OUR COLLECTIVE POWER
Where We Are
Following the 2020 Census, NC Counts’ staff and board members determined that its census infrastructure could support additional efforts around health equity and civic engagement. The COVID-19 pandemic presented NC Counts with an extraordinary opportunity to leverage its role as a trusted partner in BIPOC communities. As a result, NC Counts began formalizing and reframing our Coalition through a membership network. NC Counts recognizes the collective power that stems from our coalition to fight and dismantle systemic inequities and build people power in BIPOC communities to build equitable systems. Our team has prioritized retaining and recruiting new BIPOC- led organizations to our membership network, conducting outreach to communities that were not as widely represented in NC Counts’ census work, such as Indigenous communities, and developing new capacity-building resources to ensure members can sustain their work. Developing our membership has involved learning new practices for building reciprocal relationships, conducting outreach that balances consistency without being overwhelming, and sustaining existing relationships so that members are eager to help respond to the needs of new communities. Since refocusing our work post-2020, we have built relationships with and provided resources to new BIPOC-led organizations, conducted outreach and leveraged resources for BIPOC communities, and advocated for improved government practices that address communities’ needs throughout North Carolina. Our regional teams have been pivotal in building, supporting, and leading large-scale campaigns of face-to-face community outreach in the midst of a pandemic. The current membership stands at 135 organizations, of which 89% are led by and focused on communities of color. NC Counts’ members have expressed appreciation for the inclusive, productive, educational, and collaborative environment the organization fosters. They value the opportunity to connect with individuals from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, which promotes collaboration and alignment. Members are eager for more opportunities to engage with each other and have requested that NC Counts host additional meetings to co-develop strategies. Additionally, members are interested in the expansion of NC Counts’ regranting program.
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