DOT PROJECT Reflection
Reflecting on this year I realise there are important milestones DOT PROJECT has reached which have almost passed us by as we focus our attention on supporting charities hardest hit by COVID-19. Usually in November we go to Websummit, we like the event but more than that it’s an opportunity to have some time out, reflect and plan over a pastry. As a cooperative we spend time supporting charities to find the space and headspace to reflect which is a reminder to us that we should do the same for ourselves once in a while.
2020 began with a feeling of hope and promise, we entered the New Year in a mindset of consolidation and focus ready to clarify our charity support programmes and build our network of digital and organisational design experts. In many ways the year has worked out completely differently to what we’d envisaged, but I realise this is always the case. Over the 4 years we’ve been running DOT PROJECT much of what we do is based on instinct, our journey is never linear it weaves and wiggles. What’s happened in 2020 is our usual pivots and weaving have happened at fast speed and without the usual coffee shop moments where much of our magic was previously made.
One thing is clear, 2020 has highlighted why DOT PROJECT exists. One moment from March remains in my memory clear as day. As lockdown enveloped the UK I remember Annie saying:
‘It doesn’t matter how we do it, whether we’re paid or not, we have a duty to step forward and support charities and their communities at this time. If we have skills that can support communities, we should use them however possible’
For me this became our rallying cry.
In our support to charities this year we have drawn on our networks of individuals and partners. We started 2020 as a core team of 3, this week DOT PROJECT have welcomed new Members taking our membership to 10. In the coming weeks we’ll welcome more team members to support upcoming work in the mental health and wellbeing and sexual abuse and domestic violence space.
One thing I’m really proud of about this journey of growth is how we’ve collectively approached our financial model. We learnt from fellow cooperative Outlandish (who incidentally turned 10 this week!) that discussing finances is hard but critically important. This year we’ve found a way to ensure all Members are paid equally, this has been a long journey and we deserve to pause and do a celebratory jig that we’ve made this happen.
As part of this journey we’ve transitioned from our Associate model, which we felt we had outgrown, to a fully Member based model. This is a key achievement so over the next few weeks we’ll introduce our new members, and also reintroduce our existing ones. A pause for reflection and celebration in a year where we’ve grown and evolved in ways we could never have anticipated.
