The Coco Canary Monthly Newsletter
November 2020
Welcome to the Coco Canary Newsletter!
Hello from Molly O’Connor, the CEO and founder of Coco Canary Consulting, LLC (CCC), an evaluation & communications firm based in St. Paul, MN.
Our Mission is to use our expertise to inspire inclusion, support social justice, and promote anti-racism culture.
You may ask, how do social justice and racial equity relate to evaluation or communication? Well, from our experience, we have seen evaluation be designed, and communications reported in ways that harm, undervalue, and take advantage of the communities being served. This is our current status quo, and it is not okay. It has to change. This is why we do our work differently because we want to be apart of the solution, not the problem.
Please visit Community Centric Fundraising for more information. It is a new movement that has inspired thousands (including Coco Canary) to do better. For extra credit, visit Consulting With a Racial Equity Lens too.
Business Updates
1. Co-Presenting at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Conference with Anna Rebecca Lopez
I am excited to announce that my colleague, Anna Rebecca (“AR”) Lopez (she/they), and I are presenting at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ (MCN) annual conference. Our session is titled: “Centering Community: A Radical Discussion for Nonprofit Change.” The theme for this year is titled Persistence through (R)EVOLUTION. When I saw the call for proposals, I immediately thought to contact the Community Centric Fundraising’s lead evaluator, AR. This is because we had talked over the phone a few weeks prior about our shared frustration with museum and nonprofit culture and how it needs to change. I pitched the idea of hosting a session promoting CCF and offering a space for radical discussion about donor-centric and community-centric culture using a race by caucus format. In the end, AR thought it was a great idea, and the rest is history.
Our conference session is titled: Centering Community: A Radical Discussion for Nonprofit Change. If you are planning to attend MCN’s conference, make sure to register for our event. It is scheduled for Thursday, December 10th, at 8:30 am. See below for a summary of what we will be talking about. We hope to see you there!
“Many nonprofit professionals are grappling with the sector’s white-dominant culture problem. People want someone to tell them what to do to fix it, but there isn’t one clear solution. The only way to truly create change is to tear down our current system and rebuild it using a framework based on social justice, equity, and community centrism. We think using Community-Centric Fundraising’s (CCF) 10 principles is a key step to this process. Why now? CCF changed our work for the better (we’re not even fundraisers, we’re evaluators!). We want others to know about this movement and to get inspired. We also recognize people are craving discussion, which is why we want to offer a safe space for radical conversations using the Caucus By Race format (separate breakout rooms for white folx, Black folx, etc.). This format provides spaces where BIPOC participants can converse without the white gaze.”
CO.STARTERS & The Coven is hosting a pitch night on Wednesday, December 16th at 7:00 pm and you’re invited!
2. Come Watch Me Share My Business Story!
In my last newsletter, I mentioned that I am a part of a 10-week business development cohort run by CO.STARTERS and hosted by The Coven. I’ve had the fortune to hive-mind with nine other amazing women many have become dear friends and colleagues.
Please join me on Wednesday, December 16th, 2020, at 7:00 pm for our pitch night. I, as well as my cohort, will spend 3-minutes sharing our business story, and then we will have a few minutes for Q&A with each business owner. You can register here. Feel free to send it along to people who may be interested.
If you can’t make it, look to my next newsletter for spotlights of these nine strong, independent female entrepreneurs!
3. Other Updates
The Remember Project Dementia Awareness Tour is in full swing!
If you have been following me for a while, you’ll remember that I am the evaluator for an aging-in-place initiative called The Remember Project. We are just finishing up our first cycle, and I am excited to report that our virtual programming (which was initially meant to be in person) is going well!
If you want to learn more about this project, watch the video I helped make. You can find it here!. If you are interested in partnering, sponsoring, or donating to help us build a more dementia-capable Minnesota, please visit our website, or you can contact me at moconnor@rememberproject.org! I’ll connect you with the right people. 🙂
New Trainings Incoming From Rebecca Schueller Training & Consulting!
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and collaborating with Becky Schueller, a seasoned nonprofit professional who deeply cares about building capacity and equity within her community. She is an excellent facilitator and thought partner, and I highly recommend checking out her website for her upcoming trainings! They are engaging, useful, and affordable.
December 2020:
Conflict Management & Communication Skills Webinar
Grant Writing Readiness: Building Your Team’s Capacity – Online Webinar Series
January 2021
“Managing Up:” Strategies for Direct Service & Administrative Support Staff
Supervision & Performance Appraisals Skills to Support Effective Teams
I didn’t get the MNEA Communications Board position, BUT other opportunities to come!
If you recall from my previous newsletter, I was on the ballot for the Communications Co-Board Chair. I ended up not winning the election, but the women who did will be fantastic for the MNEA team. There is a possibility I will be brought on to the MNEA team in another role. I will keep you all posted!
Personal Updates
1. Thanks-giving or Thanks-taking?
Tomorrow is the federal holiday, Thanksgiving. For the past few years, I have reflected on how to enjoy food and company while also recognizing the deep-rooted pain, loss, and injustice done to Indigenous people around this time of year. And, let’s be real, all year round. It is a constant uphill battle they are still fighting to this day! I’ve heard the term “Thanks-taking” within my social justice circles, and I’ve come to like the term.
Social justice friends and indigenous organizers have recommended that people support indigenous efforts by buying from Native-led businesses or donating to Native-led causes.
Please take a moment to reflect on our dark history around Thanksgiving and consider giving back in whatever way you can. Either it by buying, donating, or following (and then promoting!) indigenous causes via your social media. I’ll list a handful of Minnesota organizations that are native-led or support indigenous causes. Check them out!
- Native Governance Center, St. Paul, MN
- Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance, St. Paul, MN
- Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, Minneapolis, MN
- Minneapolis American Indian Center, Minneapolis, MN
- Dream of Wild Health, Minneapolis, MN
- Headwaters Foundation for Justice, Minneapolis, MN
Let’s Stay Connected!
To keep up to date with my business news, connect or follow me on Linkedin. Don’t forget to follow my blog, as well! And, of course, if you know of anyone who may benefit from my services, send them my way. Referrals are always welcome!
Be well and all the best,
Molly O’Connor (she/her/hers)
CEO – Evaluation & Communications Specialist
direct: (612) 868-0364
email: cococanaryconsulting@gmail.com
website: https://cococanaryconsulting.com/
