Jocelyn Noya Quintana is The Miami Foundation’s Vice President of Strategic Communications. She joined our team four months ago and has been compelled and inspired by our Foundation’s focus on connection as a strategic pillar that is vital for building a Greater Miami where everyone can thrive.
When I was offered the opportunity to join The Miami Foundation nearly four months ago, I was thrilled by the chance to build a greater Miami where everyone can thrive. In the weeks leading up to my first day, I thought about what it would take to truly build a greater Miami. Generosity was one of the first thoughts that came to mind, followed closely by the need for bold leaders who are willing to take risks and bring people together to work on solutions for our community.
But after three months in this magical place called The Miami Foundation, I realized there is a third ingredient that is truly the crux of it all – connection.
As the second pillar in The Miami Foundation’s strategic plan to build a thriving Greater Miami, I’ve watched The Foundation prioritize connection in all its work – and I have witnessed the power of those moments. I’ve also realized that my understanding of connection was limited before joining The Miami Foundation.
So, I’ve spent the last four months asking myself two key questions about connection:
- What kind of connection do we need in Greater Miami?
- What impact can greater connection have on our community?
While my response to these questions will undoubtedly grow and evolve, these are my reflections so far:
What kind of connection do we need in Greater Miami?
We need everyone to be informed about our community.
While human connection is indispensable for our community to thrive, Miamians also need more knowledge about the progress and pain points that exist in Greater Miami. Without this knowledge, it is more difficult to inspire people to be problem-solvers and changemakers for their community. At The Miami Foundation, we are the recipient of robust knowledge about the issues our community’s nonprofits are addressing, as well as the concerns and giving habits of our community’s donors. I believe that if we connect more people to this knowledge, we will see an even larger percentage of our community step forward to act.
We need to lean on our lines of difference.
Greater Miami is a place where many people have relocated from someplace else in the world. The fabric of our region is rich with languages, culture, and historical differences. This tapestry of varied stories, lived experiences, insights, and wisdom is too often labeled as a hindrance to our community – with claims that it prevents our community from truly uniting. But I would argue that it is our community’s greatest untapped asset. The diversity of knowledge and experiences in our community is what enables Greater Miami to be a hub for innovation and creativity like no other place in the world. If we spend more time as a community connecting with one another to learn from each other’s perspectives and experiences, we will be able to build a stronger, more resilient, more equitable Greater Miami for everyone who calls this place home.
We need to connect our leaders to recognition and resources.
The work needed to create a Greater Miami where everyone can thrive requires us to work together to find solutions to our community’s challenges. However, it also requires us to shine a light on the great work that is already being done by leaders in our community. At The Miami Foundation, this looks like our Miami Fellows program, our Community Grants, our Saltwater Fellowship, our scholarships for public school graduates, and so much more. The truth is that there are bold leaders who already exist here in Greater Miami, and if we invest more time in connecting them to the recognition they deserve and the financial support they need, they will be able to accelerate the progress we all are seeking to create in our community.
We need to make it easier for Miamians to get involved.
There are over 1,000 nonprofits in our region doing incredible work to meet the needs of our community, and 42% of Florida nonprofits would like more volunteers to carry out their missions. Miamians regularly reach out to us asking for ways to give back, but the truth is that it is still difficult to know how to get ‘plugged in’ to Miami and lend a hand. Our Give Miami Day webpage was a giant step forward because it created a one-stop shop for anyone in Miami to search and learn about nonprofits, but this does not yet translate into an easy way by which someone can give their time to contribute to a cause they care about. As a community, we have work to do to help Miamians more easily connect with opportunities to give back and get involved on a regular basis.
What impact can greater connection have on our community?
It can create a sense of belonging.
It is true that many of us are not originally from Miami and often think of another place in the world as home. But if we create a community where everyone is connected to the knowledge, resources, and opportunities they need to get involved and thrive, Greater Miami will feel like home to all of us. When you feel at home, you feel you belong, and that belonging creates a sense of pride. Can you imagine the power of our region if we all were proud to call this place home?
It can inspire action.
When members of a community feel informed and empowered, they take action. They feel a sense of responsibility to create the thriving community they want to live in, and they are compelled to use their knowledge, skills, and resources to make positive progress. The work of creating a Greater Miami requires all of us to act, and creating connection in our community is the first step to making that happen. Can you imagine the progress our region would make if all of us stepped forward to take action to create the community we seek to live in?
It can bring joy.
As human beings, we are designed to live in community. Simply put, we need each other to thrive. When a community prioritizes connection, it builds empathy among its citizens, compelling them to give back to support and help those around them. When we give back, the gift that comes back to us is two-fold – in the form of joy. Can you imagine what Greater Miami would look like if we all approached each day with joy?
Writing about the power and potential of connection truly gives me goosebumps. At The Miami Foundation, we have the honor of spending every day connecting with the community – seeing its beauty, shining a light on its potential, and supporting its progress. My greatest hope in my new role is to create that same connection for each of you. I want you to feel the same joy that I get to experience every single day because of the power of connection. Only when our entire community is truly connected will we be able to create a Greater Miami where every person can thrive.