Our first class of Equity + Health Fellows recommended that RMHF should focus on power sharing, capacity-building and listening closely to our grassroot and community-based partners. We’re working to model this approach as we build relationships with our grassroots capacity-building cohort. The cohort selected the consulting firm Brighter Strategies to advise and help lead their co-learning journey.
“We felt supported by RMHF staff, but not led by their perspectives. We really “owned” the selection of Brighter Strategies, and the process brought us closer together as a cohort,” says Rob Jones, cohort member and grassroots leader. “Brighter Strategies seemed to understand our individual and collective needs. I’m excited to come together with other leaders in the health and racial equity space to increase our capacity to serve. It’s so needed right now.”
Brighter Strategies’ work is focused on helping the cohort build the knowledge, skills and resources they need to grow their organizations’ impacts from the perspectives of both effectiveness and scale. The process these leaders will take with Brighter Strategies is thorough and approaches capacity-building through the lenses of operations, communications, governance, strategy and people, with the goal of building strong organizations through best practices and continuous improvement initiatives.
Over the last twelve years, the firm has consulted with hundreds of nonprofits, foundations, and associations to provide capacity-building services and practical solutions to strategic and operational challenges. The firm is experienced in addressing and advancing health equity, and has demonstrated experience engaging and affirming Black-and Brown-led grassroots organizations in Virginia and the South.
Work with Brighter Strategies is already underway, and we are so excited to have their team supporting RMHF, our capacity-building cohort and the grassroots organizations they represent.
