News

E3 Foundation Release Co-Creation Project Report

Published

1 year ago

October 23, 2023

Press Release

E3 Foundation (E3), a nonprofit whose mission is to address systematic change for Black and Brown families and communities, released highly anticipated report on the impact of their co-creation work on Black and Brown communities and education at the Bees Ferry Library Wednesday, October 18, 2023.

“Our goal was to build a coalition of Black-led organizations that focused on expanding capacity to meet the needs of our community, filling potential gaps through collaboration, data sharing, and sustaining ongoing partnerships,” said LaTisha Vaughn, founding partner and chief programs officer of E3. “We are confident this report will serve as a blueprint for Black-led community-based organizations to work collaboratively to produce systematic transformative results as we did.”

The E3 Foundation Co-Creation Project Report is based on the E3 partnership with five community-based organizations – Lowcountry Youth Services, Beyond Our Walls, Carolina Teen Center, Lowcountry Black Parents Association, and the Charleston Promise Neighborhood – that modeled themselves as critical thought partners to the barriers facing Black and Brown communities’ families and children. For over a year the group met to research, brainstorm, strategize, and create to offer solutions. Highlights of the report are as follows:

The birth of Co-Creation Old Normal Vs. New Normal Model, which defines co-creation through the new lens of transforming educational systems and parents, students, and educators of color being at the center of change versus privilege and philanthropy which is the old lens. Philanthropy should support the agenda, strategies, and tactics based on the people who most need to be empowered and at the center of the work.

The strategy to maximize impact is to introduce collaborative community-based projects that could jump start the goal of creating a coalition and ensuring Black and Brown children and families had readily accessible resources. To do this, co-creating organizations must expand their capacity to meet the needs of Black and Brown communities, fill potential gaps through collaboration, and data share, while making sure partnerships are ongoing. This is the basis of a process to create projects that could be the impetus for collaboration, working together toward a common goal.

Through co-creation work, E3 and five community-based organizations yielded two annual community-based events – Community-Wide Assessments and ParentFest – that directly impact and empower families to advocate for their children and a long-term plan for coalition building.

Each organization uniquely fits into the ecosystem in a way that can collectively support the transformation of communities. Solutions will not be created if organizations continue to work in isolation.

There are many individuals and organizations doing impactful work in Black and Brown communities. There must be time for these organizations to come together to learn more about how their work aligns and how their uniqueness can support the overall goal of a system that produces racial and economic justice for its participants.

Ms. Vaughn said, “This project, we hope to be the first of many, was born out of our commitment to center the voices of the intended beneficiaries of our work; therefore, it was a simple decision for us to partner with organizations who were doing good work in the community. According to a recent report from the Bridgespan Group and Echoing Green in August of this year found that unrestricted net assets of Black-led nonprofits are 76 percent smaller than those of white-led nonprofits. For us it was important that we recruited Black-led organizations that were doing work with Black children and families because we know that Black-led organizations face a unique set of challenges but also typically have proximity into the work of building community that provide them unique insights into the work. It was a great success!”

The audience of community partners, funders, and other community members was charged with listening to the voices in our community that are doing the work by Audrey Lane, founding partner and executive director of E3. “During this time in our community, there is a resounding message that I hope you will continue to carry with you today and in the days ahead. LISTEN – the community is speaking!!! LISTEN – the community is speaking!!! We believe in the brilliance of our community but we have to pause and LISTEN.”

E3 was able to subgrant these organizations for their critical thought partnership during the co-creation project through a grant from the Walton Family Foundation and the report release event was sponsored by Sisters of Charity South Carolina.

The E3 is a 501(c)(3) organization that works to educate Black and Brown families through culturally competent, relevant, and sustainable engagement; to empower through coalition building of Black and Brown led-organizations, leaders, educators, children, and families; and to elevate Black and Brown communities to act in their power and purpose.

A full copy of the report can be obtained by visiting the E3 website, https://www.thee3group.com/.