At the American Lung Association, we listen, learn, and act. By collaborating on solutions and working closely with community leaders, we ensure that their voices shape actionable plans, addressing their unique challenges and fostering meaningful change.

If community members feel marginalized because of your outreach efforts, invite them to help you improve your approach. Consider how you’re using your outreach funding and clearly identify and correct imbalances that reveal bias and limits linked to representation. Understand that trust has been lost and will take time to rebuild. With this in mind, be clear about how you will establish a genuine, longterm approach to honoring voices in meaningful ways, on every level. Seek ideas on how you can enhance collaboration and partnerships with community members and advocates that reflect the voices that your original efforts missed.

This is a situation that is only too real- communities (either geographically or ethnically defined) who feel (probably rightly) that they are neglected. And then we, the charity sector, get funding to support them in a way that that others, us and commissioners, have decided 'they' need- no wonder we sometimes get a poor reception! My suggestion is to set up projects that are less labelling and contentious- don't offer projects with names like 'gangs outreach', try training and developing people in those communities using real qualifications (something that will genuinely be useful to them) so they can effectively work with funders and others to have some control over what is delivered locally, and maybe even be the staff who deliver it!

Para abordar de manera efectiva los comentarios de los miembros de la comunidad que se sienten marginados en su esfuerzo de divulgación, es crucial escuchar de forma activa y validar sus experiencias. Reconocer sus preocupaciones, mostrar empatía y comprender el contexto en el que se encuentran les ayudará a sentirse comprendidos. A continuación, se debe fomentar un diálogo abierto, en el que se ofrezcan soluciones o alternativas colaborativas para superar los obstáculos que enfrentan, garantizando que sus voces sean escuchadas y consideradas en los procesos de toma de decisiones. Además, es importante asegurar que se implementen cambios concretos que reflejen el compromiso con la inclusión y la equidad dentro de la comunidad.

Para abordar los comentarios de quienes se sienten marginados en sus esfuerzos de divulgación, debemos escucharles sin interrumpir su discurso; expresar empatía y validar lo que sienten utilizando frases como "Entiendo que esto puede ser frustrante" o ejemplificando con una experiencia similar; animar a los miembros a que compartan sus preocupaciones, sugerencias, experiencias y comentarios en espacios seguros; enlazarles con personas que les brinden apoyo; accionar en base a sus sugerencias, demostrando el valor de su opinión y nuestro compromiso y; hacer seguimiento, fomentando apoyo y confianza para seguir compartiendo sus pensamientos y experiencias. Así se sentirán valorados y comprendidos, percibiendo que sus voces son importantes.

Initiate an “Outreach Campaign Event” to inform and educate the community on services I provide and objectives for improvement. Market the event via community leaders and local businesses. Pump up the event on social media to promote attendance. Interview select people to address the issues of marginalized populations, and include this in the marketing strategy.