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Colors of Connection

Healing trauma through art

Brooklyn, NY   |  https://www.colorsofconnection.org

Mission

We work creatively with young people and communities impacted by violence to overcome trauma, inspire hope, support well-being, and encourage self-determination.

Ruling year info

2017

Executive Director & Co-Founder

Christina Mallie

Main address

PO Box 50371

Brooklyn, NY 11205 USA

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EIN

46-4114716

NTEE code info

International Development, Relief Services (Q30)

Youth Development Programs (O50)

Humanities Organizations (A70)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Girl Awakening

Girl Awakening supports girls and young women in an urban, densely populated neighborhood in Goma. We have been systematically and collaboratively building this project with local partners since 2020. Colors of Connection’s core program, Girl Awakening is the first of its kind to utilize evidence-based approaches from the Population Council's girl-centered program tools, and our unique arts-based tools that support girls in their mental health, mitigating trauma, building resilience, and cultivating joy.

Goma is the largest urban center in the eastern DRC, a region plagued by decades of conflict that is a difficult and dangerous environment for girls and women where they face constant violence and abuse. Here, we engage with girls and young women who are on the frontlines of organizing for change their communities, and also one of the most marginalized groups. Girl Awakening provides a safe female-only space where they can meet regularly, learn, and build solidarity.

Population(s) Served
Victims and oppressed people
People of African descent
Extremely poor people
Adolescent girls
Preteen girls

Where we work

Awards

Places where play heals people 2022

Real Play City Challenge

Affiliations & memberships

Coalition for Adolescent Girls 2021

Adolescent Girls Community of Practice 2016

Videos

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    We work in partnership with communities hurt by inequalities and the violence of war, honoring their lived experiences and knowledge to realize their collective vision of a better future. We are currently working with marginalized adolescent girls, young women and community stakeholders in the city of Goma, in the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a province that is the epicenter of the decades-long deadly conflict in DRC. Our programs support their quest for freedom from violence and gender equality.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    Previous program feedback on our work with girls in DRC indicated the majority had experienced rape; many were married as teenagers - therefore child brides; most did not have mentors or peers they could rely on for support and guidance; many wanted to go back to school but didn’t have the financial means; the majority were interested in getting information on family planning and were frustrated not to have access to contraception; in response our program is now allocating more time to teaching girls about sexual and reproductive health, and we have decided to begin working with girls at a younger age (10-12), hopefully before many will have already experienced negative outcomes, and include mentorship and school scholarships

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

Colors of Connection
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Colors of Connection

Board of directors
as of 02/02/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Ms. Laura Hoffman

Colors of Connection

Laura Hoffman

Creative and Communications Consultant

Christina Mallie

Executive Director & Co-Founder

Judithe Registre

Global Innovator and Economic Prosperity Catalyst

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 2/2/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic (2+ races/ethnicities)
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 06/14/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.