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How we work
Community Evolution partners with local communities to help their emerging, fledgling and/or scalable enterprises grow into businesses that are collectively planned, developed, owned and managed by the community itself.
Our approach
We offer a customized facilitation process that combines community mobilization and capacity building with financial mechanisms (grants or loans) in a framework that fosters greater collective empowerment and sustainable development.
CE provides funding and support that enable local communities to work better together. Coming under the community-organizing umbrella, every partnership with a community-based enterprise is facilitated by a locally embedded facilitator. Through their support, as well as training and seed capital, locals can grow businesses and participate in the growth of their local economy, while also providing meaningful work for themselves and building sustainable, empowered communities.
A Local Facilitator
Facilitation is the practice of providing leadership without taking control. Our facilitators collaborate with our partners in a way to encourage them to find answers to complex issues, even if they’re not necessarily a subject matter expert.
Our facilitators may assist with community organizing and competence, leadership development, project management and coaching, and social capital. They’re always available to provide guidance, but don’t make decisions on behalf of our partners.
That means that our partners can count on the facilitators for support at all times, but they are the ones taking responsibility and leading all tasks and actions related to the projects.
Our values
Community Evolution has a strong set of core values that dictates everything we do around the world. Here are our five core tenets.
Community-centred
First and foremost, we believe that community is at the heart of everything. Community is the seed from which everything else grows. The direction and success of community-member-owned enterprises should be defined by the communities themselves.
Empowering
Our role is to be empowering — that is, to support co-operative enterprises and their member-owners in realizing their own goals. We coach and mentor local leaders, individuals and businesses in a way that empowers every person to feel that their voice matters within the community.
Collaborative
All of our work is collaborative and inclusive. We think the best way for a community to thrive and grow is by including everyone in important decisions about what’s best for the group. We also partner with organizations and donors to offer support, both financial and personal.
Entrepreneurial
We are committed to strengthening an entrepreneurial culture within our organization as well as the community enterprises we serve.
Inclusive
Community Evolution embraces the idea of working with everyone for the benefit of everyone. We support and encourage participation by every member of the community and embrace participatory and inclusive decision-making.
Our 3-year goals
Empowered communities
By working collaboratively with communities, we will support them to develop and grow resilient community-led enterprises creating social value.
Demonstrated results
By using data to make strategic decisions and measure results, we will demonstrate value and continuously improve our program.
A robust organization
By improving our internal processes, investing in our team and cultivating our partnerships, we will be more effective, efficient and resilient.
Sustained impact
By raising awareness of our vision and telling our story, we will engage a variety of donors to diversify our funding.
Sustainable Development Goals
How you can help
There are several ways to help us support community enterprises in Bolivia, Ecuador and Canada.