What is our “why”? wayne centrone

A mural of the many boys who have been a part of the Casa Girasoles over the past 20 years.

I’ve been thinking a lot about HBI’s “why”—the reason we exist and the impact we strive to make.

In the NGO world, we use a lot of terminology to define our work. We talk about goals, outcomes, structural models, and processes. The bottom line for all the terminology is whether our work makes a difference. Does it help to empower the life of a child? Does it help families living in the experience of extreme poverty build better connections and attunement? Do we effectively and meaningfully utilize the resources and investments we receive from our supporters?

Whatever terms we use, the focus for any NGO is to make a difference. However, we need goals and measures to quantify and define our impact.

Outcomes, in the context of our work, are the specific changes we aim to achieve as a result of the work we accomplish through our programs and projects. These could be tangible changes, such as a decrease in children finding their way into the child welfare system, or intangible modifications, such as increased community cohesion. Outcomes provide a barometer for the impact of our investment.

In the realm of non-governmental and not-for-profit work, the significance of outcome measures must be balanced. They are pivotal in securing funding from foundations, grants, and donor-advised funds. We employ specific indicators to monitor our progress towards these outcomes. Foundations and donors anticipate outcomes from the investments they make in our work, and this expectation is entirely reasonable. While I fully endorse the operational mandate that defines outcomes as a methodology for achieving results, I take issue with the fact that a substantial portion of NGO work focuses on achieving outcomes rather than effecting systemic transformation. This is where the authentic potential of HBI lives –  in transforming systems, not just achieving outcomes. 

I am a reluctant pragmatist. I am the type of person who thinks we can build a rocket ship and chart a path to the moon. My impassioned optimism is only sometimes practical. When I talk about ‘transforming systems’ in the context of our work in the child welfare space, I’m referring to the process of changing the underlying structures, policies, and practices that perpetuate the social issues that lead to child endangerment, abandonment, and exploitation. This is about more than just making minor adjustments or achieving short-term outcomes. It’s about fundamentally altering the way our systems operate to prevent these issues from arising in the first place. It’s hard work, but it’s the only approach that—in my mind—provides a pathway to sustainable change. 

Focusing narrowly on outcomes and circumscribed objectives is neat. It offers a balanced scorecard approach to this work. Funders love clean outcome objectives. But if the outcomes we seek—or receive funding to pursue—are not linked to some more extensive systems-level methodology, what do they ultimately achieve? A systems-level methodology is a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of social issues. It could involve policy advocacy, where we work to change the laws and regulations contributing to child endangerment. It could also involve community organizing, where we empower local communities to address the root causes of these issues. It could also involve capacity building, where we strengthen the skills and resources of the organizations and individuals working in this space. We need to take a holistic approach to understanding incredibly complex challenges. Finding a way to talk about and substantiate the investment necessary to leverage transformation is where things get messy.

Processes are about setting actions to drive our desired outcomes. For instance, if our outcome is to become physically fit, our process could be to exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet. The process approach is action-based, focusing on the steps we need to take to achieve our desired outcome. But what if the process is as extensive as creating a world where every child can access a life built on health, hope, home, and purpose? In systemic transformation, the process involves a series of strategic actions, such as policy advocacy, community organizing, and capacity building, that collectively drive the transformation of the underlying systems. We need to focus on these actionable steps to drive such a process.

At HBI, we steer all our processes and define our actions through a commitment to constructing and testing models that can pave the way for broader systems-level change. Models or systems are the underlying beliefs or methods that steer our actions. They furnish a framework to operate within and assist us in staying on course towards our goals. A model is not merely a set of instructions. It is an identity we adopt to achieve our desired outcomes. More than just something that can be utilized within our organization, we believe models provide a roadmap for other organizations to manifest their own transformative cultures.

Our ultimate aim, the “why” that drives our work, is our commitment to creating a world where every child can access a life built on health, hope, home, and purpose. We recognize that to achieve such a lofty goal, we must remain rooted in actionable steps. For us, this entails approaching everything we do from a holistic and integrated methodology. Our work is not measured in days or weeks. It is measured in months and years. We adopt a gradual and consistent approach that seeks to connect and empower every child, family, and community to the opportunities they need to attain the life they deserve. This is our work. This is our commitment. We are deeply grateful for the support of our generous donors. Thank you.