This training is for Board Members and shares VACV’s framework for equitable community engagement, and will guide participants through reflections on their experiences making decisions about and for historically marginalized communities.

Virginia Community Voice encourages organizations to reevaluate how they engage marginalized communities.

Virginia Community Voice offers leaders a simple framework to reflect on how decisions are made for both the Board and the institution the Board serves. Participants will work through the mental models that uphold traditional power systems, how to equitably make decisions, and engage people of color and other marginalized groups. Using this model, organizations can maximize impact and minimize harm caused to people in historically marginalized communities.
In this two-hour virtual training, participants will:

• Think through traditional board structures and how they uphold power systems in organizations and communities
• Learn about the four stages of the Community Voice model of engagement: Listen, Connect, Craft, and Reflect
• Reflect on power, and understanding how to think about the power the Board wields, and how to imagine power sharing as a value for your Board
• Reflect on their own experiences making decisions about and engaging people in historically marginalized communities
• Learn strategies for power-sharing and diversifying your boards

Not a member of a Board? That’s ok! We still want you come, to let us know if this training resonates with you, and if you think your Board Members would benefit from it. We’ll also provide tips on how to approach the conversation with your Board about attending this training.

WEBSITE LINK: https://vacommunityvoice.networkforgood.com/events/79349-2025-june-equitable-community-engagement-for-board-members