Support for Building a Community Governance Pipeline

Design a sustained pathway for community members to move into governance and leadership roles within the organization.

About This Consultation

A partnership engagement for organizations committed to building a sustained pipeline from community membership to organizational governance. This goes beyond placing one or two community members on a board. It designs a pathway: from community engagement to leadership development to board preparation to ongoing support, so that community governance becomes a structural feature of the organization rather than a symbolic gesture.

This typically includes:

• Assessment of the organization's current governance structure and where community voice has and has not had authority
• Design of a multi-stage pipeline: community engagement, leadership development, board preparation, and onboarding
• Development of support practices for community members at each stage of the pipeline
• Design of accountability structures so the pipeline produces real power sharing, not performative inclusion
• A phased implementation plan with clear milestones

Designed for: Organizations committed to long-term community governance. This engagement works best when leadership, the board, and community partners are all willing to participate in the design process.