How a request is apporved Page 11

6. Listen

Listening is a gift we give to one another. The quality of our listening is perhaps the most important factors determining success. Through practicing shared listening and paying attention to themes, patterns and insights, we begin to sense a connection to the larger whole.

Hint:  Consider what is not being spoken, along with what is being shared.  Acknowledge to others that you have heard them and are listening.

7. Be Open

Encouraging others to challenge our knowledge will lend itself to richer understanding.  Including a broader circle that can actively contribute to your thinking and ideas is necessary as the exchange of perspective greatly enriches the possibility for surprising new insights.

 Hint:  Pay attention to your “knowledge” as it becomes difficult to unlearn what we have learned.

8. No negative assumptions

Most people want to do what is right.  When we perceive something as confusing or challenging, we must uproot any negative assumptions that have the potential to poison the conversation.  What we do as a group may not always be what you would have done individually. It has been said that if you want to go fast, go alone and if you want to go far, go together.  We seek to do together what cannot, and should not, be done alone.

Hint: Pay attention to what you hear and what you say.  Think about your thinking.

How a request is approved

Group members choose which requests to meet through a democratic process which we call "weighing in." If you are in support of the request and want the group to meet it, simply click the Weigh In button and vote.

The Common Change platform works on an automated matrix which determines when a need is “met”. In the simplest terms, this matrix looks at how much the request is for, as a percentage of the total amount in the group fund, and determines the minimum percentage of approval needed to meet the need (for the typical need this is around 75% of the group).