Common Ground 6/18 Event Summary:

Key themes and feedback from organizers and attendees

The Common Ground discussions serve a specific purpose: accumulating information to address the generational change in community activism and leadership. These conversations are not intended as direct problem-solving mechanisms for the city’s many issues, but rather as an information-gathering process to develop a sustainable model for community stewardship and intentional succession planning.

Core Challenge: Generational Transition 

The central concern is managing the generational change as current community leaders age out. There’s an urgent need for succession planning to ensure non-profit institutions, cultural organizations, museums, parks, and public assets survive through sustainable community stewardship. For the first time in a generation, there is both recognition of this issue across all generations and a willingness by current leaders to transfer stewardship to the next generation.

Key Themes for Sustaining Stewardship

Breaking Down Barriers to Entry

• The “one big living room” concept was challenged – while Buffalo feels close-knit, many feel they need formal invitations to participate
• Need to address the historical “top-down approach” that previously excluded younger voices
• Transportation barriers limit participation, especially for those without personal vehicles
• Economic barriers exist for those working multiple jobs who can’t afford volunteer time

Active Mentorship and Inclusion

• Strong emphasis on established leaders actively bringing others into decision-making rooms
• Mentorship must go beyond checking boxes to include speaking up for mentees when they’re not present
• Need to create “single A to major league” pathways – meeting people where they’re comfortable and helping them advance

Expanding Leadership Pipelines

• Create emerging leader/junior boards across organizations to develop future stewards
• Engage young professionals early through programs like the western New York Prosperity Scholarship
• Recognize that resources come in many forms beyond money – time, skills, and perspectives matter

Addressing Systemic Issues

• Acknowledge Buffalo’s segregation and work deliberately to include underrepresented voices
• Move beyond surface-level solutions to deeply understand community challenges
• Ensure civic engagement becomes part of people’s regular work lives, not just volunteer time

Information Sharing as Foundation

• Lack of information emerged as the most glaring and reasonably solvable challenge to engagement
• The stewardship model must incorporate robust information sharing mechanisms
• Transparency and communication are essential for effective community participation

Focused Collaboration

• Avoid trying to “boil the ocean” – focus efforts on specific, achievable goals
• Break down silos between organizations and geographic areas
• Encourage cross-sector partnerships and resource sharing

Starting Small, Thinking Long-term

• Community stewardship can begin at the micro level (like maintaining a neighborhood park)
• Emphasize “what we can do” rather than “what we can’t do”
• Leverage Buffalo’s unique advantage where one person can have disproportionate impact

Leveraging Current Momentum

• Capitalize on Buffalo’s recent positive developments (population growth, climate haven status, tech hub emergence)
• Build on existing assets rather than trying to fix everything
• Use disruption as an opportunity since many traditional gatekeepers have moved on

Critical Gaps in Representation

The discussions revealed significant engagement gaps: black men are completely absent from conversations while black women participate actively. The Latino and South Asian communities—both growing populations in Buffalo—remain largely unengaged in these stewardship discussions.

Desired Outcome: A Sustainable Stewardship Model

The ultimate goal is developing a sustainable model for creating multi-generational stewardship of community assets. This model will require a combination of:

• Inclusion: Deliberately engaging underrepresented communities
• Information sharing: Ensuring transparency and accessible communication
• Mentorship: Active guidance and advocacy from established leaders
• Training: Skill development and capacity building for emerging stewards

Next Steps

The process involves continuing to gather information while beginning to design the stewardship model. This collaborative approach recognizes that successful stewardship transition requires intentional, inclusive efforts to identify, develop, and empower the next generation of community leaders while addressing structural barriers that have historically limited participation.

The overarching message is clear: Buffalo has both the opportunity and the obligation to create pathways for sustainable community stewardship that can ensure the city’s assets and institutions thrive across generations.