“From Values to a Living Plan” — Community Connections New York (CCNY)

Community Connections New York (CCNY) had long embraced equity as a core value, but leadership knew that values alone weren’t enough. What they needed was a plan — a clear, actionable, measurable roadmap that aligned staff, partners, and community. The challenge was making sure this plan didn’t sit on a shelf, but lived in the daily practices and culture of the organization.

When we partnered with CCNY, our first step was listening. We engaged staff and leadership in reflective conversations, surfacing stories of where equity felt present and where it felt absent. These stories became the foundation for a DEI plan that was not only strategic, but deeply human.

We didn’t stop at writing. We facilitated capacity-building workshops that prepared staff to carry the work forward. Our sessions gave people the language, tools, and confidence to lead equity work from within — ensuring that ownership didn’t sit in a single office or title, but across the organization.

Impact:

• Co-wrote a 3-year DEI plan with measurable goals and clear accountability structures

• Facilitated 4 capacity-building workshops reaching 80% of staff

• Increased staff confidence in leading equity conversations by 45% (pre/post survey)

• Strengthened CCNY’s credibility with partners, leading to 2 new collaborative initiatives launched