Community Partnerships

The Institute for Vincentian Impact defines community partnerships as equitable engagement efforts, a combination of processes that support the participation of those with marginalized identities by centering the importance of building strong and sustainable relationships and partnerships. Our community partners, sometimes called "community-based organizations (CBOs)," are organizations seeking a reciprocal relationship, namely non-governmental organizations (NGOs), grassroots efforts, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), or entities with a specific focus on contributing toward the common good. We define community as a group of people who are (1) demographically similar, (2) bundled by circumstance, (3) joined by shared interests, (4) within an area bound by a geographic location, regardless of demographic characteristics or interests, (5) or joined by a shared identity which may intersect and be socially constructed, signaling fluidity in their interpretations and salience. Our ethical engagement process is centered in Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), which is a process that asks one to begin by focusing on the assets in the community - identifying sources of strength, gathering, and knowledge within a community. This process ensures that we are seeking to build the capacity of communities to develop their own solutions that fit their context and interests.  

The Institute welcomes opportunities for both direct service - where folx work to address the immediate needs of individuals or a community, without involving contact with the people and/or places being served (i.e. philanthropic efforts, fundraising efforts, etc.) - and indirect service - where folx work to address the immediate needs of individuals or a community, often involving contact with the people or places being served. As a whole, we are committed to creating opportunities for critical service learning, allowing the University community to see themselves as active members of a larger global community, agents of social change, and folx who utilize experiences of service to address and respond to injustice in communities.