Blog
- Foundation Strategy
Embracing an Ecosystem Approach for Philanthropy
Funders are shifting from being at the center of social change efforts to working in close partnership with the…
- Corporate/CSR
Flying through Interference
We believe that corporate changemakers need tools to properly diagnose interference and build enabling conditions for social impact strategies…
At the Speed of Trust–Part 2
December 15, 2014In my last blog I discussed the power of trust in collective impact, speaking from my personal experience in South Dallas to facilitate a community revitalizat…
Why Collective Impact is More Than a Buzzword—In Two Minutes
December 12, 2014There is no denying that collective impact has become a social sector buzzword. It’s often used as a blanket term for community efforts and grassroots movement…
At the Speed of Trust–Part 1
December 9, 2014We hear a lot about the five conditions of collective impact; however, the more I’m exposed to collective impact work the more I realize it’s as much about the…
What Complexity and Emergent Strategy Mean for Evaluation
December 5, 2014In 2009, the Norlien Foundation established the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI), to invest in improving the health and wellness of children and famil…
Working the Attractors
November 17, 2014Imagine a boat navigating a vast sea. How would that boat most efficiently reach its destination? By finding the areas with smooth current and avoiding those a…
Collective Impact, Privilege, and Empathy
November 13, 2014Collective impact is a promising approach for addressing complex problems – those which are ever-changing, interconnected, and cannot be solved by a single act…
Women, Work and Social Change
November 5, 2014On Friday, October 31, I had the honor of participating in an intimate roundtable discussion about women and the economy with President Obama at the Rhode Isla…
Sustaining Rural Water Supply Using the Principles of Collective Impact
November 3, 2014Imagine for a moment you live in a rural village in sub-Saharan Africa, where access to clean water is a remote possibility. Imagine the sense of promise and o…
What Having a Baby Teaches You About Complexity
October 27, 2014My colleagues at FSG and I have extensively written and spoken about acknowledging the importance of complexity when it comes to social change, whether in coll…
Finding the right size for impact: Geographic boundaries in collective impact
October 27, 2014Dr. Larry Rand, Principal Investigator for the UCSF Preterm Birth Initiative, took the podium in front of a large group of his peers who work on issues of mate…