Reproducible Announcements/Articles

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Feel free to use and adapt the following announcements in publications, web sites, etc. There are three versions of differing lengths: 411 words, 356 words, and 191 words.

Also, book cover and author images are available under "Graphics."

411 words:

For the hundredth time, consultant Patricia St.Onge stands in the front of the room and asks, “What’s the most important question we’re addressing in a changing world?” For about the sixty-fifth time, people answer with the words diversity or changing demographics or cultural sensitivity or some variation on the idea of cultural competency. While some eyes light up, others roll.

Reflecting on this too familiar scenario, St.Onge observes, “Even as it is pressing, this is the topic that people find most exhausting to deal with. We yearn for conversation about culture, and we fear it at the same time. Too often, people walk away from discussions feeling angry, depressed, or guilty.”   To help people have the conversation in a safe and productive way, St.Onge and five other members of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management wrote a guide.

Embracing Cultural Competency: A Roadmap for Nonprofit Capacity Builders, uses a variety of methods—literature review, personal interviews, peer dialogue, insights of contributing authors, and workshops— to unearth advances in culturally-based capacity building.

The book has three main sections. Part One presents the landscape of five major ethnic communities in the United States: African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, and White. “We hope to dispel notions that any community is monolithic,” explains St.Onge. “This section helps people see distinctions among and within groups.”

Part Two offers a framework to help capacity builders discuss issues related to cultural competency; learn about methods, practices, and values that define cultural competency; and gain insights into the nature of institutionalized racism.

Part Three is an expansive resource section. Readers will find strategies to apply the book’s concepts, other experts’ perspectives, and a bibliography for further reading.

St.Onge reminds us, “Cultural competency is more than an exercise in skill building. It is a journey toward creating a just society. Ultimately, our work as nonprofits and capacity builders is to promote social change that enhances life for everyone in our communities. Achieving this vision poses a challenge that we need to take up individually and collectively.”

Embracing Cultural Competency was written by Patricia St.Onge with contributions by Beth Applegate, Vicki Asakura, Monika K. Moss, Brigette Rouson, and Alfredo Vergara-Lobo. It was published by Fieldstone Alliance in collaboration with the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.

The book can be ordered from bookstores or directly from the publisher at www.FieldstoneAlliance.org or call 1-800-274-6024. $29.95, 176 pages, 2009, ISBN 978-0-940069-68-8. For details, visit www.EmbracingCulturalCompetency.org.

356 words:

For the hundredth time, consultant Patricia St.Onge stands in the front of the room and asks, “What’s the most important question we’re addressing in a changing world?” For about the sixty-fifth time, people answer with the words diversity or changing demographics or cultural sensitivity or some variation on the idea of cultural competency. While some eyes light up, others roll.

Reflecting on this too familiar scenario, St.Onge observes, “Even as it is pressing, this is the topic that people find most exhausting to deal with. We yearn for conversation about culture, and we fear it at the same time. Too often, people walk away from discussions feeling angry, depressed, or guilty.”   To help people have the conversation in a safe and productive way, St.Onge and five other members of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management wrote a guide.

Embracing Cultural Competency: A Roadmap for Nonprofit Capacity Builders, uses a variety of methods—literature review, personal interviews, peer dialogue, insights of contributing authors, and workshops— to unearth advances in culturally-based capacity building.

Part One of the book presents the landscape of five major ethnic communities in the United States. Individual chapters are written by authors who represent five major ethnic communities in the United States: African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, and White.

Part Two offers a framework to help capacity builders discuss issues related to cultural competency; learn about methods, practices, and values that define cultural competency; understand the complexities within ethnic communities; and gain insights into the nature of institutionalized racism.

Part Three is an expansive resource section. Readers will find strategies to apply the book’s concepts, other experts’ perspectives, and a bibliography for further reading.

St.Onge reminds us, “Engaging with the cultural competency framework is more than an exercise in skill building. It is a journey toward building a just society. We can arrive at a just society only if we have practiced justice along the way.”

Embracing Cultural Competency can be ordered from bookstores or directly from the publisher at www.FieldstoneAlliance.org or call 1-800-274-6024. $29.95, 176 pages, 2009, ISBN 978-0-940069-68-8. For details, visit www.EmbracingCulturalCompetency.org.

191 words:

Consultant Patricia St.Onge stands in the front of the room and asks, “What’s the most important question we’re addressing in a changing world?” For about the sixty-fifth time, people answer with diversity or changing demographics or cultural sensitivity. While some eyes light up, others roll. St.Onge observes, “Even as it is pressing, cultural competency is the topic that people find most exhausting to deal with.” 

To help people grapple with issues that often get in the way of an organization’s effectiveness, St.Onge and five other members of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management wrote Embracing Cultural Competency: A Roadmap for Nonprofit Capacity Builders.

The book includes a framework for discussion; practices and values that define cultural competency; complexities within ethnic communities; and insights into the nature of institutionalized racism. St.Onge reminds us, “Engaging with the cultural competency framework is more than an exercise in skill building. It is a journey toward building a just society.”

Embracing Cultural Competency can be ordered from bookstores or directly from the publisher at www.FieldstoneAlliance.org or call 1-800-274-6024. $29.95, 176 pages, 2009, ISBN 978-0-940069-68-8. For details, visit www.EmbracingCulturalCompetency.org.