As the eligibility phase of the Building Connections Initiative comes to a close, we wanted to give our partners more information on what we're looking for in the full application.

 

Question 1. What are your long-range plans/objectives to meet your organizational purpose? If you do not have a 5- year plan, what impact do you aspire to have in your community in the next five years?
 
EHF: We are interested in understanding how your organization is planning for the future and how that planning incorporates community power building. We will prioritize organizations that incorporate power building as a key objective of their work. This information will also tell us about how the organization’s goals align with EHF’s strategic direction, where the organization is in its lifecycle, and how the organization plans to enact their community’s vision for the future. 
 
 
Question 2. Tell us what interests your organization about being a part of the Building Connections community of learning? Learn more about what we envision for this community of learning here.
 
EHF: How organizations approach community building within this cohort of nonprofits will be important to the success of this program. We’re looking for organizations that are invested in working with other nonprofits. We believe that bringing together organizations committed to knowledge sharing and movement building across identities and geographies will make this work more impactful for our communities. Our goal is not to create artificial or forced connections between organizations; instead, we aim to foster conditions that encourage organizations to connect naturally and explore collaboration where they share priorities, values, aligned missions, and a commitment to community solidarity.
 
Question 3. Tell us how your organization is working to build power and/or cultivate health in your community? View our definitions, including power building and health equity, at the link provided here.
 
EHF: EHF is focused on power building in communities impacted by systemic inequities. We believe that our resources, including our money, staff, and positionality are most effective when they are used to support organizations organizing and building community power within their communities. This belief is backed up by the experiences of other foundations working on health equity. We want to know how your work is creating community power that can pushback against existing power structures and white supremacy culture as we build towards vibrant, inclusive communities.
 
Question 4. Tell us about your organization's experience and/or interest engaging in intersectional space(s)? The community of learning we hope to create will be an intersectional space and we will be working from shared agreements that honor and respect the diversity of identities and backgrounds represented in the community. Learn more about intersectionality here.
 
EHF: A willingness and capacity to work in intersectional space will be required of our partners. We have an obligation to be receptive to the needs of the group when holding intersectional space. We aim to work together from a set of shared agreements that set the conditions for group and individual agency, accountability, curiosity, and dialogue. If your organization does not affirm the full spectrum of diverse identities of other individuals and organizations, then this initiative is not for you.
 
Question 5. As a developing organization, what resources do you need? (check all that apply)

·                 Communications and Storytelling
·                 Technical Assistance
·                 Policy and Advocacy
·                 Healing
·                 Other
 
EHF: This question is for internal information gathering and will not be a deciding factor in selecting applications.
 
Question 6. How many staff members does your organization employ? Please specify if your organization employs any part time staff members or unpaid, non-board member volunteers involved in day to day operations of the organization.
 
EHF: We will be prioritizing organizations that have multiple employees and are not led and run by a single individual, especially in the city of Spokane where we will have many applicants. In rural areas, we may be more open to working with individually run organizations, recognizing the unique challenges these communities face — such as limited resources, fewer opportunities for partnership, and a smaller communityof people engaged in organizing work.
 
Question 7. Tell us about organizations that are partners in your work.
 
EHF: We are not interested in extensive lists of every organization you come into contact with or have worked with. We want to know who you consider true partners and allies. Part of our goal through this work is to support and promote an interconnected network of organizations working on power building. By gaining a better understanding of organizations who are genuine partners, we hope to better connect and prioritize resources for organizations invested in each other and common goals.
 
Question 8. Tell us about barriers or challenges in your community and to your work.
 
EHF: We want a stronger understanding of the systemic barriers you face so we can understand how our resources can support you in addressing or overcoming them.