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Making good progress

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The areas where we have the most progress are also the areas where we have the strongest partnerships/community built. ECE work is in a field saturated with partnerships and it has resulted in a great deal of momentum.

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While clear messaging on its own is not the reason a goal has progressed, it does play a significant role in its success. Some areas have language already developed and well known publicly where areas not progressing as quickly are requiring more messaging/education.

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In several areas where the work has not advanced successfully, we are fighting uphill battles politically. Even our Dem "allies" are unwilling to take the political risks necessary to advance some of these policy areas. While we navigate polarization between Ds and Rs, some of our biggest challenges have actually been internal to Ds only. This bleeds into our partnerships with c4 organizations co-leading our work. There is a willingness to strike back-room deals and to do what is politically viable rather what is actually good for the community. There is sometimes a willingness to ignore the community completely in order to strike a deal. This leaves Voices alienated and alone in our community-driven approach.

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Similar to messaging, some of the specific issues within the goals are new for voices and do not come with the same scope of established community involvement. The areas we see the most success, we have a base of support from local and regional advocates that are ready to share their story with legislators.

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In some areas where we are behind on progress, it is because we simply do not have the staff capacity. Staff are working very hard but still can't keep up. And crucially: in order to develop more capacity and to develop more expertise in our current staff, we have to slow down, yet that does not seem like a realistic option due to some other external and internal pressures.

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Voices has been in the ECE and FC work for a LONG time. We have a great wealth of experience and expertise in these areas and are well trusted in them. This also allows the work to move differently in these areas.

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Some of our partnerships are draining and not completely aligned with our current strategic plan.

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Sometimes I wonder if we have the courage necessary at the Board level to make the bold moves we need to make.

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I worry that due to the economy we will lose our ability to think long term of who Voices wants to be and the staff that we need to have to get there.