I S O J I 

Welcome to ISOJI (e-so-gee)

ISOJI means renew-revitalization-rebirth -- and is a volunteer team of community activist. For the past 12 years, ISOJI has  specialized in building capacity and "equity" in community resulting in a remarkable string of successful outcomes.

ISOJI is not a typical institution in that it accompllishes it mission, working in the Marin City community as a   Neutral -- Intermediary  -- Communications Catalyst. 

ISOJI serves  Marin City as well as the Southern Marin County region by convening strategic venues (meetings, forums, workshops), engaging  stakeholders from various  jurisdictions and institutions, such as *local government, *the local school district, *non-profit service providers, * businesses, *philantropic foundations, *universities, & most importantly,  community leaders and activist. 

Through the process of  transferring information, coordinating resources, developing strategies, and doing the follow-up, the ISOJI catalyst model is directly responsible for establishing vital communication links, missing local  services, programs and institutions (see achievements). 

These efforts all fits into the framework of *building community equity  a.k.a. creating value, fairness, inclusion and access. 

The ISOJI catalyst model uses information to create workteams and operating systems. These tools are exactly what is needed to help unify the community operating infrastructure.

Thus, the community as a whole, with a more cohensive infrastructure, is much more visible and responsive to community members and affairs  (residents, organizations, businesses and investors). 

It is important that we make the link between building equity in local entities and having a more empowered community  infrastructure leading to the community becoming "investment worthy."  We are in the era of "finite and measurable outcomes." 

Additionally, It is essential in these times of limited resources that we use coordinated communications to define the critical paths needed to overcome institutional barriers, acquire and refine policies, develop succession leaders, "enskill" traditional leaders, identify and activate existing talents, satisfy planning objectives,  and show the outside world that community is moving towards its stated vision (re-imaging community).  

We feel the word "transparency" is linked to  "coordinated communications" because the universal need for disclosures and visibility.  This feature encourages healtheir trust relationships between leaders and community members. 

Also that communications is a critical-essential element needed to insure the community social safety net is reflective of community voices -- from all sectors.  

At the end of the day building equity in community systems,  by designed means, is to strengthen the community's social safety net. This is a term that identifies the essential building blocks of community and include: (1) housing, (2) income/revenues, (3) health-prevention, (4) education-training, (5) government and (6) access (transportation, childcare, social services, recreation, nutritious foods, etc.)

If we try furthering community transformation without a robust communications plan and system of engaging all stakeholders, then we will be looking at business as usual, an inertia the produces failure and an inability to compete.   Poor communities cannot afford to randomize its efforts at building community.

 In a world of imminent possibilities,  community with a strong, connected and unified infrastructure, should-can "holistically" serve its residents and organizations.  

ISOJI can also present various empowerment options, best practices mixed with new or innovative thinking, such as our Family Functioning Scale, Community Land Trust for Affordable Housing, Preventive Health Projects and more.

Additionally, we strongly advocate that local ownership of assets fosters civic participation, a sense of ownership and fosters local design of programs to meet community specific needs.

A strong safety net also implies environmental safety,  a feature that has been understated and minimally responsive to the high rate of athsma and high blood pressure. 

As ISOJI works to present a holistic picture of community we see the direct connection to acquiring a better poltical positioning in County affairs.  The need for political parity is essential to the pursuit of community equity.   

ISOJI firmly believes its community catalyst model working with the direct support of goverment can be transportated to other communities, perhaps with similar results, such as those demonstrated herewith:

1. Establish of a federal qualified health and wellness center/clinic
2. Convene monthly community information update forums (112 thus far)
3. Social Services and Mental health coordinating workteam
4. College-University mental health and social services  interns --  recruit, train, and place in community organizations (see MDT and SNIP)
   
5. Establish the 0-5 School Readiness Program
   
6. Community Newspaper and special publications
7. Online Web sites
8. Community Resource Directory/Data base
9. Establish the Marin City Council of Organization (2004-2006)
   
10. Marin City Council of Organization
11. Establishing a food and nutrition campaign to impact school food managment and community access to healthier foods
12. Active member of the MLK Coalition -- community planning platform
13. Active member of ACE "Action Coalition for Equity" is an organization that is examining County compliance to the Title Six and the distribution of federal funds that are suppose to reach the disadvantaged protected classes (poor, disabled, minorities, single mothers and more).
14. Active member of the "Community Grocery Store" iniative -- established to facilitate getting a grocery store in Marin City.
    
15. The FloodPuppy Project -- a creative wellness prevention+art project that is an alternative, non-conventional info-share learning and promotional project.   
    

ISOJI also brings its special expertise and tools to the community problem solving table:

1. Family Functioning Scale -- measures and indicators that can be used to track family progress 
2. Community Land Trust -- local ownership of community assets and retaining affordable housing -- one of the key safety net features
3. PH Factor -- A perspective on the use of Psychological Health (PH)  criteria that reflect real change
4. See the range of partnership and/or working relationships
5. maximizing outcomes with limited (very little) funding
   

 At the end of the day ISOJI believes the defining feedback of community building success comes from individuals and families who indicate  "this is the place i want to raise my children"  The value of this type of investment speaks to leadership whose work has yielded a safe and thriving community. 

Capacity -- Administrative and Fiancial 

As collaborations, partnership and alliances becoem a way of surviving economic shortages and aggregating best practices, ISOJI main operational concern is coordination and follow-through. 

The ISOJI  need is for administrative and coordination work.  Work involves maintaining archives, research, web updating, database development, publishing , convening forums, tracking and providing minutes from various meetings. 

Key words associated with our operations

• Systemic change or community transformation
• Equity building
• Building community from within
• Cross Jurisdictional communications
• Virtual Office Operations -- using technology to communicate
  
• Visibility, Transparency and Accountability
• Institutional Start-ups
  
• MDT Multi-Disciplinary Coordinating Team
• SNIP Southern Marin Internship Program
  
• MLK Martin Luther King Coalition
  

Web sites:

Newpaper -- www.marincity.net

ISOJI -- www.isoji.net

Government (CSD_ www.mccsd.gov

Community Development Corporation - www.mccdc.org

FloodPuppy Project (preventive+art project)-- www.floodpuppy.com

Our mission is to  serve depressed, disadvantaged  and risk-embedded commuinities and populations by  helping build equity (value, fairness, inclusion) in the community safety net: housing, income, health, education, government and the access corridors

What We Do

Communications and information transfer

Resource, technical and professional coordination

Monthly community commuications update forums

Social services coordination (MDT)

Southern Marin Intern recruitment, training and placement re: social and mental health services

Strategic communications and action planning regarding community equity building that includes the following:

Health and wellness enterprize zone

Title 6 compliance issues -- allocation of federal dollars

food and nutrition access