OF/BY/FOR ALL is a project about action. We're building a Change Network to help bold leaders to take action to make their institutions of, by, and for all.
Today, we are thrilled to announce the first twenty organizations in the Change Network who join us in taking action - the First Wave.
The First Wave is a six-month prototype. Starting in October, First Wave organizations will set specific goals for deepening community involvement. They will test out new tools and activities to achieve those goals. We'll use what we learn from the First Wave to build a strong Change Network for everyone.
We want to express our sincere appreciation to everyone who applied for the First Wave. We had 72 applicants, ranging from grassroots circuses to national museums. There were artist collectives, seminaries, libraries, health clinics, and refugee centers. It was hard to pick twenty.
In the end, we picked a First Wave that reflects diversity of geography, size, and sector. The First Wave includes 6 museums, 5 performing arts orgs, 3 public libraries, 3 parks, and 3 community centers. Half are led by people of color or indigenous people. We represent six countries and ten time zones.
There are some limits on the diversity of the First Wave. We added constraints so we can learn as much as possible from the prototype. We picked teams that felt fully able to communicate in English and very comfortable with new technology tools. We chose organizations with focus and clarity on why community involvement matters to their work. We chose organizations who seemed ready to dive in immediately, so we can see whether OF/BY/FOR ALL tools help fuel their efforts.
Here is the beautiful, brave, and wide-ranging First Wave:
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Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in Santa Cruz, CA, USA (host site)
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National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Techniquest in Cardiff, Wales, UK
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HistoryMiami Museum in Miami, FL, USA
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Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center in Niagara Falls, NY, USA
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Immigration Museum in Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Te Manawa in Palmerston North, Aotearoa, NZ
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Stedelijk Museum Schiedam in Schiedam, Netherlands
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Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, RI, USA
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Oakland Symphony in Oakland, CA, USA
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Marfa Public Radio in Marfa, TX, USA
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Laundromat Project in New York, NY, USA
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ARTZ Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Oakland Public Library in Oakland, CA, USA
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St. Joseph County Public Library in South Bend, IN, USA
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Dakota County Library in Eagan, MN, USA
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Los Angeles River State Park Partners in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Divis and Black Mountain in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
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Movement BE in San Diego, CA, USA
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Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition in Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Genesis Centre in Calgary, AB, Canada
We want to thank the equally bold and beautiful funders of OF/BY/FOR ALL, whose early support made it possible for us to quickly launch into action with the First Wave. These visionary founding funders are the James Irvine Foundation, Knight Foundation, MAH trustee Jim Thompson, and an anonymous donor.
We expect to learn a lot with these twenty organizations over the next six months. As it moves forward, we'll share updates from the First Wave and what we're learning. Eventually, you'll hear stories from First Wavers themselves. We can't wait to learn and build the Change Network with these organizations in the months to come.