Nancy worked with SHC in the summers of 1973 and 1974 as a community organizer in St. Charles, Va. and then as co-director of the Coalition in East Tennessee and western Virginia. She was at that time an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt. She was instrumental in getting the first community clinic off the ground in St. Charles, along with Polly McLanahan McArthur, a nursing student at Vanderbilt.
Nancy is a national expert on strategic planning for non-profit organizations. She has been a key asset in the organization and building of the Coalition archive project.
Related Content:
On core tenets of sustainability and the role of business planning in community organizing
Nancy Raybin delves into the core tenets of sustainability (such as governance, self-preservation, and long-term impact metrics) to further stress the value of bringing business planning to community organizing. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview. Recorded October… Continued
1976 St. Charles Health Clinic, VA
After the 1975 health fair in St. Charles, Va., the local health council worked tirelessly to build a permanent clinic. By 1976, that clinic had opened to the public. And over time, it grew into a network of 12 regional… Continued
On healthcare as a catalyst for community organizing
Nancy Raybin reflects on the Coalition’s philosophic inspirations from which it modeled its approach to community organizing, naming Saul Alinsky as the primary paradigm. She also comments on her own personal interaction with healthcare as a catalyst for organizing and… Continued
Nancy Raybin on Bill Dow’s visionary leadership and other prominent figures in southwest Virginia
Nancy Raybin describes Bill Dow’s visionary leadership, highlighting his role in securing funds for the Coalition’s varied projects. But given her placement in St. Charles and being so far removed from SHC happenings in East Tennessee, Raybin speaks more to… Continued
An overview of Nancy Raybin’s SHC experience
Nancy Raybin recaps her time with the Student Health Coalition, from initial introduction during the spring semester and subsequent participation as a community organizer in St. Charles, Va. during the summer of 1973 to serving as co-Director–alongside Randy Hodges and… Continued
On the St. Charles Clinic’s economic model: “…it had to survive beyond the goodwill of volunteers”
Nancy Raybin describes the growth and development of the St. Charles Clinic over time. She provides insight about what distinguished this one from others in East Tennessee, with emphasis on the value of applying business principles and establishing an economic… Continued
Nancy Raybin’s onboarding and role as Director of the St. Charles Clinic, 1974
Nancy Raybin discusses her onboarding and role as the Director of the St. Charles Clinic from 1974 to 1976, a period during which she hired Polly McClanahan as the clinic’s Nurse Practitioner (NP), recruited Art Van Zee as the clinic’s… Continued
Nancy Raybin’s community organizing pursuits post-SHC
Nancy Raybin shares more about her background in community organizing and related post-SHC pursuits–namely, her graduate education in public, private, and nonprofit management at Yale’s Business School. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview. Recorded October 28th, 2021. Continued
On the success of the St. Charles Clinic: Art Van Zee’s decision to stay and other local leaders
Nancy Raybin highlights Art Van Zee’s commitment to the St. Charles Clinic (and decision to stay) as the foremost contributing factor to its success. She also speaks to the local leadership of many others involved in the clinic’s foundation. Follow… Continued