COMMON GROUND CONSULTING LLC

Apply Now! SALDEF 2016 Leadership Development Program

“LDP was an amazing experience. It gave me an opportunity to share and build relationships with other individuals who share the same passion as myself for the Sikh Community, for the American Community and humanity as a whole. I plan to build powerful relations with my fellow LDPers and change the world.”

“Words truly cannot describe how truly life changing this weekend has been for me. I found answers to questions that I had found myself asking years before this experience. So extremely thankful for finding Sangat and understanding its true meaning and power.”

We're excited to once again be facilitating the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund's 5th class of the SikhLEAD Leadership Development Program!

LDP is a two-part program designed to inspire, train, and support a diverse, motivated, and entrepreneurial group of young Sikh leaders as they prepare for a lifetime of community engagement and leadership.

Common Ground designed and launched the program for SALDEF six years ago based on our proprietary Infinity Leadership Model. Every year since, we've enhance the program with new and carefully-designed activities.

The program brings together young Sikh American leaders from across the country to participate in six days of training spread over two holiday weekends (Columbus Day and Memorial Day). Participation in both weekends is mandatory. A series of challenging workshops, group activities and thought provoking discussions promote personal growth, develop leadership and build community empowerment skills.

This program is an investment in building the next generation of Sikh American leaders as they recognize their power, explore their true potential and build a network with like-minded achievers.

WATCH: Slideshow of 2012 LDP 2nd class held in Washington, DC

WATCH: Slideshow of 2011 LDP Inaugural class held in Los Angeles, CA

Application Information:

Program info: http://www.sikhlead.org/leadership-dev-program

Application: http://www.sikhlead.org/leadership-dev-program/apply-now-2/

Deadline: March 27, 2016

Click here to read much more about our previous work with SALDEF.

Two Websites Help Mentoring Programs Engage Men as Mentors

WeBuildMen.org set out to build a national movement that encourages men to help make a positive impact in a young man’s life by building a community platform that’s custom-built for today’s man – to help him take on the challenges of contemporary mentorship in a bite-sized, confident, and exciting way.  The effort is spearheaded by Esquire who also just launched The Mentoring Project to tell the stories of men in mentoring.

There are a number of ways that programs might consider using these new tools:  promote it on social media to spread the word of men as mentors, make sure your mentoring program is included for those seeking opportunities, and check out the resources for program activities and outreach

USAID Uganda Feed the Future

“ADVOCACY is a set of hands-on technical skills and practices needed to effectively press for change.

"It is also the foundation of active citizenship, a process through which ordinary people learn to participate in decision-making at all levels. Identifying priorities, crafting a strategy, stepping forward, taking action, and achieving results are critical steps to finding one's voice, making oneself heard, and shaping one's future.”                                  

— Institute for Sustainable Communities

CHECK OUT OUR PICTURES FROM UGANDA

Many of you have been asking about the work Common Ground will be doing in Uganda over the next couple of weeks. I am excited about the project, particularly the opportunity to work in Africa again. 

This time, we’ll be working with the Uganda Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Agriculture Activity (EEA)—a three-year activity that aims to improve the environment for agricultural development, trade, and adaptation to climate change within the coffee, maize, and beans value chains in Uganda.

A specific objective of our work will be to enhance the capacity of Private Sector Organizations (PSOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to contribute to policy decisions related to agricultural development, agriculture trade, and climate change adaption.

In addition to one-to-one technical assistance with a dozen agricultural associations, I’ll be leading a two-day advocacy training workshop that will result in the development of advocacy and lobbying skills among selected Ugandan organizations in the agricultural sector.

Our approach is practical, results-oriented, and grounded in the adult experiential learning cycle. The workshop will foster participation and the application of real-life experiences, ensuring that more than 30 members of selected organizations will acquire the skills necessary to define and clearly communicate their positions on key policy issues, engage a cross-section of stakeholders (including the media and local government), and help them to achieve their mission-critical organizational goals.

As a primary resource for the training, Common Ground will adapt our Advocacy Planning Toolkit for use in Uganda. The toolkit assists organizations in preparing a detailed Advocacy Campaign Plan, providing a systematic way for them to 1) Identify a problem; 2) Research the issues surrounding the problem and the stakeholders who care; 3) Plan a set of activities; 4) Act on the plan; and 5) Evaluate the results of their efforts. The toolkit will help participants identify specific targets for their advocacy, create SMART objectives with clear monitoring and evaluation (M&E) indicators, and carefully select their advocacy and lobbying activities.

During the second week in Uganda, we will conduct site visits and provide more than 40 hours of individualized technical assistance to participating associations/organizations on issues in direct support of the development of their public policy advocacy and lobbying activities.

We’ve been fortunate over the years to work on many agriculture projects—in Bolivia, Macedonia, and Moldova, for example—and on several projects in Africa—in Ethiopia, South Africa, and Uganda. Our advocacy training background is extensive and includes an almost identical scope of work for a project we did in 2010 in Albania in which we provided two, two-day trainings to local CSOs and PSOs focused on advanced elements of the advocacy campaign cycle and an advanced workshop on monitoring advocacy campaign outcomes.

We’re excited to be back in Africa working on such an important project and looking forward to once again experiencing the amazing energy, passion, and power of the people of Uganda.

Building Leadership One Middle School Student at a Time

Four years ago, working strategically with school, community, and business partners, the Unified Family Services Systems (UFSS) and Common Ground Consulting created the Bedford County Youth Action Council (BCYAC) to empower diverse and passionate young people across Bedford County, Pennsylvania with an entrepreneurial spirit and the tools to involve themselves and their peers in the county’s civic and economic future.

The program always begins with a leadership academy designed to unleash the power of a core group of young people whose creative and leadership potential has been, until now, untapped by their communities. The program reaches beyond local school districts to engage a new generation of highly-motivated young people with skills that enable them to work across their differences, building a powerful network of future community, business, and political leaders. 

Click here to check out pictures from this year’s leadership academy!

In Bedford County, we work with passionate middle school students from five districts. Following the initial training, these young people function as a countywide youth council that meets on an on-going basis to discuss, plan, and implement a variety of activities that engage their peers in service to local communities, while also providing input into countywide youth development planning. UFSS also provides support and mini-grants to each school team to implement student-directed projects during the school year. Common ground also facilitates at least two more day-long gatherings of these students to further strengthen their leadership skills.

The Program

The academy-portion of the Bedford County Youth Action Council experience uses state-of-the-art training methodologies to help participants explore their unique leadership potential and set goals for their future. We establish group norms and behaviors and address diversity, peer-to-peer conflict, and issues of trust at the outset of the program. The academy provides the optimal environment for beginning an intensive leadership program—a freedom from the pressure to conform. Participants also meet with UFSS and Common Ground staff and trainers to discuss mutual goals, expectations, and responsibilities.

Throughout the year, participants will ...

• Develop a clear understanding of their unique leadership profile through participation in a set of highly-participatory group and individual activities;
• Create a personal mission statement;
• Develop new skills in public speaking, conflict resolution, goal-setting, time management, and peer education, among others;
• Learn to apply conflict resolution strategies and tools for effectively managing conflict in interpersonal settings and use strategies that promote mutual understanding and the peaceful resolution of differences;
• Increase awareness of personal culture and identity; 
• Forge lasting bonds with each other, addressing areas of conflict stemming from stereotypes and negative socialization, and forming a diverse and cooperative network of young leaders. 
• Brainstorm, plan, and implement specific community service projects during the 2010-2011 academic school year.

Leadership Development Program a Resounding Success

Click here to view the photo gallery!
Click here to share the pictures on Facebook!

“It exceeded all my expectations!”

“This program was incredible. I am so glad I was able to connect with my peers who are equally inspired and motivated. I love my new class and look forward to maintaining lifelong friendships.”

Over Columbus Day Weekend, SALDEF hosted its third annual Leadership Development Program (LDP), under its ground-breaking SikhLEAD initiative. This class of 18 talented and motivated young Sikh leaders was selected from an impressive pool of applicants from across the country. These SikhLEADers come from 10 different states. They are diverse in their life experiences and intellectual pursuits including law, politics, medicine, business, engineering, journalism, social justice, media and academia.

Over the course of this first of the two long weekends of the program, the new class of SikhLEADers participated in a series of activities to help identify and articulate their passion, recognize their strengths, and build a stronger sense of identity as individuals and as a group. The program provides training and opportunities for participants to lead change, build partnerships and network with community leaders. In addition to the panelists and speakers otherwise, this year’s LDP class had the special opportunity to engage with Fauja Singh Ji, the world’s oldest marathon runner (102 years old!). He shared his inspirational story of perseverance and unity throughout the weekend with the participants.

Click here for a slideshow of the LDP weekend!

“I am impressed by the talented pool of leaders we are developing through SikhLEAD”, said SALDEF Executive Director Jasjit Singh. “We are fortunate to have such passionate young minds working towards the progress of our community and we are excited to see the great things they will accomplish.”

SALDEF would like to give a special thank you to Mr. Craig Bowman of Common Ground Consulting for his partnership with development and execution of the LDP program. SALDEF is indebted to several community leaders and pioneers who provided their valuable time to serve as panelists and guest speakers during the program, including:

• Sardar Fauja Singh, World’s oldest Marathoner
• Ms. Harmeet Kaur Dhillon; Managing Partner, Dhillon and Smith LLP
• Ms. Sona Rai; Director of Media Relations at CreativeFeed and SALDEF Board Member
• Dr. G.P. Singh, former CEO, Karta Technologies
• Dr. Jaideep Singh, published historian and SALDEF Co-Founder
• Mr. J.J. Singh; Legislative Advisor to US Senator Christopher Coons
• Dr. Prabhjot Singh; Director at the Earth Institute and Assistant Professor at Columbia University

LDP was funded through generous support of community members across the country and the following sponsors: Comcast, Ik Manzil, and Southwest Airlines. To learn more about how you can support the SikhLEADinitiative, click here.

Facilitating SikhLEAD's Third Annual Leadership Program

“LDP was an amazing experience. It gave me an opportunity to share and build relationships with other individuals who share the same passion as myself for the Sikh Community, for the American Community and humanity as a whole. I plan to build powerful relations with my fellow LDPers and change the world.”

“Words truly cannot describe how truly life changing this weekend has been for me. I found answers to questions that I had found myself asking years before this experience. So extremely thankful for finding Sangat and understanding its true meaning and power.”

                                                                                                                -- 2012 Leadership Development Program Participants

We're excited to once again be facilitating the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund's next class of the SikhLEAD Leadership Development Program (LDP)! LDP is a two-part program designed to inspire, train, and support a diverse, motivated, and entrepreneurial group of young Sikh leaders as they prepare for a lifetime of community engagement and leadership.

Common Ground designed the program for SALDEF three years ago based on our proprietary Infinity Leadership Model. Every year, we enhance the program with new and carefully-designed activities.

The program brings together  young Sikh American leaders from across the country to participate in six days of training spread over two holiday weekends (Columbus Day and Memorial Day). Participation in both weekends is mandatory. A series of challenging workshops, group activities and thought provoking discussions promote personal growth, develop leadership and build community empowerment skills.

This program is an investment in building the next generation of Sikh American leaders as they recognize their power, explore their true potential and build a network with like-minded achievers.

WATCH: Slideshow of 2012 LDP 2nd class held in Washington, DC

WATCH: Slideshow of 2011 LDP Inaugural class held in Los Angeles, CA

Part I of the training is taking place in Washington, DC this weekend with Part II being held in Los Angeles, CA from May 23-26, 2014. The program fee of $250 covers roundtrip airfares (to Washington, DC and Los Angeles), lodging, food and program materials for both parts of the LDP program. Limited need based financial assistance is available. 

You can read much more about our previous work with SALDEF by clicking this link.

Meet the Top 24 under 24 Youth Changemakers

Earlier this month, I was very excited to learn about these young people who are changing America for the better through what might seem like an unlikely route for someone so young: deep engagement in policymaking and governance in their communities and states.

FULL list: Top 24 Under 24 Youth Changemakers

Selected by the young members of the Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council, these 24 youth are working with lawmakers at various levels to improve policies and strengthen the systems that touch their lives. (Read more about the selection process.)

They have testified about HIV/AIDS in front of Presidential Commissions, been elected as voting members of their school boards and helped redesign foster care. They have crafted innovative approaches to solving the national debt, and worked with city and tribal governments to overhaul local environmental policies. And that's just naming a few.

“On the Fourth of July, we celebrate the triumph and courage of those who signed the Declaration of Independence and established our democracy,” says Alex Wirth, 19, chair of the Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council.  “These 24 young people embody the can-do spirit of the founding fathers as they work to keep our democracy strong for generations to come.”

“This is especially important at a time when partisan divisions threaten the effectiveness of our government, and when conditions both real and perceived are alienating some young people from the political process,” says Avantika Krishna, 19, deputy director of the Campaign. “We must do better to make space for and engage young people in government.  When young people are involved, the result is a better government for everyone.”

The profiles are available online at SparkAction.org/24under24 and include stories, images and multimedia. (You can find sharable social media posts and images here.)

Congratulations to these inspiring young people.  We know that rather than the exception, they are the norm, and represent only a tiny fraction all the amazing young people working to transform our communities and strengthen our democracy. This fourth of July we salute and celebrate every one of you!

From SparkAction.

Improve Donor Choice. End the Overhead Myth.

Common Ground has just joined GuideStar, Charity Navigator, and BBB Wise Giving Alliance in the pledge to end the overhead myth. Instead of focusing on the percentage of charity’s expenses that go to administrative and fundraising costs—commonly referred to as “overhead”—we need to focus on what really matters: impact.

GuideStar, Charity Navigator, and BBB Wise Giving Alliance published an open letter to the donors of America denouncing the “overhead ratio” as a valid indicator of nonprofit performance.  The letter, signed by all three organizations’ CEOs, marks the beginning of a campaign to correct the common misconception about the importance of a low overhead ratio.

The open letter, published on a new website overheadmyth.com, states that “Overhead costs include important investments charities make to improve their work: investments in training, planning, evaluation, and internal systems—as well as their efforts to raise money so they can operate their programs. When we focus solely or predominantly on overhead…we starve charities of the freedom they need to best serve the people and communities they are trying to serve.” The letter goes on to recommend that donors focus their attention on more relevant factors behind nonprofit performance: transparency, governance, leadership, and results.

Join me in spreading the word about this important topic. Nonprofits are encouraged to use the Overhead Myth letter in their donor solicitations or in any other way they choose—the letter is under a Creative Commons license and nonprofits are welcome to it for free and use it how they wish. You are welcome and encouraged to use this information on your own blog!

Let’s end the Overhead Myth TODAY! overheadmyth.com

21st Century Solutions Tech Grants

Would you like the opportunity for your non-profit to win $50,000?

The NBCUniversal Foundation is partnering with NBC Washington (and other NBC affiliates in major media markets) to launch 21st Century Solutions, a grant challenge for local non-profit organizations implementing new and innovative programs. Now through July 31, we’re looking for fresh ideas that are moving our community forward. The first place grant recipient will receive a $50,000 grant and two runners-up will each receive $25,000, totaling $100,000 in awards in each of ten geographic areas..

The competitive grant program is open to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations that are implementing progressive programs that address emerging or ongoing community challenges in the areas of Civic Engagement, Education, Environment, Jobs and Economic Empowerment, Media Arts and Technology. Our goal is to highlight organizations addressing our community’s issues in new and creative ways.

Please review the grant program’s eligibility requirements to ensure your organization falls within the guidelines before completing the application. Click here to apply.

Apply Now for SALDEF's Leadership Development Program!

“LDP was an amazing experience. It gave me an opportunity to share and build relationships with other individuals who share the same passion as myself for the Sikh Community, for the American Community and humanity as a whole. I plan to build powerful relations with my fellow LDPers and change the world.”

“Words truly cannot describe how truly life changing this weekend has been for me. I found answers to questions that I had found myself asking years before this experience. So extremely thankful for finding Sangat and understanding its true meaning and power.”

 -- 2012 Leadership Development Program Participants 

SALDEF is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the next class of the SikhLEAD Leadership Development Program (LDP)! LDP is a two-part program designed to inspire, train, and support a diverse, motivated, and entrepreneurial group of young Sikh leaders as they prepare for a lifetime of community engagement and leadership.

Common Ground has designed the program from its inception based on our proprietary Infinity Leadership Model.

The program brings together approximately 16 young Sikh American leaders from across the country to participate in six days of training spread over two holiday weekends (Columbus Day and Memorial Day). Participation in both weekends is mandatory and as well as the reading assigned prior to the weekend sessions. A series of challenging workshops, group activities and thought provoking discussions promote personal growth, develop leadership and build community empowerment skills.

This program is an investment in building the next generation of Sikh American leaders as they recognize their power, explore their true potential and build a network with like-minded achievers.

WATCH: Slideshow of 2012 LDP 2nd class held in Washington, DC

WATCH: Slideshow of 2011 LDP Inaugural class held in Los Angeles, CA

Click here for the application

Part I of the training will be held in Washington, DC from October 11-14, 2013 and Part II will be held in Los Angeles, CA from May 23-26, 2014.  The program fee of $250 covers roundtrip airfares (to Washington, DC and Los Angeles), lodging, food and program materials for both parts of the LDP program.  Limited need based financial assistance is available. The application deadline is Sunday, August 4th, 2013.

Apply today at www.SikhLEAD.org!