For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus' words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.

Episcopal Relief & Development cherishes its partnerships within the Anglican Communion, with ecumenical bodies and with others who share a common vision for justice and peace among all people.

Source: Nonprofit submitted responses

Goal One: Focusing the Program: The people and communities we serve through our programs are at the heart of Episcopal Relief & Development. They are the reason the organization exists.

Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.

Goal Two: Deepening Relationships: Relationships make our work possible. As we nurture & sustain relationships, we can inspire & empower stakeholders to become partners, strong supporters & vocal advocates.

Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.

Goal Three: Strengthening the organization: None of what is envisioned in the areas of programs & relationship deepening is possible without investing in financial, knowledge, human, & infrastructure resources.

Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).

Describe an investment in leadership

Episcopal Relief & Development encourages and supports the ongoing professional growth and development of its employees through the Employee Development Program. We provide training resources or financial assistance to employees for continuing education seminars or workshops and in-house, on-site staff training. Executive leadership participated in coaching throughout 2020-2021, including staff surveys and feedback assessment; individual and team coaching; and discussion of individual and organizational action plans. Coaches are also utilized for some staff at the director level and above to conduct 360s and provide feedback and ongoing coaching. All staff participated in workshops on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI), engaged in in-depth discussions on JEDI as part of self-identified affinity groups and engaged in self-learning sessions to develop a common language around JEDI, expand viewpoints and practice learned skills and concepts.

This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:

• Strategic Partnerships

• Networks of Collective Impact Efforts

• Thought Leadership

• Community Building

What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?

Episcopal Relief & Development works internationally with Anglican and other faith-based networks to consult on best practices; share learnings; and participate in roundtables, consultations and trainings. In partnership with the Anglican Alliance, staff and partners have participated in consultations on Covid-19 response; conducted regular roundtables on various program topics, including the role of faith-leaders in early childhood development and preventing gender-based violence; and developed a resilience course for Anglican agencies. In addition, staff and program partners have presented at the UN Commission on the Status of Women; at webinars hosted by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the University of Stellenbosch; and at the InterAction Learning Forum.

Due to COVID-19, overnight, we turned into a fully geographically distributed workforce, closing both offices (New York and Ghana) in March 2020. Staff were supplied with technical equipment and office supplies to facilitate working remotely. All systems previously performed manually were recreated as digital systems, including financial management processes. Both international and domestic program management were moved to cloud-based communications platforms. IT systems were already fully cloud-based; however, the team focused on creative ways to improve staff productivity in the new work environment, including implementation of project management software and integration of existing tools. HR revised its recruitment policies to seek the most qualified candidates without regard to geographic location. HR also provided ongoing support to staff who now performed their duties at home, often in challenging environments and isolated from family and familiar work routines. With staff travel suspended, we employed alternate strategies to engage with partners and oversee program delivery. Our International Program team created virtual Communities of Practice for partners and staff to share resources and best practices in weekly and bi-weekly meetings. Many programs pivoted to using technologies such as WhatsApp and Zoom rather than in-person meetings. In areas with limited technological capacities, partners shifted to cascading “phone trees” where one person brought back information to their household. Partners added physical distancing protocols and used PPE to reduce the potential spread of the virus. We accelerated our approach to digital data collection and analysis to gather, review and share information on what is happening in the communities. We also expanded our emergency cash aid program and our food aid to reach people where markets and income patterns were disrupted particularly as a result of other disasters suffered in the midst of the pandemic.