Branches Are Invited to Apply for the “Building Branches from the Inside Out” Initiative

Branch Renewal Committee Member Mary Hanson Harrison (left) and two young women at the January 2017 Women’s March.

By Mary Hanson Harrison, Eileen Kurkoski, Jan Corderman, & Laura Dewey 
Branch Renewal Committee

December 2020

“Build and strengthen relationships and movements for justice, peace, and radical democracy” is the last in a line of imperatives in our mission statement.  

After several harrowing weeks, and probably more to come, we are offering a chance for five (5) branches to participate in a transformational NEW DAY! A NEW WAY! We are calling out to your branch and all of our branch members to join together, individually and collectively, in a new adventure.  

The new initiative, “Building Branches for the Inside Out,” focuses on the strengths or assets in your branches and is based on adapting years of research and successful community building to our own WILPF community. We are hiring a part-time field facilitator who will work with the five (5) chosen branches for a year. National WILPF is requesting interested branches to fill out an application to participate and submit to Eileen Kurkoski by December 20. Preference will be given to new and more challenged branches.

What is this asset-based mapping project? Why should WILPF branch members put in time on it?

The first step will be completing an asset-based mapping project. With the guidance of the facilitator, the mapping project will be carried out by the selected branches after one or two teach-ins about the methodology. The project includes a $300 STRENGTH GRANT for each chosen branch, to be developed by the branch, based on the asset-based mapping, and used for recruitment and enhanced visibility projects.

Here are some examples of kinds of assets that may exist within your community:

• individual skill sets, 
• local religious, educational, political institutions,
• allies and collaborators
• your branch communications e.g., Facebook, newsletters, eAlert, Zoom

At first glance, it may seem to be a simple task, and that’s the beauty of it! Your members will be looking at what they do, have done, and can do. Inevitably, your branch members will be drawn into a productive conversation – with the discovery of new possibilities! 

WILPF US is offering this opportunity for your branch to ASSESS the infrastructure of your branch, through tracing the human and institutional resources, both present ones and potential ones. The results will provide the building blocks for your STRENGTH GRANT and plans for the next three years.

Adapting the asset-based community development concept to WILPF puts the power into the hands of members; as we mentioned before, this approach has proved to be effective and sustainable. Please confer with your branch members about this opportunity, and we look forward to receiving your application by December 20!

Please send questions and/or your application to Eileen Kurkoski eileen4wilpf@gmail.com, 617-928-0958 (Phone contact is best.)