New Directions Housing Corporation (NDHC) of Louisville, Kentucky, has formed “Braintrust,” a committee of staff members that explores agency programs and their interconnections in order to develop new ideas and improve staff communication. The program also builds staff morale through activities, surveys, special events, and an annual interactive staff-driven training and orientation event.

NDHC is big: it has 950 rental units in its portfolio and manages an additional 150 units for other nonprofits. The agency is a newly chartered NeighborWorks member, has several Learning Centers, and operates many community-building and rehabilitation projects. The agency provides services citywide through its five business lines: real estate development, property and asset management, resident services, homeownership preservation, and neighborhood initiatives. These programs interconnect in many different ways.
 
Braintrust originated in 2002, with representatives from the property management and resident services departments meeting to brainstorm concerns with the expansion of the agency’s learning center program. As discussions evolved, committee members saw how Braintrust could benefit all agency programs and staff. The program now orients all NDHC employees to the overall work environment of the agency.

Staff Leadership.  The NDHC senior management team mostly keeps uninvolved in Braintrust development and activities, trusting the rest of the staff to keep their finger on the pulse. Most participants are program managers who gather periodically on their own initiative to create activities or trainings for staff. For example, when NDHC became a NeighborWorks organization Braintrust offered an orientation for staff that explained what NeighborWorks was all about and what it had to offer.

Community and Learning Centers Focus.  NDHC began as a faith-based organization, and continues to have a strong organizational culture centered on helping people obtain services and education that enrich their strengths and abilities. The agency is not attached to any particular church, but has a sturdy, values-based corporate culture. This community-minded spirit is a primary reason that the agency now has nine learning centers. Its motto is “Make community happen,” and Braintrust is promoting the spirit of community within the organization, which helps staff return these benefits to the neighborhood.

Costs and Funding.  Braintrust costs the organization nothing, but contributes in both tangible and intangible ways. It is a cutting-edge idea that supports and strengthens the agency’s mission.

Braintrust has helped develop a high-quality corporate culture at NDHC, and has helped to improve the lives of people in the community. For example, staff donated $8,200 to the “We Care About Kids” campaign to start a new children’s learning center. Braintrust kept all staff informed of the project and its needs.
 
NDHC values a diverse staff, and Braintrust reflects that diversity. Braintrust keeps staff — who are diverse in race, skill sets, job description, and place of origin — connected to a common theme and purpose.

• Braintrusts Can Help Broad-Based Agencies Stay Connected. NDHC has a regional service area, not only covering metropolitan Louisville but crossing the river to southern Indiana as well. There are 60 full-time staff members, with 30 part-timers and mentors on stipends, and the agency has three operation centers. Braintrust helps keep the staff members of these sprawling operations connected.
   
• Braintrusts Should Focus on Morale. Although originally formed to work on the expansion of learning centers, NDHC’s Braintrust recently has focused more on building morale. A more cohesive staff will strengthen the overall organization, which will in turn strengthen the community.

Agency interview on 08-10-06 with Joe Gliessner, Executive Director
 
Author: Jack Jensen