All too often, however, the dominant reality is that nonprofit organizations operate with scarce resources and at max capacity. At the same time, organizations are tasked to address the hyperlocal impact of systemic inequities and the complexities of intergenerational trauma and disinvestment.
Rooting in Relationship and Shifting Philanthropic Practice
Rooting in Relationship and Shifting Philanthropic Practice
We at the Healthy Communities Foundation recognize the inextricable link between inner well-being and organizational health. Since inception, we have sought to show up for partners beyond our grantmaking. We tap into our own experience working within HCF communities and use a systems lens applied to the context and conditions that shape nonprofit organizations themselves. We also recognize the power of nonprofits’ most valuable resource: their people.
We believe that a thriving health ecosystem relies on organizations investing in their resilience – that is, in their ability to adapt and respond to community context. This requires intentional investment in the leadership and well-being of the people tasked with carrying out the organization’s mission.
If we want organizations who are deeply rooted in communities within our service region to plan, dream, and strategize, we must resource them to thrive—and philanthropy must yield to their leadership and expertise.
Well-Being as an Equity Issue
During the pandemic, we saw firsthand how individuals in direct service and essential worker roles – who often come from predominantly Black, Latine/x, and immigrant communities – experienced greater economic and health inequities. This context is not a choice and it is nothing new. BILPOC communities have faced long-standing racial and health inequities which have historically limited access to leadership networks, economic opportunities, and educational pathways due to systems that privilege white dominant culture. This history and context, consciously and subconsciously, permeates the workplace.
In addition to persistent issues of low pay, staff burnout, and growing mental health concerns, individuals from BILPOC communities are also often disproportionately burdened by caregiving responsibilities for children and older adults, which make it harder to access educational and leadership opportunities that require additional time and resources. Coupled with inadequate affordable insurance coverage, environmental stressors, and distrust towards a medical system with a history of exclusion and experimentation on Black and Brown bodies – it’s hard to overlook well-being itself as an equity issue.
It is because of this context, and in recognition of our communities’ strength and possibility, we chose the words “healing and resilience” with deep intention.
Our values-driven mission compels us to focus as much on the people and organizations themselves as we do on the programs and services that seek to improve health equity in our region. For us, this work is not just about “the work.” It’s about who we center, and why, as an opportunity to advance racial equity.
To learn more about our Healing & Resilience framework, click here.
Cultivating Healing & Resilience in Community
About four years ago, we began to seed ideas about Healing & Resilience by starting with our grantee and community partners. During the pandemic, it became clear that the inequities experienced by communities were amplified by the people and organizations who stepped up to ensure that direct needs were met. In 2020, we hosted virtual roundtables, primarily with our west suburban leaders with less community infrastructure than many existing Chicago neighborhood networks. We offered our partners space for connection, camaraderie, and strategy to respond to growing mental health needs, racial tensions, and continuous pivots. In 2021, we met one-on-one with local leaders to better understand how they stood-up temporary infrastructure to respond to COVID testing, vaccine outreach, direct aid, and more. In 2022 and 2023, based on learnings from our grantmaking and partners’ experiences, we launched a pilot round of Resilience grants, coupling project grants with tailored resource shares and curated spaces to step back from the work.
Time and again, we’ve been inspired by leaders and organizations tapping into their creativity and relationships to meet evolving needs. We’ve shared our learnings and partners’ insights along the way and continue to brainstorm ways the Healthy Communities Foundation can be a resource, advocate, and thought partner for organizations navigating staff and organizational resilience.
