CCI Program Elements

Through five core program elements, the Alliance CCI is increasing the awareness, the will, and the skill for building/supporting cultural competency in nonprofit leadership:

1. Research.  The CCI is documenting nonprofit capacity builders’ practice. The research captures stories, insights, and principles as well as previous analysis and resources that place this work into perspective.  The result is to clarify what are culturally competent approaches in consulting, coaching, training, executive transition services, funding and other work that strengthens nonprofit leadership.
2. Publication and Dissemination. The CCI offers tools and resources through electronic and print publications. Resources include original content generated by the CCI, practitioners “case stories” published online, commentaries and coverage in Alliance e-news venues. The Alliance’s Cultural Competency Resource Pages and direct mailings provide important means of dissemination, as does information-sharing through media. The materials reach capacity-building practitioners and also leaders in nonprofit organizations.
3. Training and Peer Exchange. The Alliance’s growing network of members and sister organizations provides rich learning and peer exchange. Specific events include the Annual Conference with a session track and full-day workshop on cultural competency, local Nonprofit Days, two-day institutes using a “train-the-trainers” approach for consultants and other capacity builders, plus teleseminars.  In addition, we are participating in major nonprofit conferences.
4. Standards. New Alliance ethical standards provide a base for understanding that good practice requires cultural competency as a continuous process of learning and application.  Meeting standards is not only about arriving at some new level, but is also very much about recognizing, valuing, and cultivating what is already culturally competent practice and nonprofit leadership. Following on the ethical standards is the development of standards specific to cultural competency.
5. Evaluation. In keeping to its own function of advancing high-quality capacity-building, the Alliance is evaluating the CCI in regard to how well it produces new awareness, will, and skill for developing culturally competent practice and leadership.