“We are led by our members and support them to be led by the people they serve.”
Like many other organizations in the youth development field, we have been navigating significant change in the past year, including a transition in our executive leadership. To reflect on what supported the field during that time as well as understand what leaders at all levels are looking to YDEKC for in the future, we conducted a member survey in February and March of 2023. We’re reporting back on what we heard and how it’s influencing our path forward.
Our fifty-three respondents to the program survey were diverse in the type of positions within their organizations, length of time in their current role, and length of time in the youth development field. Of those who shared their demographic information, 61% of the respondents identified as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color. Thank you to everyone who filled out the survey!
83% of survey respondents indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with YDEKC’s work over the past year. For those who gave a “Neutral” rating, the impact of COVID, a small staff team, and individual respondents’ lack of recent or prior engagement with YDEKC were named as factors influencing this rating. It is our intention to continue to strengthen our services to meet community needs so that more members are very satisfied with our work.
When we asked what people found most valuable within YDEKC’s programs, communications, cross-sector partnership supports, and/or advocacy over the past year, two themes emerged:
- Activities focused on connecting members to each other
- Learning opportunities for members
Specific appreciations included:
- “Program offerings are high quality, appropriate and current–always worth the time. Trainers/presenters are always professional, experienced and current. Excellent communication and quick follow-up.”
- “Always provide equal, diverse and inclusive environment to build connections and communities.”
- “I really enjoy the field notes. It’s a {sic} quick recap of what is or has happened in the sector. Upcoming grants meetings conferences places to advocate.”
Members recognized the impact of leadership changes on our pace and presence in the field, while expressing appreciation for ongoing programming and hope for the future.
- “Transitions have slowed the work somewhat but it is still an effective voice.”
- “As the org goes through transition, I anticipate more engagement with executive leaders of color in ways that are meaningful to our experiences in the workplace.”
To support us in making decisions about where to invest our resources, we asked respondents to name three high-priority actions for YDEKC to take to meet the needs of youth-serving leaders. The top themes (with 8 or more responses each) were:
- Focus on Funding – for the field, YDEKC, and pay equity for youth workers
- Provide Professional Development for Leaders, especially leadership development
- Promote and Facilitate Partnership and Collaboration (within and across sectors)
- Host Opportunities for Leaders to Connect
- Maintain or Strengthen Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Focus, including programming led by and for BIPOC
- Lead Advocacy Efforts, including advocacy trainings
- The top two advocacy priorities identified were influencing cities and school districts across King County to increase funding for high-quality youth programming and influencing pay equity-related initiatives
While we are already aligned with these requests from the field, we are working on breathing new life into these strategies. We are making note of survey themes as well as unique suggestions and feedback to support our growth and development. We look forward to continuing to engage in conversation with our members and partners as the next iteration of YDEKC comes to be.