3 minute read
The Power of Community and Inclusion
MAF’s work helps build strong relationships and cultivates a broader understanding of each communities’ needs.
The Webster-Merriam Dictionary defines community as “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interest and goals.”
The Multnomah Athletic Foundation defines community more broadly by embracing the power of inclusion — a feeling of fellowship developed by sharing common attitudes, interests and goals strengthened by our willingness to invite others to the conversation, listen deeply and amplify voices different than our own.
Embracing inclusion requires sharing resources, shifting the power of decisionmaking, creating access and deepening understanding. Current events have accelerated the need for meaningful inclusion and demands everyone to lean in to act.
This year, foundation board members decided that they needed to do more to provide value to their community. The first step was developing an action plan that involves listening and educating themselves about the population they serve. They also committed to better understanding how each of their individual unconscious biases impacts the foundation’s practices and policies. The goal of their work is to remove barriers in MAF’s efforts and outreach so existing foundation funding can have a more equitable impact.
Action means regularly reviewing the foundation’s inclusion practices and sharing decision-making processes with grant partners and scholarship recipients. Cultivated relationships and trust in its grant partners made it an easy decision to relax the use of the grant funding — expanding it from specific programs to general use. This shifted the decision-making power to the community to use the funding where it was needed most. Also, in response to the many changes impacting the lives of students during COVID-19, the board established a deferment policy for all eight scholarship programs and encouraged deferment without justification during these unexpected times. The foundation trusted students to make the decision best for them at this moment in time.
The Multnomah Athletic Foundation is powered by people, and their relationships form a community that is willing to be coached and learn. A vital component of the group is Multnomah Athletic Club members, who share the foundation’s belief that youth deserve the opportunity to play, learn, succeed and thrive.
“We have such a variety of grant applications each year, and every organization that applies is serving a different intersection of youth,” says Scott Dougherty, MAF board co-chair and MAC member. “We are working continually to remove barriers to reach even more nonprofit organizations, and even more kids. Not everyone has the access and opportunities that we have, so becoming more understanding of those circumstances and how to support them is important.”
Maryam Bolouri and her daughter, Isabel Nattagh
Working toward greater inclusion several years ago, the foundation stopped requiring that scholarship nominations be made by a school official or adult leader. Additionally, investing in technology and changing the way applications were reviewed increased the reach of scholarships. But these steps didn’t go far enough to increase access, so MAF is now working on proactive outreach and building relationships with influential leaders in underrepresented communities.
“Last fall I was a part of the outreach team that went to local high schools to talk about the foundation’s scholarship opportunities,” says Maryam Bolouri, MAF board member and MAC member. “By going and sitting down with the adults in the students’ lives and answering their questions about our programs, we were able to increase the understanding of our criteria as well as learn about the barriers that impact the students. Our willingness to listen and learn helps us get the information to those students who will deeply benefit from funding support.”
The Multnomah Athletic Foundation believes that engaging the community and embracing inclusion are powerful and positive forces. We encourage you to listen, engage in meaningful inclusion and lean into community. Join the conversation — quietly, robustly, privately or publicly. Learn more at MultnomahAthleticFoundation.com.
