How to Future-Proof Your Community And Ensure No One Is Left Behind

Building strong communities isn't about fancy strategies or perfect programs. 

Sometimes it's about admitting what's broken and having uncomfortable conversations about why we're all struggling to create lasting impact.

Back in 2017, I was that person sitting alone at my kitchen table at 2 AM, surrounded by coffee cups and tutorial tabs, trying to learn to code. Not because I wanted to do it alone – trust me, no one wants to learn PHP alone at 2 AM – but because I couldn't find a single program, community, or resource that had everything I needed, all in one place. 

Fast forward to 2024, and guess what? The landscape hasn't changed much. 

Sure, we've got more coding bootcamps, accelerators, and "women in tech" communities than ever before. But we're still operating in silos, still gatekeeping resources, and still making it unnecessarily hard for people (especially women) to access the support they need.

I see it from both sides now. 

As a founder who built GeekPack because I couldn't find the community I needed, and as someone who works with community and organization leaders trying to create impact with limited resources. 

We're all fighting the same battles, just from different trenches.

The Real Reasons We Stay Stuck in Silos

Let's talk about what's actually happening in our communities. 

Over the past year, I’ve seen countless different organizations who wanted to plan nearly identical digital literacy programs. 

Each was trying to secure separate funding. Each was going to hire their own instructors and facilitators. And each felt like they were going to be competing for the same participants.

So each organization would be spending its own resources on these programs. But just imagine the potential impact they’d have if they combined resources. Probably double, triple, or even quadruple what they'll achieve separately. 

So, why didn't they collaborate? 

This isn't a unique situation. I've watched it play out time and time again. Organizations are trapped in what I call the "impact paradox" – trying so hard to prove their individual worth that they actually reduce their collective impact.

Here's what I typically hear from community leaders:

"Our grant requires us to show we trained 100 new entrepreneurs this year. We can't risk sharing participants with other programs."

"We wanted to partner with the downtown innovation hub, but their definition of 'entrepreneur readiness' is completely different from ours."

Sound familiar?

Breaking Down Walls (Without Breaking Your Budget)

After watching countless organizations struggle with this – and experiencing it firsthand – I've learned some things about what actually works. 

And no, I'm not going to suggest you need an expensive consultant or a fancy new platform.

Imagine if you were to pool your professional development budget with other organizations in your area. You’d be able to bring in trainers and programs that you couldn't afford individually.

Something as simple as a shared Google Drive could decrease program cancellations due to low enrollment and save staff hours in program planning.

The Messy Reality of Collaboration

Now, I'm not pretending this is easy. 

Collaboration requires real effort from everyone involved, and sometimes it doesn't work out as planned. 

Through my experience building GeekPack and working with different organizations, I've learned two crucial lessons about effective collaboration: 

Lesson 1: Clarity is Key

When organizations come together, even basic terms can mean different things to different people. 

That's why I've learned to never assume we're all talking about the same thing. Before starting any collaboration, it's essential to get everyone on the same page about expectations, definitions, and goals - even the ones that seem obvious.

Some thing as simple as the definition of ‘business-ready’. Some may understand it as "has a business plan," others as "has made their first sale," or even "has a website." 

Be specific with goals.

Lesson 2: Never Assume, Always Ask 

The fastest way to derail any collaboration is to make assumptions about what your community needs. 

The secret is to put yourself in their shoes. What do they actually need? What is possible for them? And what barriers do they face? 

This simple step can save months of work and resources going in the wrong direction.

But here's the thing about failures in collaboration – they're usually cheaper and more instructive than failing alone. 

You’ll have more resources to fix it, more minds to solve the problem, and more shoulders to share the load.

What Actually Works (From Someone Who's Tried Everything)

After building communities and working with organizations, here's what I know works:

1. Start with a Shared Problem, Not a Shared Solution: For example, start by asking "How do our community members prefer to connect?" instead of assuming they need another app.
2. Make it Ridiculously Easy to Participate: Sometimes basic is better. A one-page collaboration agreement instead of a 50-page MOU and a shared Excel sheet instead of expensive software could work just as well.
3. Focus on Reducing Waste, Not Increasing Output: Save thousands just by coordinating workshop schedules with neighboring nonprofits. Don’t add any new programs – just stop competing for the same participants.

A Call for Radical Collaboration

Here's my possibly controversial take: We need to stop treating community impact like a competition. 

Your grant metrics, your board's expectations, your annual targets – none of these matter if we're not actually creating lasting change in our communities.

I learned this lesson the hard way through building GeekPack. 

Do you know when our community started seeing the best results? When we stopped trying to be everything to everyone and started actively connecting our members with other resources.

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What Now?

1. Do a Resource Audit: List everything you're spending money on. I bet there's at least one subscription or service you could share with another organization.
2. Have a Weird Conversation: Email that organization you've been quietly competing with. Seriously. Here's the template I use: "Hey, I noticed we're both trying to [specific goal]. Want to grab coffee and see if there's a way to make our resources go further?"
3. Start Somewhere Small: Don't try to merge programs overnight. Start with something simple, like a shared calendar or monthly check-in.

The future of our communities depends on our ability to work together. 

If you're thinking "this won't work in my community because..." - that's exactly what I thought too. 

Try it anyway. 

The worst that can happen is you'll have an interesting story for your next grant application.