大家好 / Hello, all 🙂
My name is Annie, and I’m three weeks into my new role as the Fund Process & Experience Manager at Kingston Common Futures. I’m still onboarding yet already feeling grounded and grateful—grounded by the ways I get to show up as myself and by the warm welcome from the team, and grateful for all the opportunities I’ve already had to meet and connect with folks in and around Kingston. Getting to hear people’s stories and starting to understand how the beautiful web of individuals, organizations, and ideas come together in Kingston is a privilege that I’m still wrapping my mind around as I learn more about the work and possibilities ahead.
I’m currently writing this introductory blog post from our cozy office on the second floor of Good Work Institute’s Greenhouse, and as I reflect on my observations and experience at KCF so far, I’m looking around the room and down at my senior dog, Miz, who is resting oh-so-gracefully on the large, lovely, lush green rug that was chosen by our team of four.
I mention this rug, because how we went about choosing it was a glimpse into the qualities that ground Kingston Common Futures: democratic, thoughtful, caring, joyful, generous, experimental, and hopeful. You might be thinking, “What’s the big deal? So you… chose a rug together?” On the surface, this is the kind of decision that could be made quickly and without much discussion. That’s one way to look at it.
Our team, however, saw it as a small, low-risk opportunity to practice intentional decision-making in our first week together. There was something delightfully playful and refreshing about this small decision in the workplace. Clay and Angélica could’ve easily gotten everything set up before we arrived and made decisions on behalf of the whole team. Instead, at a time when speed, convenience, and efficiency are often preferred, prioritized, and rewarded, they were willing to slow down and make a relatively ordinary decision together. Not because choosing a rug is inherently difficult, but because the way we approach even small decisions can tell us something about how we want to work together.
That same principle extends beyond our office. KCF recognizes that how we cultivate relationships, make and communicate decisions, bring people into a process, share power, and (re)distribute resources is just as important as what gets funded. The processes we create can shape relationships, build trust, and create opportunities to learn about, and from, one another. And these things matter—not only for the work immediately in front of us, but also for the kinds of communities and systems we expect to nurture and support over time.
This spirit is in large part what drew me to Kingston Common Futures and this role in particular. In my role as the Fund Process & Experience Manager, operating with care and consideration will be central to my work, as I’m responsible for stewarding the fund process and how people experience it from beginning to end. I know it will be imperfect, but perfect isn’t necessarily the goal nor the priority—progress is. I think this perspective is an important one to keep in mind as we do this work, especially for Mimi and me, as it’s our first time. As I like to say anytime someone’s trying something new: “The first pancake is never the best one!”
What we are prioritizing are relationships and reciprocity. We’re not only asking what we’re doing, but why and how we’re doing it. All of this has me thinking about what we mean when we talk about one of the pillars of the community fund: advancing the common good.
So what do I mean by “common good”?
Broadly, I think of the common good as something that creates a shared, material benefit within a place or community. Creating those kinds of benefits requires empathy—paying attention to who a process is designed with and for, who might be missing from the conversation that needs to be there, how to make things easier to navigate, and how to design systems and experiences accordingly. Making a process or experience more accessible, reliable, and easier to use is ultimately an exercise in building trust and cultivating care.
The common good can also be something as small as choosing a rug that benefits the KCF team as well as all the other people sharing the Greenhouse by dampening sounds and protecting the floors.
With this new role I’m stepping into, I consider thoughtful stewardship of the fund process and experience as a kind of common good as well. That responsibility of mine is a contribution to the common good. I also think of the team culture we’re building within KCF as a type of common good, because how we do things isn’t separate from the outcome. The way we work as a team, as well as how we connect, collaborate, and co-create with community members and partners, is part of the work.
As adrienne maree brown says, “Small is good, small is all.” Our tiny, daily interactions, habits, and choices have potential to produce ripple effects and influence larger, systemic changes.
I’m only three weeks in, so there’s plenty I have yet to learn about Kingston Common Futures and all the people who make this community-centered fund possible. But if our first few weeks are any indication, I’m thrilled to be part of a team that’s willing to pause for each other, ask why, experiment with how, move at the speed of trust… and occasionally spend time talking about rugs and other ordinary, everyday things that help us get to know each other better as we embark on this work together.