People Do Not Need Programs

Ron Dwyer-Voss
Ron Dwyer-Voss
@ron-dwyer-voss
10 years ago
48 posts

Our friend Dan Duncan recently posted this blog on LinkedIn. What do you think?

People do not need programs to improve their lives. Programs are an artificial construct developed in the dance between grantors and grantees to help nonprofits re-package themselves to ensure continued funding. What people need are an increasing number of positive relationships and activities to help them become producers of their own and their communitys well-being. The best work nonprofits can do is to help the people they serve build relationships, especially in the neighborhood or community were they live and work to remove barriers so the people they serve have a real opportunity to become producers and not just program recipients. We need everyones gifts to build strong communities not more programs.


updated by @ron-dwyer-voss: 10/24/16 04:45:18PM
Deb Wisniewski
Deb Wisniewski
@deb-wisniewski
10 years ago
140 posts

This made me think of a community conversation I had the pleasure of facilitating a couple years ago. We asked about 40 or 50 people what they wanted for their children. (These were all parents of youth and young adults who have disabilities.)

At first, all that the parents talked about was services... supported employment and residential services, specialized transportation, respite care, etc. We finally asked them to pause and I asked the question "So what?" I was met with deafening silence. So I rephrased it... In other words, "You want these services so what will happen for your sons and daughters?"

Suddenly the "ah-ha!" lightbulbs went on. People began talking about having real relationships, meaningful days, good health, a safe living environment, a home of their own... The whole vibe in the room changed. It seemed to open up the possibilities for how to achieve those things... that's it's not just about the services.

Dan Duncan
Dan Duncan
@dan-duncan
9 years ago
12 posts

Deb, great way to describe the problem when we focus on programs and services as the end result.

Thank,

Dan

Meredith Budge
Meredith Budge
@meredith-budge
9 years ago
1 posts

This is scary stuff for Non-profits to work through but so important. Funding agencies often compound the issue by focusing on fixing problems rather than building healthy and lasting relationships.

Kelly Taylor
Kelly Taylor
@kelly-taylor
9 years ago
1 posts
I'm in australia work in CD for a local council and sadly many of the smaller organisations and neighbourhood centres are losing their funding for CD/ABCD roles. Due to the way the funding models are increasingly creating a competitive environment and a requirement that these orgs have to deliver multifaceted responses to "clients" there is virtually no capacity to focus on ABCD. As Council employees we are wondering who will be left in the landscape to collaborate with given we may be the only CD "connector/gap filler" resource left in the very near future!
John Hamerlinck
John Hamerlinck
@john-hamerlinck
9 years ago
50 posts

I couldn't agree more. Relationships trump programs every time. Programs exist to justify their own existence.

Deb Wisniewski
Deb Wisniewski
@deb-wisniewski
9 years ago
140 posts

At the same time, John, I see that there are some programs that are necessary for people's lives in our society as it is now structured.... One example is certain personal care services for people who need physical assistance getting out of bed, getting dressed, bathing, etc. If there are family members who are able and willing to help, fine. But support of this kind should not be expected since so much depends on the individual circumstances.

So much depends on the "who, what, where and how" of these services. Are the people who are using the services in charge of determining who provides them, what services they needs, where they receive services, and how they are provided?

And most importantly, are the people who use services seen beyond their labels and their needs? Are they seen as valued members of our communities and that our communities need their contributions in order to be strong?

Dan Duncan
Dan Duncan
@dan-duncan
9 years ago
12 posts

Deb, you are right some people need support activities. That is why I call them activities and not programs. People do not need programs, they need the relationships and they may need some or all of the activities within a program.

I know it my just be semantics, but it help create a dialogue around the points you made.

Deb Wisniewski
Deb Wisniewski
@deb-wisniewski
9 years ago
140 posts

In the disability-services world, "activities" are something you "do" in the community... I tend to describe those types of activities as "drive-by community" ;-)

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