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Building stronger weak ties among a diverse pool of emergent nonprofit leaders of color
Author(s) -
Gelles Erna,
Merrick Meg,
Derrickson Sean,
Otis Felesia,
SweetenLopez Oscar,
Folsom Jamaal Tripp
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
nonprofit management and leadership
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.844
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1542-7854
pISSN - 1048-6682
DOI - 10.1002/nml.235
Subject(s) - social capital , interpersonal ties , competition (biology) , public relations , work (physics) , strong ties , sociology , political science , social science , mechanical engineering , ecology , engineering , biology
This article explores theoretical underpinnings of social capital and strong and weak ties as they relate to relationships within, between, and among six cohorts of promising nonprofit leaders of color in a northwestern U.S. city. Using mixed methods, including network analyses, it considers the impact and potential of a university‐community collaboration to deliver a program to promising emergent leaders nominated for their talent and commitment to the work of their community‐based organizations, often in competition for limited resources. The article considers the program's implicit effect on relationships and reveals intersector connections among alumni. Findings show substantial alumni movement among organizations, increasing the potential for collaboration and mentoring relationships. We conclude with recommendations for programs seeking long‐term impact and discuss a series of unanticipated findings and the questions they engender, many critical as communities and organizations become more diverse and social needs do not diminish.