on issues impacting the Latino community.

President Obama's economic stimulus plan is dominating the headlines this week.  As part of the plan, approximately $200 million is targeted to support service and volunteerism initiatives. The question you may be asking yourself is: "Why is a significant chunk of taxpayer money earmarked for volunteerism programs given the current economic climate?"  Aside from the obvious benefits dedicated volunteers provide to our communities, volunteerism can also be a driver for greater economic mobility.  Here are a few reasons why Americans should support service as a strategy for greater economic mobility:

Educational Incentives.  Volunteerism programs, such as AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA provide education awards in exchange for a minimum of one year of service to the community. The correlation between educational attainment and income are well documented. Furthermore, one of the major barriers to young people attending college is money. Conversely, education awards provide necessary financial support to students in need.     

Expanded Networks.  Service and volunteerism programs allow young people to expand their social and professional networks.  This is particularly relevant for minority groups, such as Latinos who are highly concentrated in low-wage, low-skill jobs.  To illustrate this point, when I needed a job to pay my college tuition, I turned to my father to see if he had any connections to help me out.  A lifelong meat cutter, his social and professional networks were limited, so I ended up working for minimum wage at a meat packing plant.  Volunteerism strategies, such as service-learning and internships allow young people to connect with professionals that provide valuable academic and career mentorship.  By connecting with career professionals, young people can increase their social and professional capital.   

Career Tool Kit.  Strong volunteerism programs cultivate our future workforce through training and professional development.  Volunteers develop critical thinking, teamwork, problem solving and other transferable skills that extend well-beyond their term of service. Targeted skill development is essential in achieving greater economic mobility, specifically for underrepresented groups.  

Pipeline to Jobs.  Volunteerism allows employers to audition potential employees at little to no cost.  It provides cost savings to the employer and allows volunteers to explore career interests while gaining valuable on-the-job experience. 

With all the economic benefits of service and volunteerism, the real question becomes:  "Why only $200 million?"        

     

No Cheese Sandwiches!

Mothers from Wilson Middle School in Albuquerque have found their voice in the civic process. Fighting a controversial measure that singles out students living in poverty, the mothers as they are affectionately called, are mobilizing in opposition to the existing school lunch policy. Under current district policy, students with a delinquent lunch account are offered a cheese sandwich, a beverage and a fruit or vegetable.  Albuquerque Public Schools high school students can charge up to two meals, middle school students up to five, and elementary students up to 10 before they receive the alternate meal.  Opponents to the policy say it unfairly penalizes students for parent transgressions.    

Parent involvement in school policy is not that uncommon.  For generations, PTA groups have shaped district-level policy. However, strong PTA groups usually reside in well-funded, economically advantaged neighborhoods. Wilson has struggled with parent involvement in a school district where approximately 98% of the student population is living at or below the poverty line. 

What makes the mothers from Wilson Middle School so unique is that they are finding their civic voice for the first time. Through the Elev8 NM initiative, an initiative of the New Mexico Community Foundation, parents at Wilson are given basic skills to become strong advocates for their students.  Parents learn basic parenting skills, develop employability skills and are trained in the art of community organizing.  Program data suggests that their parent involvement efforts are paying off.  Wilson Middle School has grown their parent involvement component significantly.  There are currently 84 parents who volunteer at Wilson, which has a population of roughly 500 students.  Research demonstrates that parental involvement is one of the greatest indicators of student success.

Close to 1000 signatures from community members and students have been collected by the mothers in their first major community mobilizing effort.  They've followed this up by attending every APS School Board meeting since January 5th to get the Cheese Sandwich policy repealed.  Many of them had never set foot in an official meeting before.  But, here they were in unified opposition to a policy that directly impacts their families.   

On Monday, the mothers will see the impact of their efforts.  The APS School Board convenes on January 26th to see if a compromise to the controversial policy can be reached.  However, a large victory has already been won.  The muted voices of the mothers now have timbre and resonance.  They have a newfound confidence that they can be change agents in their schools and in their communities and will use this confidence to fight injustice in the neighborhood.    

  

          

The Day After Christmas

Well, history has been made.  The celebration was legendary.  Many of us are suffering from the inauguration hangover (minus the consumption of cocktails).  To sum it up:  It feels like the day after Christmas.

Much like Christmas, the anticipation for yesterday's inauguration was reminiscent of my daughter's beckoning to open gifts.....3 weeks before Christmas Day!  There were many highlights to remember from President Obama's reference to the ground that has shifted beneath us to the infamous line by Rev. Lowery:  "When black is not asked to go back; when brown is asked to stick around; when yellow can be mellow; and when red can get ahead' (I'm paraphrasing here so bear with me).  Again, in true Christmas spirit the celebration was tempered with:  "We really got some work to do tomorrow!"

So now it begins.  The shiny new toys have aged a day.  The 365 day countdown begins for next Christmas and the reality has set in that we have some major challenges to deal with.  

I wonder how President Obama feels today?    

   

Martin Luther King, Jr.

........I've seen the promised land...I may not get their with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land!--Martin Luther King, Jr. 

I get the chills every time I hear Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Mountain Top speech.  The raw emotion coupled with the prophetic vision of that speech reverberates with the same clarity today as it did on the day it was delivered.  On the eve of an historic presidential inauguration, it is only fitting that we reflect on the legacy of King and his vision of a morally and socially just society.  

To me, Martin Luther King, Jr. was the most powerful orator this nation has ever seen.  His ability to use his voice as an instrument of justice--moving from the soft and reassuring to a crescendo of absolute anger of injustice--made him one of the most persuasive speakers of our time.  Aside from his words, King's commitment to Ghandian methods of non-violent protest channeled a collective anger into a focused commitment for social justice.  

The 60's images of peaceful demonstration in the midst of utter chaos have left a permanent imprint on my psyche.  I often wonder if I could've turned the other cheek like other King followers did in the midst of all the hate.  I recall the now famous scene at the diner where a protester has a milkshake hurled at him or the scene where innocent protesters were doused with a fire hose. Would I have been able to keep the same commitment to peaceful demonstration in those circumstances?  An eye for an eye is the doctrine most live by in the 'hood.  With that said, the fact that King was able to harness the collective anger brought on by the historical wounds of slavery makes his story even more legendary. 

Today, people have been called to service to honor Martin Luther King's legacy.  Faith-based institutions, community-groups, school children and their families will mobilize in record numbers to beautify parks, feed the homeless, provide clothing to those in need and to lend a helping hand to our nation's elderly.  The MLK Day of Service is a fitting tribute to a man that valued service to others as the greatest gift you could possibly give.  Through service and volunteerism, we are the keepers of King's legacy to lift others up through our deeds.  

Tomorrow, as President Obama takes the oath of office, I have a feeling Martin Luther King, Jr.'s spirit will be with our 44th president at the mountain top.  The promised land still awaits. However, we as a people will get there through dedicated service and a commitment to keeping King's vision for a morally and socially just society alive.     

    

Consultant Corner: The Powerful Force of Youth Civic Engagement

Frank Mirabal is the Founder and President of Contigo Research, Policy & Strategy, a national consulting firm that focuses on issues impacting the Latino community.

One thing we learned through the 2008 Obama campaign was the importance of youth engagement.  The mobilization of our nation's youth through advocacy groups like MoveOn, through social utilities like Facebook and through serious grassroots campaigns engaged young people in the civic process like never before. Youth voice is critical in any democracy because it provides a Socratic questioning of our nation's policies and provides a necessary idealism that counters adult bar
rier-driven thought.  In other words, youth voice has a specific resonance that cannot be reproduced by adults (because we have been somewhat jaded through our encounters). 

Nationally, youth have played a critical advocacy role in immigration reform and the Dream Act. In 2006, young people turned out in record numbers in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York to voice their concerns over immigration and the unfair treatment of immigrants. In 2007, over 300 youth from 15 states advocated for the Dream Act on Capital Hill.  Grassroots campaigns for the Dream Act also turned out significant numbers of youth.  Although immigration reform and the Dream Act did not pass, the sheer volume of youth turnout at rallies nationwide signaled a shift in youth civic engagement.   

Locally, youth in my home state of New Mexico have mobilized for; the protection of water rights on tribal lands; comprehensive sex education in our public schools; the expansion of School Based Health Centers; and for increased appropriations for engaging after-school programs.  Through effective mobilization, youth in New Mexico have been a major force in the passing of the Next Generation Act--a 2 million endowment that funds positive youth development programming; the expansion of School Based Health Centers (SBHCs)--the number of SBHCs in New Mexico doubled in 2006; and the Youth Alliance Act--which promotes youth voice and requires by state statute that the Lt. Governor and Governor meet with youth-led advocacy groups at-least once per year to hear their policy agenda.

Young people are often criticized for their need for immediate gratification--whether it be through material possessions or an insatiable need to be entertained.  Some of the criticisms are justified (our nation's young people have one of the highest obesity rates in the world).  However, young people are awakening from their civic slumber (as evidenced by the Obama campaign). In fact, youth volunteerism is growing at a much faster rate than any other segment of our national population.  Youth voice is necessary to balance our democratic process.  It is also a critical component--although often overlooked-- to any community-building, policy and advocacy strategy.  

The revolution will not be televised.......It will be You Tubed, Facebooked, mass emailed and text messaged.  And guess who will be leading the charge?      

  

Consultant Corner: Why Facilitation is Important in Complex Partnerships

The news continues to be grim:  Many nonprofits will not survive the current economic crisis. Others will have to scale down their offerings to the community or will have to partner with other organizations to meet the growing needs.  Even before this recent wave of economic downturn, the pervasive culture in the nonprofit sector is one of competition for limited resources which adversely impacts collaboration and partnership development.  The reality is one organization alone cannot effectively meet the needs of a community.  However, partnerships can be incredibly difficult to manage and sometimes are not very efficient.  Hence, the need for an outside facilitator.  

The most common issue encountered in complex partnerships--or any partnership for that matter--is communication.  How do you get individuals to share information and be transparent about individual goals and objectives in the context of the broader partnership?  It begins with building relationships and trust.  A skilled, objective facilitator can navigate this process by providing a space conducive to disclosure and relationship building.  The key is to have a facilitator that doesn't have a horse-in-the-race.  An objective voice that can focus on the issues and not the people involved can help move stagnation based on personality conflicts to shared understanding and collaboration.  Not to say that it is easy.  Often times there is historical conflict that permeates deep into the institutions that individuals represent.  In extreme cases, it is important to acknowledge the wounds of the past, but quickly get to a plan for restorative justice.

Second, facilitation can help to document the process of partnership development by defining goals, timelines and key outcomes that are agreed upon by the team.  Invariably, organizations and/or individuals enter partnerships with their own goals in mind.  Some people refer to this as an agenda.  It is incredibly important to invest in the planning of mutual goals and objectives and defining what group success looks like.  Clarity in the plan, specifically around how many people need to be served; hours of operation; identifying space for activities; clear roles and responsibilities and how resources will be distributed will help in the overall management of the partnership.  Also, the documentation of the partnership will allow decision makers to reflect on past thinking when issues arise (document, document, document!)  When partnership amnesia occurs, the documentation provides a history of how decisions and agreements came to be.  

Finally, an independent facilitator allows partner organizations to share leadership and decision making in a fluid way.  Typically, a lead agency assumes leadership in partnership/coalition building which automatically sets the tone for uneven distribution of decision making.  The lead agency is viewed as the authority and not a partner in this type of design.  With an outside facilitator, all agencies are active participants in goal setting and decision making processes which engenders greater trust and builds relationships on equal ground. 

Facilitation is not an exact science.  Make sure you take the time to get referrals for quality facilitation services.  Unfortunately, bad facilitation can set you back even further, so make sure to make informed decisions when choosing a facilitator.