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The Quarterly Word
Welcome to the May/June 2021 issue of the Listen4Good (L4G) newsletter! Read on for the latest updates on our work bringing high-quality feedback practices to nonprofits around the country.
Emerging From A Year Like No Other
I’m struck by how much life feels like coming out of a cocoon right now. We’re emerging from winter, but also emerging from a year like no other in memory: a global pandemic, an economic shutdown, and a racial reckoning with a deeper sense of urgency—forcing honest reflection on long-standing systemic inequities.
The past year has also shown us that our feedback work is more important than ever, especially as it aims to advance sustained equitable solutions in which those with less power speak their truth. The recent conviction of police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd provided a glimmer of hope that the voices of those most marginalized can finally be heeded by structures designed to suppress and silence them. However, even as we make some progress towards justice, the path is never assured and the arc is always longer than it ought to be.
And so our work continues.
Staff Highlight: Alexis Oviedo, Community Support Coordinator
The Listen4Good team continues to grow! Please join us in welcoming our newest staff member, Alexis Oviedo.
If you’re a current L4G participant, you’ve probably already met Alexis. She supports all users on the L4G web app and manages our emerging online peer network, L4G Community. Alexis brings a fresh set of skills to her position, having worked at two nonprofits, the Commonwealth Club of California and Kiva.org. She also brings experience working in high-growth tech and software sales.
Alexis Oviedo
Community Support Coordinator
To help you get to know her a little better, Alexis was kind enough to answer a few questions.
Q: Tell us about some favorite projects at your previous nonprofits.
A: I absolutely loved working on the International Women's Day campaign for Kiva. It was inspiring to see and be a part of a cohesive effort towards an amazing cause. It was a full-org effort and we were able to make a huge impact in just one week by crowdfunding more than $5M going towards our women borrowers.
Q: What skills do you bring from the tech and software industry?
A: Focus, team mentorship, flexibility, tenacity, thriving in fast-paced & cross-functional environments.
Q: Why did you transition to the nonprofit sector?
A: I'm very passionate about giving back to communities and making an impact in the lives of others, especially those underserved and most in need.
Q: How do you spend your spare time?
A: Outside of work, I love spending time with family, friends, and my dog. I also love poetry/spoken word, volunteering, community involvement, and the sun.
Go Public With Your Listening Practice
Have you filled out the How We Listen (HWL) section of your nonprofit profile in GuideStar by Candid? It’s a great way to showcase your listening and feedback practices. HWL is a section in the organizational profiles section on GuideStar where you answer a series of questions about your listening practices.
Your answers to the questions are visible to searchers on Candid (including funders). Charity Navigator also picks up your answers to count towards your Culture and Community score under their new Encompass rating system.
Completing HWL is a great way to showcase your listening efforts! But don’t just take our word for it.
To test this assumption, we recently analyzed data from HWL organizations, and the feedback practices of Listen4Good participants by comparison. (Fun fact: Listen4Good helped to design HWL and we regularly run aggregate analysis of the dataset on behalf of Candid.)
We reviewed data from nearly 7500 HWL organizations, and pulled out the 68 Listen4Good participants who have participated in HWL to compare their feedback practices with the larger group.
Overall, we found that L4G organizations collect more information, share more feedback for more purposes, and share feedback with more people. Here are a few highlights:
99% of L4G participants collect data from their clients as opposed to 90% of the general HWL population
66% of L4G participants share feedback with their funders versus 52% of HWL organizations
82% of L4G organizations are committed to continuous improvement—collecting feedback in order to improve poor client service experiences, versus 63% of HWL organizations
67% of L4G organizations actively use feedback to identify equity gaps in their services while 47% of HWL organizations do so.
If you haven’t filled out your How We Listen section in Candid yet, you can access instructions on how to do so here:
Community Corner for Current L4G Users
A quick plug: If you’re a current L4G participant, don’t forget that you have unlimited access to L4G Community, our moderated online social space in the L4G web app. It allows you to make peer-to-peer connections with organizations like yours for collaboration and continuous learning.
On L4G Community, you can ask questions of coaches and connect with people in your cohort. Haven’t been there in a while? Log in with the button below (note: for current L4G participants only).
Have an idea for content you’d like to see, such as helpful articles, stories, or topics? Email your suggestions to Alexis at alexis@fundforsharedinsight.org.
Deadline Approaching!
The next deadline for Listen4Good’s Online+ and Premium programs is approaching! Be sure to submit your registration by July 15th.
Still in the information-gathering stage and not ready to register yet?
We host regular informational webinars for both nonprofits and funders to learn more about the feedback programs we offer. Choose the date and time that works best for you!
Attend a free informational webinar:
June 9 at 12 pm PT/3 pm ET
June 15 at 9 am PT/12 pm ET
June 18 at 12 pm PT/3 pm ET
June 23 at 9 am PT/12 pm ET
July 8 at 9 am PT/3 pm ET
Refreshing a Classic:
Perceptual Feedback
Have you got a favorite piece of clothing you’ll do anything to preserve? Here at Listen4Good, we do too. But we’re feedback nerds, so it’s not a classic sweater. It’s our foundational whitepaper, Perceptual Feedback: What’s It All About?
This paper, written a few years ago, contains a thorough description of perceptual feedback and how it differs from other types of feedback. There are example questions as well as organizational case studies.
But things are always evolving in the feedback world, so we recently brought the publication up to date. This new version incorporates new insights about the relationship between feedback and equity.
A Brand New Look for L4G
Changes are on the horizon for Listen4Good! Our programs will stay the same, but we’re unveiling a new standalone website later this summer, along with a whole new color palette and overall look. While our communications may look different, our programs remain the same. We can’t wait for you to see it.
We wish everyone a safe and happy summer. Until September!
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