“We’re consistent, and we persist.”: An Examination of Organizational Sensemaking and Its Impact as A Non-Profit Transitioned From Start-up To Sustainability

Abstract

Black Women Education Leaders, Inc. (BWEL) is a national, nonprofit professional organization that seeks to amplify the voices of Black women in educational leadership roles offer professional development, and award scholarships toward Education Leadership Licensures. Having moved into its third year, BWEL sought to transition from start-up to sustainable practices as a member-oriented organization. This project examined members’ perceptions of factors that either afforded or inhibited the scalability of BWEL as the organization moved through the transition phase. This qualitative ethnographic study relied on the Four Forms of Organizational Sensemaking framework, structured interviews, observations, and document reviews to inform the analysis of BWEL’s patterns of discursive interactions. Findings strategic recommendations surrounded member engagement and increasing opportunities for guided sensemaking.