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Powerful and vital for tackling social problems, human networks can seem as near-invisible as the seemingly fragile spiderwebs we often pass by. Network mapping and analysis delineates them and opens up practical actions for tapping the creativity and collective might of human networks. This workshop will help project and program practitioners explore key concepts in network mapping that could apply to their proposal development and program evaluation and improvement, while building a simple network map.

Helpful for strategic planning, yielding qualitative data for impact measurement, or simply for quarterly team huddles, this workshop mines the strengths of the past while dismantling its limitations and allowing for the embracing of a new direction. Zoom is no campfire but the power of stories endures, no matter the medium through which people gather. Prepare to relax and get cozy as participants share their stories that exemplify “where we’ve been, where we’re going” in a no-pressure environment.

During times of transition, when facing forks in strategy paths, or when a lot of new people have joined, the Who We Are Stories workshop builds pride and camaraderie and helps to consolidate a shared identity for your organization or team. Zoom is no campfire but the power of stories endures, no matter the medium through which people gather. Prepare to relax and get cozy as participants share their stories that exemplify “who we are” in a no-pressure environment.

Bringing passionate expertise to a cause as enveloping as social justice can be draining, forcing some to emotionally distance themselves as a coping mechanism. This workshop does two things – reignite the passion and sense of calling that fuels social justice work, while exploring a radical idea for how to thrive within it. While the workshop uses poetry and live imitation poetry writing to explore ideas and feelings on a deep level, no literary expertise is required; even those who don’t “get” poetry will get something out of this workshop! Title credit: From A Country of Spreading Horizons, by Malaika Cheney-Coker

We’ve all seen the videos of talking heads shot from a laptop or cellphone; and while you may not be able to put your finger on why, it just doesn’t look good and might even make you grimace a bit. Like it or not, the first impression colleagues and clients get from any video carries more weight than you’d think, and could damage rather than help an organization’s cause. This free workshop will give you easy to digest and easy to implement tips on lighting, background, framing, etc. to make sure you’re helping, not hurting your cause.

Explore new dimensions of and jumpstart your strategic planning or visioning work through imagination techniques. We use Gen AI, worldbuilding, and the poem, Imagine the Angels of Bread, for sparking new possibilities and harvesting bold and diverse ideas. The outputs from the workshop can be woven into purpose statements, organizational values, fundraising materials, strategies, and measurement frameworks. Title credit: From Imagine the Angels of Bread by Martín Espada

At a time when DEI efforts and needs are being reassessed and in contrast to traditional training efforts, this workshop helps participants cut through the noise and think with both head and heart. While the workshop uses poetry and live imitation poetry writing to explore ideas and feelings on a deep level, no literary expertise is required; even those who don’t “get” poetry will get something out of this workshop!

The melting glaciers and burning trees need you to act, as do the current and future generations that depend on the natural world. But climate grief is real and can be paralyzing; so we’ve designed this workshop to help restore mental states while you work to restore the planet. While the workshop uses poetry and live imitation poetry writing to explore ideas and feelings on a deep level, no literary expertise is required; even those who don’t “get” poetry will get something out of this workshop! Title credit: From These Rivers Remember, by Roberta Hill

The evidence is mounting that individuals and organizations that use generative AI (GenAI) outperform those that don’t. We’d add that those that use Gen AI out-create those that don’t. So, we’ve created an online workshop to address one of the biggest and most overlooked benefits of GenAI – using it for purposeful ideation. In our Creative Sparks workshop, we use a combination of human and Gen AI-based facilitation to deliver a speed of ideation and range of ideas to tackle your team's recent thorny problems.

When the data on injustices facing African Americans overwhelm, imagination is a means of building the infrastructure for a better future. Inspired by our Black Futures work and No End in Sight research on income inequality in Atlanta, as well as the wisdom of the Ashanti people, this workshop uses the myth of Anansi and the sky god, and its powerful lessons of ingenuity and creativity, to catapult minds into a radically different future. The outputs from the workshop can be woven into purpose statements, organizational values, fundraising materials, strategies, and measurement frameworks.

In order to #shiftthepower in evaluation, the work has to start at home, that is, within the team or organization. Inspired by our With All Our Hearts: Demand-Driven Learning in the International Development Sector research, this workshop guides teams through key questions to help them explore why and how to build a revolutionary learning culture where employees on the frontlines are the real champions of learning. The workshop includes discussion on how shifts in philanthropy are supporting this kind of approach. Outputs from this workshop can be woven into proposals, learning and measurement systems, and fundraising strategies.