Strengthening Ward One Together
Over the past two years, the economic recession has led to city-wide budget cuts and a decrease in donor support, and these have inhibited needed social services for residents throughout D.C.
In direct response to the growing need, CH/SFSC launched Strengthening Ward One Together (SWOT).
In January of 2010, 80 community-based service providers -- representing 50 organizations serving Ward 1 residents -- participated in the first SWOT meeting to identify service needs, community resources, and new ways to build more efficient collaborative support systems among partners.
While the effects of the recession could be seen as an excuse for increased competition among non-profit service providers, organizations throughout Ward 1 have chosen to build stronger collaborations to share resources, reduce service duplication, and coordinate their work to achieve better outcomes for residents.
FY 2010 Accomplishments- Launched the SWOT blog (swotdc.blogspot.com) as a new tool to share information about services, resources, and events.
- Formed a new group to survey staff at Ward 1 service provider organizations and expand communications via the SWOT blog.
- 9 monthly SWOT meetings held.
- Hosted a Housing Issues Workshop to inform SWOT partners about local resources and legislation.
- Hosted a Juvenile Justice Workshop to train members how to navigate the D.C. justice system.
In order to expand and enhance SWOT efforts in FY 2011, CH/SFSC will work toward solidifying a best practices model, such as the STRIVE model in Cincinnati, Ohio, in order to collaboratively assess community needs, leverage community resources, and deliver key social capital improvements.