The Situation The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has been a leader in the fight for TANF reform. Their leaders have presented at national congressional hearings related to the necessity to reform the welfare system, with emphasis on the TANF Program. Currently, the TANF Program is marked by historical and systematic racism. Recipients […]
One of my teams started using Miro as a digital whiteboard, and I was really excited to be able to use the “sticky notes” (term used by Miro) function to brainstorm and sort ideas like we’ve done with Post-it notes in-person. Once we tried it out, it became clear there were some adjustments to using […]
Guest Peter Tate – a member of our International Certified Network – shares his experience facilitating faiths and cultures trainings in Southall, London. When facilitating change, Peter says “the outcome is not guaranteed” – but combining a blended approach with powerful questions enabled him to create a safe holding environment for transformative learning. Warning for some parents: powerful questions about Santa Claus within! Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you […]
Gratitude can be wonderfully affirming, surprisingly life-giving, noticeably motivating, and importantly respectful. Human beings need gratitude. However, many of us need to learn to give and receive it. In these times of increased isolation and speed of work, Global Learning Partners would like to suggest that the giving and receiving of gratitude is more needed […]
Last week my friend Paula Berardinelli came to my home to drive me to a doctor’s appointment. I asked if we could put my walker in her car. She agreed and reached down to fold the walker into a tight package. I was amazed! “I had no idea how to do that!” Paula laughed and […]
Many people are afraid of sitting in silence with a group in a Zoom room. Don’t be afraid. Silence can be extremely helpful and needed if timed well. Here are reasons to design for silence: to give people time to think to make space for off-screen work before coming to the large group to consider content, ideas, […]
In mid-March, the Tax Equity team at the International Budget Partnership was faced with a dilemma – continue planning a two-day convening of researchers, staff, and civil society scheduled for May or take it completely online. Like many organizations in the face of COVID-19 uncertainty, we ultimately decided to turn the convening into a series […]
When my kids were very young, I would take them with me to run errands. They’d say, “Momma, what’s our plan today?” with excitement in their voices. They wondered what our adventure to town would include! I would list things such as stopping at the post office, the bank, the library, etc. During our outings […]
Ever since Susan Cain’s Tedtalk and book Quiet: Being an Introvert in a World that Just Can’t Stop Talking, I have become more attentive to introverts in my meetings, learning events and other gatherings. I work to include solo time and diverse activities to ensure individuals feel valued and heard. While it is true that […]
In the past few weeks, organizations around the world have faced the challenge of converting their in-person meetings to virtual ones. Our organization, the International Budget Partnership (IBP) is no exception. Every month, IBP holds an all-staff meeting via Zoom, a virtual meeting platform that has recently seen its popularity soar; half of our staff […]