We Are For Good Podcast - Episode 594: Leveraging Community and Innovation as an Impact Multiplier with Rebecca Bernard

Podcast Information:

• Title: We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits
• Host/Author: We Are For Good
• Episode: 594. Leveraging Community and Innovation as an Impact Multiplier - Rebecca Bernard
• Release Date: January 8, 2025

Introduction

In Episode 594 of the We Are For Good Podcast, hosts Jon McCoy, CFRE, and Becky Endicott, CFRE, engage in an enlightening conversation with Rebecca Bernard, the Director of Innovation at The Teaching Well. This episode delves deep into the symbiotic relationship between community building and innovation within the nonprofit sector, offering invaluable insights for nonprofit professionals, philanthropists, and change-makers striving to amplify their impact.

Rebecca Bernard’s Personal Journey

Background and Early Life

Rebecca Bernard shares her rich and eclectic upbringing, highlighting the influence of her dual heritage and educator parents.

• Diverse Upbringing: Rebecca was born in Costa Rica and raised in Los Angeles, one of the most diverse cities in the United States. This multicultural background provided her with a unique perspective from an early age.

  “I grew up here in LA, which is a beautiful thing because it is one of the most diverse cities in our great nation and have had just people from all walks of life around me since I was very young.”
  [04:28]

• Educational Ventures: An alumna of UCLA, Rebecca pursued a degree in World Arts and Cultures, engaging in diverse studies ranging from the history of jazz to Amazonian textiles.

  “I studied everything and anything I wanted to under the sun, including the history of jazz and literally underwater basket weaving. It was called the Amazonian textiles many times.”
  [05:38]

Professional Evolution

Rebecca's career trajectory transitioned from the corporate sector to education, driven by a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment.

• Corporate Experience: She spent 15 years in globalization services, aiding multinational companies in tailoring their messages for global markets. However, she found this path hollow despite its financial rewards.

  “I realized like, this is empty and hollow and meaningless and what's happening here. And I came to terms with the fact that I am an educator.”
  [06:00]

• Return to Education: Motivated by motherhood and a desire to instill bilingualism in her children, Rebecca founded two bilingual schools in Los Angeles and launched global youth learning and professional development programs.

  “Started these two schools and that's what started my journey about 15 years ago back into education and got a master's in education.”
  [07:28]

Innovation in the Nonprofit Sector

Balancing Creativity and Security

Rebecca discusses the inherent tension nonprofits face between the need for innovation and the necessity of maintaining stability.

• Tenuous Line: Nonprofits often balance being cutting-edge social change agents with adhering to traditional funding and operational models.

  “Organizations being afraid to innovate. Organizations really playing it safe to meet those needs, right?”
  [09:46]

• Creative Potential: Despite resource constraints, Rebecca emphasizes the vast opportunities for creative partnership and innovation within the sector.

  “There's so much space to innovate. There's so much space to think creatively. There's some, so many opportunities for us to partner with each other.”
  [11:50]

Practical Innovations

Drawing from her role at The Teaching Well, Rebecca highlights initiatives that embody innovative thinking:

• Gather at The Well Podcast: A platform that exemplifies innovative approaches by sharing expertise and creativity to foster collective impact.

  “The Gather at the well podcast has been that it's like y'all brought your expertise, we brought our creativity and some of the things we wanted to share, and we made a magic thing.”
  [12:02]

• Strategic Use of Technology: Rebecca integrates her corporate communications experience to introduce technology-driven solutions in education, enhancing the sector's capacity for innovation.

  “A great opportunity to go ahead and invite kind of that expertise into an industry or a sector that oftentimes lacks innovation and lacks the use of technology to support what we're doing in a lot of ways.”
  [08:18]

Overcoming Fear of Failure

Personal Experiences and Mindset Shifts

Rebecca candidly shares her journey of overcoming the fear of failure, a common barrier to innovation in nonprofits.

• Early Challenges: Her initial foray into direct sales highlighted the harsh reality of persistence despite repeated rejections.

  “There takes seven no's to get a yes. Seven no's to get a yes. Just keep trying. Just keep doing it. Just keep asking.”
  [13:15]

• Embracing Failure: Through entrepreneurial ventures, Rebecca learned to view failures as stepping stones to success, reducing the fear associated with taking risks.

  “Nothing like trying and failing to minimize your fear of that failure. There's nothing like trying and failing to minimize your fear of that failure.”
  [14:00]

Impact on Innovation

This shift in mindset has empowered Rebecca to foster a culture of experimentation and resilience within The Teaching Well.

• Iterative Learning: Failure is seen as an opportunity to pivot, reflect, and grow, aligning with design thinking principles.

  “Things that fail, like I said, they teach you something. They redirect your path, they allow you to pivot, they allow you to reflect.”
  [14:45]

• Encouraging Risk-Taking: Rebecca advises starting small with manageable risks to gradually expand the organization's comfort zone.

  “Start small, pick a lane that doesn't feel so high risk, pick a budget that feels like it's within your scope, and just start tinkering.”
  [16:28]

Building Strong Communities

Essence of Community Building

Rebecca underscores the significance of alignment, synergy, and shared values in fostering robust communities.

• Alignment and Synergy: A united group with shared passions can achieve remarkable outcomes swiftly.

  “There's nothing more beautiful than when a group of people find alignment and synergy on something that they really, deeply care about.”
  [19:45]

• Human Connection: The interpersonal bonds and collective orientation towards the greater good serve as the glue that sustains communities.

  “The humans behind some of these initiatives are the glue. You have to have this kind of like, you have to have an orientation towards the collective that's not self-serving.”
  [21:09]

Practical Community Building

Drawing from her experience in founding charter schools, Rebecca illustrates the power of collective action.

• Charter School Initiative: Mobilizing 150 families to establish a successful charter school within 90 days showcases the transformative power of united community efforts.

  “150 families in my neighborhood got together within three months, wrote a charter, found a site, did a whole thing.”
  [21:10]

• Empowerment through Agency: Giving community members agency and ownership in the mission enhances engagement and longevity.

  “Having folks feel their agency in that mission, galvanizing folks in a way, cultivating a flow and a rhythm and a movement towards the mission is really important.”
  [26:27]

Philanthropy and Impact Stories

Transformative Philanthropic Experiences

Rebecca shares poignant stories that highlight the profound impact of philanthropy on both beneficiaries and participants.

• Give Thanks Camp: An elementary camp where children engage in philanthropic activities, fostering empathy and community awareness from a young age.

  “The kids themselves spent every day doing some moment of good or philanthropic thing for different communities.”
  [28:41]

• FamilyGo Global: An initiative that immerses families in global cultures, nurturing global citizenship and hands-on empathy in children.

  “Taking families into countries and there's nothing more gratifying than watching that moment with a young person because they get so much.”
  [29:50]

Philanthropy’s Ripple Effect

These initiatives demonstrate how empowering individuals, especially youth, can lead to broader societal change.

“It's my daughter walking through Paris who has only seen Paris through the scope of like TV. And her walking through the 19th and seeing a Syrian mother and her daughter.”
[30:00]

Final Thoughts and Advice

Key Takeaways for Building Impactful Communities

Rebecca imparts actionable advice for listeners aiming to cultivate meaningful and enduring communities within their organizations or personal endeavors.

• Start with a Strong Why: Clarifying the purpose that transcends individual interests is essential for sustainable impact.

  “Having that strong why is really important. Like, if you want to create something meaningful and enduring, like, what is bigger than you?”
  [24:27]

• Find Your Tribe: Building a community requires surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who bring diverse strengths to the table.

  “Find your people. Because you're not gonna accomplish transformational change alone.”
  [25:05]

• Empower Collective Agency: Allowing community members to take ownership fosters engagement and collective progress.

  “Having folks feel their agency in that mission, galvanizing folks in a way, cultivating a flow and a rhythm and a movement towards the mission is really important.”
  [26:27]

Inspirational Closing

Rebecca leaves listeners with a powerful message of trust and limitless potential.

“Trust in your ability to believe in something bigger than yourself. And allow for that to guide your capacity to see beyond what's inside the box.”
[33:00]

Connecting with Rebecca Bernard

Listeners inspired by Rebecca's insights can engage with her multifaceted initiatives:

• The Teaching Well: Visit theteachingwell.org to learn more about transforming education culture.
• FamilyGo Global: Explore immersive family travel experiences aimed at cultivating global citizenship.
• Gather at The Well Podcast: Tune into Rebecca’s previous discussions on collective impact and community building.

Conclusion

Episode 594 of the We Are For Good Podcast offers a compelling exploration of how community and innovation intertwine to elevate nonprofit missions. Rebecca Bernard’s journey from the corporate world to educational entrepreneurship underscores the transformative power of aligning personal passion with community-driven initiatives. Her practical advice and inspiring stories serve as a beacon for nonprofits aiming to navigate challenges, embrace creativity, and build resilient communities. As Rebecca poignantly states, trusting in something greater than oneself can unlock boundless potential, driving meaningful change in the world.

Thank you for listening to We Are For Good Podcast. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and innovative ideas to help you amplify your impact.