Why Should You Be a Member of a Cohort?

Working in the nonprofit space is a kind of like being the creative kid in really technical class. We are constantly having to juggle the pressure of finding innovative ways to address serious social, ecological, or economic issues, usually with distressed funding, and usually under a time crunch - all while operating in a room filled with individuals who take very clear paths to achieve results. Our paths to achieve results is, by necessity, a little more unconventional, but with hard work and clear communication, we still nab that “A”.

The truth is, even if the nonprofit space is not as traditional as our friends in the corporate or government world, we still need everyone at the table in order to achieve our goals. Collaboration - not contention - is at the heart of positive change. As a nonprofit Project Manager, moving the needle to any degree and facilitating collaboration is my ultimate goal. After all, “results-oriented management” is technically in all of our wheelhouses. Who works in our space and doesn’t want to see results?!

So, let’s get those results!

What is Cohort learning?

Over the years, I’ve found that cohort learning works. But to really understand why, lets revisit the definition. A Cohort is “a team or group of people with shared interests or goals who journey through an experience together” - in this case, a networking and workshop educational experience. Cohort learning is the process of that group enjoying support, discussing concepts during group activities to strengthen comprehension, and sharing resources with one another.

You’ve likely been a member of a cohort at some point: workplaces and political parties for instance, are some of the most common environments to engage with the cohort model.

Why be a member of a Cohort?

Smaller groups mean closer ties. Cohorts are a proven vehicle to move your project along to the finish line, while fostering and securing valuable connections in your nonprofit space. And with the right facilitator, you can even be free to be the creative kid and still not get lost in the targeted process of driving results.

And Why a Creative Cohort?

Before 2020, most of us have been to networkers and workshops. And although they are fantastic learning experiences, after the name tags peel off or the last slide is on the screen (Zoom or otherwise ha!) many of us are left wondering: What now? How do I use these new connections? How do I apply all this new information in my work?

Think of our Creative Cohort process as a mini-conference. We marry workshop learning with roundtable discussion and even one-on-one coaching, all within the life of your Creative Cohort journey.

Now that is synergy.