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Real community change rarely fails because people do not care. It fails because leadership gets reduced to titles, meetings turn into status updates, and “helping” unintentionally reinforces the very conditions we are trying to change.

We sit down with Gabrielle Hawkins Stewart, a consultant and facilitator who brings systems theory, racial equity practice, and a poverty-informed, trauma-informed lens to nonprofit and community coalitions. Gabrielle shares the story behind Changemakers Leadership Institute and why she treats leadership as both science and art: evidence-based tools paired with reflection on how we show up, how our choices land, and what our behavior makes possible for other people.

From there, we get practical. Gabrielle breaks down the core traits of effective community leaders: being thoughtful and purposeful, collaborating without clinging to control, protecting the people doing the work while staying unapologetic about the mission, and role modeling values when it is hardest. We also unpack why systems change is so difficult to explain and implement, and why language matters when communities talk about poverty, “neglect,” and impact.

If you lead a nonprofit, facilitate coalition work, or want better community meetings that create momentum between sessions, you will leave with ideas you can apply immediately, plus a sharper lens for spotting when a program teaches people to “fish” in an empty pond.

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Guest Bio

Gabrielle Stewart is a consultant specializing in incorporating best practices in equity and diversity into technical assistance for non-profit and community organizations. She guides organizations and collaborative entities in staff development, organizational capacity building, strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation, utilizing sound governance practices and adjusting systems to be poverty- and trauma-competent. She combines a 20-year history of non-profit leadership with a deep understanding of systems theory, racial equity, relationship-building, and collective impact strategies to help organizations incorporate the voices of all stakeholders into decision-making. Get in touch with Gabrielle at gabriellecmli@pm.me and visit her website: https://www.cmlinstitute.com/ 

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Connect with Ann: Community Evaluation Solutions
 
How Ann  can help:

·        Support the evaluation capacity of your coalition or community-based organization.

·        Help you create a strategic plan that doesn’t stress you and your group out, doesn’t take all year to design, and is actionable.

·        Engage your group in equitable discussions about difficult conversations.

·        Facilitate a workshop to plan for action and get your group moving.

·        Create a workshop that energizes and excites your group for action.

·        Speak at your conference or event.

Have a question or want to know more? Book a call with Ann .

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Music by Zach Price: Zachpricet@gmail.com