Communities should be stronger after we work with them than they were when we arrived. 💪 Well-designed services don’t create dependence—they empower people with the skills, confidence, and autonomy needed to thrive. If you’re a social sector leader serving underserved communities, it’s time to ask: Are your efforts just meeting immediate needs, or are you truly fortifying communities for the long term? Do your programs equip people to build their own futures or keep them reliant on external support? Let’s create sustainable change that lasts. 🌱 #CommunityFortification #Empowerment #SocialImpact
DC Design
Civic and Social Organizations
San Francisco, California 1,057 followers
Advancing the well-being of underserved communities through human-centered solutions to society's most complex issues.
About us
DC Design is a social impact consulting firm focused on addressing systemic inequities in Education, Healthcare, Housing, Criminal Justice, Housing, Employment. We help social-sector organizations maximize their impact and create transformational change through research, strategy and design. We use Human Centered Design to help solve the world’s biggest problems. Our work includes redesigning aspects of the foster care system alongside nonprofits and business collaborators, partnering with governments to develop and implement strategies for reducing jail recidivism, consulting architects, physicians and nurses on designing optimal emergency departments, and developing award-winning educational programs to address challenges around physical disability. Our specialty is in multi-stakeholder design, which involves understanding the needs of diverse groups of people, finding key points of agreement, and identifying opportunities to create novel solutions to the challenges those stakeholders face. Our consulting services, educational design workshops, and products are aimed at creating a lasting positive impact on society and helping others do the same. At our core is the belief that those who experience a problem first hand should play a central role in solving it. We teach business and non-profit leaders, government officials, entrepreneurs, and students how to unlock the creativity they never knew they had by applying the same principles we use every day. Those we work with and train through our design process develop the insights needed to identify and solve the world’s most challenging problems.
- Website
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http://www.dcdesignltd.com/
External link for DC Design
- Industry
- Civic and Social Organizations
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California
- Type
- Privately Held
- Founded
- 2012
- Specialties
- Design Thinking Workshops, Product Design, Consulting, Service Design, Design Consulting, Social Impact Design, Organizational Strategy, Multi-stakeholder Needs Assessment, research, Strategy, Design, Human-centered Design, Social Impact, Strategic Planning, Impact Evaluation, Program Evaluation, and Program design
Locations
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Primary
18 Bartol St
#1170
San Francisco, California 94133, US
Employees at DC Design
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Jo Golden
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Durell Coleman
Helping social sector leaders solve the root causes of generational poverty to uplift Black, brown, and low-income communities. | Founder/CEO @…
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Debra Martens
Assistant Manager Strategic Sourcing
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David Claros
Visionary Creative Designer Offering Compelling Design & Digital Experiences | Innovative Marketing Strategist Crafting Memorable Campaigns | Dynamic…
Updates
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🎯 Is Your Strategic Plan Missing This Step? 🎯 You’ve developed a strong strategic plan—now what? Without strategic alignment, your plan might just be another document on the shelf. Strategic alignment is about more than just setting goals. It’s about restructuring your organization to meet those goals effectively, ensuring every team member is on board and every resource is optimized. Our new article explores the often-overlooked step that can make or break your strategic efforts. Let’s ensure your community thrives and your organization’s vision becomes reality. 💡 Learn more about this missing step in strategic planning ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d2Cgkxtp #NonprofitStrategy #CommunityImpact #SocialChange #LeadershipDevelopment #StrategicPlan
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There are three primary ways people approach creating change, but not all are built to last. If we’re serious about creating an impact, we need to rethink the way we build solutions that truly support long-term autonomy. Let’s aim for solutions that fortify, not just fix. 🔑 Click this link to watch our founder and CEO Durell Coleman talk about creating systems change and building Black wealth at the ACD46: WAYS Conference. https://lnkd.in/d8iiX4C2 #socialimpact #systemschange #nonprofit
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There are three primary ways people approach creating change, but not all are built to last. If we’re serious about creating an impact, we need to rethink the way we build solutions that truly support long-term autonomy. Let’s aim for solutions that fortify, not just fix. 🔑 Click this link to watch our founder and CEO Durell Coleman talk about creating systems change and building Black wealth at the ACD46: WAYS Conference. https://lnkd.in/d8iiX4C2 #socialimpact #systemschange #nonprofit
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Our founder & CEO Durell Coleman talks about how to build Black wealth, eliminate generational poverty and create lasting social change in America. Watch his full talk at the ACD46: WAYS Conference (Association of Community Design) titled “What If We Build Black Wealth Instead >> https://lnkd.in/d8iiX4C2 Part 2 coming soon!
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📊 Measuring What Matters 📊 A strategic plan without a framework for impact measurement is like setting sail without a compass. Strategic alignment isn’t just about organizing resources—it’s about creating a roadmap to measure progress and adjust course as needed. In our latest blog, we share how to establish a framework that tracks your nonprofit’s impact, ensuring every step you take leads to meaningful change. Let’s move beyond planning to action. Ready to measure what matters? 📈 Learn how to set up your impact framework ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dCD3gtJj #ImpactMeasurement #StrategicPlan #NonprofitLeadership #SocialImpactDesign
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We need to remind ourselves that even small actions can create ripples of change. Change is constant, but change is also slow, and requires patience and perseverance. This quote from our Consulting Team Lead, Cooper Penn helps us keep perspective and continue the work we’re passionate about. ✨ ➜ How do you stay grounded in your social impact work, especially when the weight of the world's challenges feels overwhelming? Tell us in the comments!
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What’s the difference between equality and equity? And where does justice come into play? Philip M. Alberti does a great job breaking down this incredible, and important image!
Founding Director, AAMC Center for Health Justice at Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
I've never liked the "baseball & fence" image to visualize the distinction between equity and equality. (What if you don't like to watch baseball?! Who determined that was the outcome that mattered? Seemed like it was decided with a lack of #communityengagement to me.) I just came across this "Giving Tree" inspired image that adds justice to the mix and I think I love it. Not only because of the Shel Silverstein connection (huge, lifelong fan) but because of the emphasis on fixing the systems and structures that produce inequity. What surprised me (but shouldn't have) were some of the comments on the social media site where I found it. Peppered amongst the positive reactions were folks saying (paraphrasing), "The lazy person on the right should just do a little work and walk to the other side of the tree instead of waiting for others to fix the system for them." That assumes "right-siders" (a) have the opportunity to see a move as a real option, (b) have a path and the needed supports to get there, (c) can make room for themselves on that side of the tree, and (d) will be welcomed by "left-siders" when they arrive. All things "the -isms" that produce injustice are designed to prevent. It also assumes that the system itself will remain standing without structural support. The #healthequity movement has not done a good job of enlarging our tent because we haven't done a good job explaining how #healthjustice (that is, "fixing the system") benefits *all* communities - both right- and left-siders. Health justice isn't zero-sum, and we don't need to make Community A less healthy to ensure Community B has a real, sustainable opportunity to "gather apples". Learn more about how the AAMC Center for Health Justice is working to "achieve health equity through health justice" and join us in that work here: https://lnkd.in/g6HrvYAQ
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🏗️ Building Capacity for Change 🏗️ Creating a strategic plan is just the first step in achieving your nonprofit’s mission. The next crucial step is ensuring your organization is aligned and ready to act. Strategic alignment involves more than just tweaking your plan—it’s about equipping your team with the tools, skills, and structure needed to implement it effectively. At DC Design, we help nonprofits build this capacity, ensuring their plans lead to real, measurable impact. Our latest blog explores how to align your organization for success. Are you ready to take the next step? 💪 #Nonprofit #StrategicAlignment #CapacityBuilding #StrategicPlanning Read the blog now ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dVDB5R-K
The Step Most Nonprofits Miss When Strategic Planning, and How You Can Get It Right
DC Design on LinkedIn
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"Hopelessness is the enemy of justice." – Bryan Stevenson Feeling overwhelmed by the scale of systemic issues? Whether you're on the front lines working to address these challenges or living through them yourself, moments of doubt are inevitable. But here’s what we know: Systems change gradually, one intentional step at a time. Every decision, every action we take moves us closer to a more just world, even when it doesn’t feel immediate. At DC Design, we tackle complex issues like infant mortality, homelessness, and mass incarceration—and yes, the weight is real. But we remind ourselves, and you, that progress is built piece by piece. With the right approach, we can create lasting change. #SystemsChange #SocialImpact #HopeInAction