In 2022, we launched a toolkit with food banks across the country to help them navigate the world of federal funding when it comes to providing job training programs.

"Overall, this is super thorough and comprehensive. This would have saved years of time for us thinking back." - Food bank leader

Quotes like this make us hopeful about toolkits because years of time in this case means food banks will be able to more effectively and efficiently break down barriers to living-wage jobs and provide hope for people facing hunger. So how did we go about building the toolkit? We leaned on the expertise of the network.

Our approach began with understanding the unique needs of each state’s policies through interviews with subject matter experts. We then collected resources that food banks were using in their current process. We asked food banks what was working well and what tools, templates, and advice they wished they had when they first embarked on this work. This informed our drafting process, which we refined with the help of an advisory committee. We then piloted the toolkit with a few food banks and incorporated their feedback for improvement. This iterative method ensured the toolkit was tailored to address the diverse needs of each state. To launch the toolkit, food banks were invited to a webinar to celebrate the collective work and walk through scenarios of how the toolkit could be used as a catalyst for their current work.

Clients often approach See What I Mean (SWIM) for assistance in building a custom toolkit for a program, department, or role within their organization. While SWIM consultants excel at building toolkits, we are not always the biggest fan of toolkits because they can be hard to update and often lack the relational and integrated connections required for learning. So how does SWIM go about building a toolkit when requested by clients?

When SWIM gets a call to build a toolkit, we developed a process for creating a product that is not “just another basic toolkit” that could be easily overlooked. The SWIM process of creating a toolkit is just as valuable as the final toolkit itself. SWIM takes a collaborative and engaged approach to product development that combines the technical skills of our consultants with a participatory process that takes advantage of client expertise and familiarity with the content.

Toolkit creation uses a process based on SWIM’s Five Network Leadership Mindsets:

Centering our core cause vs. Losing our focus
Focus on assets vs. Distracted by deficits
Designing for inclusion vs One-size-fits-all
Equity in practice vs Equity on the sidelines
Practicing trust vs Waiting for trust

As SWIM consultants and clients work collaboratively through these practices, we build shared trust and accountability. This process allows us to accompany our clients on a journey that goes from a heap of information to a practical final product– an aligned, refined, and actionable toolkit.

To learn more about how to actively adopt new practices with toolkits and other strategies, check out Activating Moments for Change, or book a free discovery call to talk about assessing adoption and needs in your network. We’ve worked with food banks, philanthropy serving organizations, and community coalitions using these approaches.

Retooling Your Toolkit