Community Matters: Harnessing the Berkshires’ Unique Strength
Link to article in The Edge
Columbia County resident Malcolm Gladwell in his new book, The Revenge of the Tipping Point, observes communities and regions have distinct characteristics that influence behaviors and outcomes. Place-based differences arise from geography, resident demographics, the economy, community values, and shared history. Gladwell argues this local context, along with the presence of influential leaders and connectivity among people, contributes to the rise of social movements--both positive and negative.
In the Berkshires, a defining characteristic of our region is our value and habit of coming together to get things done that matter to our communities. As people mobilize around social movements, they also organize locally to solve a problem or seize an opportunity to make something better. After working more than twenty years in the nonprofit sector and philanthropy, with the last eight as president of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, I have seen countless examples of groups of people coming together to make positive things happen that strengthen their communities—and it is one of the region’s core strengths and we need to build off it now more than ever.
Building off Gladwell’s points, I have found there are three factors that contribute to people successfully mobilizing to get things done: There is a compelling idea or issue; there is leadership that brings people and resources together; and there is a sense of urgency or opportunity that inspires people to act.
This readiness to act in collaboration with others is seen in the hundreds of organizations that work tirelessly to serve our communities. Each of these nonprofit organizations exists because there was a compelling idea combined with leaders who invested their time and talents to organize people and assemble resources around a shared vision. This architecture of nonprofits, both large and small, and the quality of leadership and level of engagement simply does not exist in every region. It is also seen in the data: Berkshire County has a higher concentration of nonprofits per capita as compared to other regions which I see as evidence of higher levels of community engagement.
This inherent strength of the Berkshires is even more important now as there are forces and trends that are dividing us across politics, class, and race. We should strive to narrow these divides by continuing to build off our longstanding ability to work together. In addition to getting things done that matter, relationships and trust are built in the process which are also important to strong communities. Just look around your community and you can see evidence and I am hopeful you have experienced how these organizations and initiatives, past and present, have brought value to your life by connecting you to others who care about the same things.
Through an upcoming series of short articles, I am going to share stories that will illustrate how visionary and inspired leadership combined with engaged residents can take ideas and convert them into action. I lead off by telling the stories of Volunteers in Medicine, Berkshire South, and the Railroad Street Youth Project. These stories and more will affirm for us that community involvement matters as it leads to ambitious visions for ways we can work together, rising above differences because of our common commitment to support and serve our neighbors and communities.
Be on the lookout for these stories, and feel free to contact me with stories you want me to share of existing organizations and initiatives as well as innovative ideas that are inspiring people to act.