How CBI Works

Community Building Initiative was created in response to a crisis in the community but continues its work as a long-term strategic partner in the Charlotte community, available to individuals, organizations and institutions as a resource for structured, effective dialogue around issues of racial and ethnic inclusion and equity.

CBI's work is based on a model of change at three levels - individual, organizational/institutional, and community.  Embedded in all three levels is the premise that convening an inclusive group, designing a constructive process and providing good information yields positive results:

INDIVIDUALS

Intentional work and change begin with personal awareness for individuals within organizations, institutions and community networks.

ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS & NETWORKS

Individuals influence networks within their organizations, neighborhoods, places of worship, family and social circles.

COMMUNITY

Over time, change within community networks, organizations and institutions results in community-wide change and prepares the ground for new levels of community building - and the cycle continues.

These levels are illistrated graphically in CBI's logo.  Click here for an illustration.

Belief Statements

CBI's work is grounded in the following beliefs:

• We believe that race and ethnicity impact the lives of residents, the policies and practices of organizations and institutions, and the level of inclusion and equity a community exhibits.

• We believe that it is essential to raise awareness about racial and ethnic inclusion and equity and to focus intentionally on building the capacity of individuals and organizations to work for an inclusive, equitable community.

• We believe that in order to achieve racial and ethnic inclusion and equity, it is necessary to work at three levels - individual, organizational & group, and community.

• We believe that providing compelling information to a diverse group of people and involving them in an intentional, constructive process increases their capacity and commitment to influence others and promote racial and ethnic inclusion and equity in the community and its organizations.

• We believe that collaboration is critical to achieving racial and ethnic inclusion and equity.

• We believe that by developing and equipping a diverse group of leaders to work collaboratively we increase their individual and organizational capacity to build more inclusive and equitable environments.

• We believe that by developing and promoting CBI as an organization we increase its capacity to serve the community, its organizations and residents and its ability to fulfill its mission.

Critical Components

Through its work, Community Building Initiative has discovered a set of resources, or critical components, necessary to be in place and accessible in a community in order for effective community dialogue of the type facilitated by CBI to take place.

Model Programs

CBI has developed a series of models that serve to help structure dialogue and community process. These models are adaptable to a variety of settings in the public and private sectors. It should be noted that the models require that strategic partners working with CBI must agree to hold themselves accountable for the quality of participation in the models.

CBI does not conduct traditional "consulting studies" – it assists organizations and institutions in facilitating growth among the individuals involved in the models and within the institution itself.