Build Our Lives Together (BOLT)
Empowering a future where every neighborhood thrives, led by the people living there
Location: Philadelphia, PA USA
Sponsors: Connie Liu and Ken Inadomi
Build Our Lives Together: A first-time grantee in 2022-23
BOLT’s vision is for every neighborhood to thrive, led by the people living in them. They focus on low-income, BIPOC communities. They began in 2019 by implementing a summer youth leadership program, BOLT Youth Leaders Fellowship (previously Community Rising), for public high school students to build the pipeline of community leaders. Their expanded mission is to empower proximate leaders to lead the change their communities want to see for their neighborhoods in Philadelphia, the poorest large city in America.
Proximate (aka “grassroots” or “community”) leaders are individuals who live in the communities they serve and work with and for their communities. BOLT believes the rich vein of knowledge, experience, and connections of local leaders already working on the ground is a key to progress. However, proximate leaders are disproportionately under-resourced because often those in power stereotype them as “small,” “risky,” or “low-impact.” Proximate leaders need educational opportunities to gain the skills, network, and capital to operate effectively and sustainably. BOLT concentrates on meeting these needs through a community organizing curriculum, a strategic management curriculum, and a curriculum for navigating the local ecosystem in Philadelphia.
- BOLT teaches how to build a movement and mobilize people to act.
- BOLT teaches how to build strategies to achieve strong and effective social impact organizations.
- BOLT teaches about the Philadelphia Ward System, which is tied to nearly every decision made from City Hall and the Philadelphia Land Bank, which controls the city’s vacant lots.
For more information, see: https://www.phillybolt.org/
GRANT SUMMARY AND PURPOSE
2022-23: A $20,000 grant will help fund the program and provide stipends for participants in the School for Grassroots Leadership, an 8-month capacity-building program for proximate leaders so they can serve their communities effectively and sustainably. BOLT will review and refine curriculum, recruit participants, launch the school, institute impact measurements, and plan next steps.
2024: A $50,000 grant will help fund the training of 30 proximate leaders through the BOLT School for Grassroots Leadership, an 8 month program with 100 hours of classroom instruction, one-on-one executive coaching, and post-program support. The program, refined after BOLT’s first year of experience, is based on the principle of utilizing these individuals to drive community-led change aimed at ending generational poverty in the poorest of the 10 most populous US cities.
GOAL
BOLT will show that when you give people resources, they will demonstrate approaches that will best alleviate poverty in their neighborhoods. BOLT will show that lived experience is fundamental to achieving change. Once proven, BOLT seeks to bring its model to other cities such as Chicago and Baltimore by connecting with individuals who have a deep knowledge of their city’s impact ecosystem, background in community organizing, and experience managing organizations.
