As I thought about my experiences in these last 7 weeks, something stood out to me.
During a conversation we, the fellows, had with Allyn, the Vice President of Communications at Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, he shared a profound insight. He said that with every decision he makes, every job he works at, he keeps those in his hometown in mind. Now Allyn said this in the context of humility, saying that it’s important to keep those people in mind because it makes the work you do about something bigger. Not just about you.
But the other side of Allyn’s statement is the idea that when we “become the spokespeople of our town”, as he stated, a new level of authenticity and passion is brought to the work that is done in the field of public interest communications and that authenticity and passion is needed now more than ever. It’s the thoughts and stories of real people that infuse our mission with genuine purpose and drive. When we bring our whole selves to the table and embrace the unique perspectives and experiences each of us holds, we create a richer, more impactful narrative.
Now let me tie this to a story. I want to bring it back to one of the first conversations I had with one of my supervisors at my matched organization. I had been reluctant to share this fact in my workplace before, but my mother works in the space of higher education. She is an academic advisor at a community college a few blocks away from my home in the Bronx, New York. This is relevant because the organization I worked for was intended to improve student success in higher education. Upon sharing this information with my supervisor, her face gleamed with excitement. Every time she would introduce me to someone in the office, she would share this tidbit of information. “Did you know Isabella’s mom is a community college advisor! Maybe we can have her speak at one of our events!”, she said once to our colleague.
That statement stopped me dead in my tracks. I thought “my mother doesn’t fit the image of this program.” My mother is a nonsense kind of lady. Her favorite line when talking to her students is: “Do you want to sugar code it or tell it like it is.” She doesn’t believe in excuses, as she once dealt with similar circumstances that many of her students face. She was once a young single mother of two, working day in and day out to ensure that my brother and I did not just become another statistic in our community.
But it was then that I realized that personalities like my mothers are exactly what is needed in the field of public interest communications. It is not enough for non-profit organizations to just walk the walk; they need to begin to talk the walk. While stating goals like achieving student success or creating healthcare equity is valuable, it is even more important for organizations to infuse their work with authenticity and passion. This happens when they share stories of people like my mother, who have lived experience but do not fit the mold of a “traditional, cookie-cutter” nonprofit organization.
What I notice from working in these spaces is that sometimes organizations, but more importantly employees of these organizations, become fearful of pushing these boundaries, scared it’ll move away from the mission: but without change there is no growth. Organizations
and their employees need to stop seeing their work as one-size-fits-all and add a new flair, a new level of authenticity. Simply stating you are a “nonprofit” is not the end-all, be-all. Too often during our visits to other organizations, it was said, “creating change can be hard.” But I believe that once the field of public interest communications truly understands the importance of treading that line and pushing authenticity, the mission of these organizations, which sometimes seems distant and unachievable, will be one step closer to becoming a reality.