Case Study
Partnering with T1International
Overview
The Objective: Building while staying connected to your roots
T1International (T1I) was established in 2013 as a volunteer-led organization that gained the resources to hire its first staff members in 2020. Because the organization was given the opportunity to grow, T1I requested support on its 18-24 month strategic plan so that they could grow thoughtfully and cohesively while honoring and maintaining their commitment to their grassroots.
The Approach: Liberation as the compass
We decided that we would begin the work supporting the T1I community and staff define their values and equity commitment. Our first step was to engage the global T1I community in defining how and when they wanted to be involved in the overall process of defining the values, equity commitments, goals, and direction. Then, we implemented their recommendations, gathering their feedback on the values and how T1I could support a more diverse and inclusive community reflective of the people around the world who are impacted by diabetes.
Outcome
Following their commitment to be patient-led, the team implemented the community feedback and defined new values, an equity statement, and a set of goals to honor their commitment to equity and stay true to their organizing roots.
T1International presented their work as well as aspects of our partnership in defining their future direction as part of the Best Practices for Community-Led Governance to the World Health Organization (WHO). This presentation and discussion led to changes not only within T1I but in the approach the WHO was taking in engaging with communities of people living with diabetes.
Testimonial
“Working with Colibri was everything we needed, plus more that we didn’t even know we needed! The team allowed us to be vulnerable and challenged us in important ways, too, ensuring we were collaborating every step of the way. Having worked with them on an initial project, we decided to continue working together on various projects due to values alignment and our desire to build structures that would last beyond our time together. As a small, growing organization navigating limited capacity and all the important work that needs to be done, we couldn’t have done it without Team Colibri. We’ve learned so much and can’t thank the team enough!”
— Elizabeth Pfiester, Founder & Executive Director