THE LISTENING INC.
If you had a room full of people willing to listen to you, what would you say?
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Listening exists because the performing arts still desire to be recognized as a transformative resource. Amid an almost non-existent local spoken word scene, we began by highlighting local creatives such as Anne Spencer in the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and beyond. Our immediate challenge was to educate our community, showcasing the potential for arts to give expression to deep truths of young people. We managed this by strategically placing events at venues all around the city and collaborating with key stakeholders. We leveraged our evolving brand to garner support from civic and creative leaders, who in turn have introduced larger numbers into our orbit.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Young, Lit & Free
These weekly after-school workshops will invite teens into the process of learning and understanding more about poetry and literature, exploring their own performance styles, and developing their own creative voice. We seek to provide a brave, bold space for young and budding poets and spoken word artists to dive into a platform to be as free and passionate as they want to be. The goal of this program is to help students create performance pieces that will build their creative development, self-confidence and self-awareness, as well as social and cultural awareness - all leading up to a monthly open mic session for teens only.
CDF Freedom Schools
The CDF Freedom Schools® program seeks to build strong, literate, and empowered children prepared to make a difference in themselves, their families, communities, nation and world today. By providing summer and after-school reading enrichment for children who might otherwise not have access to books, the CDF Freedom Schools program plays a much needed role in helping to curb summer learning loss and close achievement gaps — and is a key part of CDF’s work to ensure a level playing field for all children. In partnership with local congregations, schools, colleges and universities, community organizations, and secure juvenile justice facilities the CDF Freedom Schools program boosts student motivation to read, generates more positive attitudes toward learning, increases self-esteem and connects the needs of children and families to the resources of their communities. (copied from freedomschools.org)
Open Mic Sessions
These open mic sessions are the soul of The Listening, open to community members 18+, and focus on three tentpoles of impact: The Art - The Artist - The Community. Attendees are encouraged to engage, either through performing or through opportunities presented at each open mic.
Signature Sessions
Signature Sessions are bi-annual (twice a year) showcases that feature local and national talent. These sessions have no pre-selected themes, but are scheduled in advance, and give the audience rare access to the person behind the art. Artists that grace the stage at these sessions use their talents to inspire, motivate and instigate cultural impact.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Outside of our events, we also see that there is much work to be done to engage our community. We seek to provide workshops and trainings that equip people with skills that allow them to creative tools to navigate through life.
There are parts of life that don’t always need a stage as much as it requires a group of people willing to listen. We hope to also provide support groups for young creatives who are experiencing battles with anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, identity crises, and more.
We also aim to be a part of our young people's experience in the school setting through assemblies and after-school and summer programming, using empirically based curriculum that places the power of the art of literature and spoken word poetry front and center.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Since the beginning, the bedrock of The Listening has been in facilitating a platform that allows the community to come together, artist and audience alike. Using the performing arts as our primary model of impact, we have been hosting open mic sessions since 2013, where people from all around the city have experienced something worth listening to. In addition to these open mic sessions, The Listening has also hosted various movie screenings, featuring films and documentaries that display the impact that the arts have had on our culture and that speak directly to the human experience.
Through developing strategic relationships with creative volunteers, local businesses, national organizations, The Listening has a bold vision to see our community changed by socially minded artists who have a burden to use their talent, time, and passion to change the world around them, as well as the world inside of them. We believe that the road towards a better tomorrow is best accomplished together.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Listening has introduced the local community to the intersection of performing arts and social impact by hosting over 40 events contributing to local creative culture. We engage through open mic sessions, film screenings with moderated discussions, and potlucks with facilitated table conversations around topics relevant to the common good. Our foundational events are themed open-mic sessions that invite artists from the local community and curated signature events including local and national artists. We’ve brought more than 75 artists before more than 750 audience members. We’ve collaborated with many local and national organizations to display the power of the performing arts.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The Listening has recently been listed as one of Lynchburg's outstanding nonprofit organizations for Lynchburg Living Magazine's 2017 Giving Back Awards.
The Listening has been identified as one of Lynchburg's Partners in Education, a mutually beneficial program that provides an important way for all who have a stake in Lynchburg City Schools to make a contribution.
The Listening continues to champion the cause for lives who have been changed by the performing arts, building a growing base of supporters and volunteers who believe in its mission and contribute to its vision by advocating and participating the ever-evolving local creative community.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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 engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild 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.
THE LISTENING INC.
Board of directorsas of 11/16/2022
Gerald Griffin
Keesha Burke
Vicki Hubbard
Laura Dupuy
Keesha Burke
Gerald Griffin
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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 ? No -
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
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:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
No data
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/27/2020GuideStar 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
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- 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 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.