It’s hard to believe the first month of 2024 is almost over. In 2023, we celebrated 10 years of Springboard and spent a lot of the year reflecting on the past decade, celebrating our past growth and success, and identifying our strengths and core commitments as we move into the future. Springboard has always been grounded in our radically resident-driven mission, which means that as the needs and goals of our residents and the world around them shifts, our strategy and execution of that mission shifts, too.
With all that in mind, at the beginning of 2023, we started developing a strategic plan to guide the next years of our work. We talked with residents, staff, our partners, and other stakeholders to determine how Springboard can best serve residents in affordable housing. What emerged is 5 priority areas that will be the core of our strategy moving forward.
Resident Relationships
Springboard’s work has always been rooted in strong, trusting relationships with residents of affordable housing. Staff’s main job will always be building and maintaining these relationships. In this next phase of work, Springboard will strengthen its navigation, coaching capacities, referral networks, and partnerships, while continuing to ensure essential resources and basic needs for all residents are met.
Socioeconomic Well-Being
Since 2018, Springboard has been a leader in the direct cash assistance field. Springboard will continue its signature Magnolia Mother’s Trust guaranteed income program, modeling best practices for cash disbursement programs. Springboard will also expand other cash-based initiatives grounded in dignity and trust, such as direct cash disbursements in emergencies and creating new Lending Circles℠. Lending Circles℠ is a social loan program managed by Mission Asset Fund (MAF)
Fellowships
Springboard’s fellowships offer cohort-based learning, personal development, and opportunities for residents to make connections between public policy and their lived experiences to catalyze positive change in their communities. Springboard will deepen and expand these fellowships to provide residents more opportunities for off-site learning, developing meaningful networks, and enhancing their confidence as community leaders.
Policy Advocacy
Springboard believes no one knows better than families themselves how social policies can be improved. Springboard’s community-driven policy agenda centers the voices and lived experiences of our residents and advocates for policies grounded in dignity, equity, and trust. Leveraging a network of partnerships, Springboard finds places for residents’ stories and expertise to be heard, shared, and spur change.
Narrative Change
The vast majority of our country’s poverty policies and strategies are grounded in false beliefs and assumptions about low-income families. Springboard believes it is time for families to tell a new story, by shifting their own internal narratives, recognizing their own self- and community-worth, and sharing their true, lived-experience through media and other platforms willing to amplify residents’ authentic voices.
We have already spent the first month of this year developing a plan and goals for this year’s implementation, and we look forward to sharing this new journey with all of you. Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support on the journey!