Collective Impact Forum

What does it mean to play the backbone role for a collective impact initiative? What approaches to identifying the backbone tend to set the work up for success? In this episode, we’re focusing on the various ways the backbone works, and a few things to avoid when establishing a new backbone role.

Featuring Jennifer Splansky Juster, Robert Albright, and Tracy Timmons-Gray.

Resources and Footnotes

Report: When Collective Impact Has Impact: A Cross-Site Study of 25 Collective Impact Initiatives

Resource: Backbone Starter Guide: A Summary of Major Resources about the Backbone

More on Collective Impact approach to collaborate for social change:

Infographic: What is Collective Impact?

Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? You can send it to our short podcast listener survey or at [email protected].

How do you sustain momentum over the long-term when doing collaborative work? For many collective impact initiatives, there can be a far horizon to see actual long-term population-level results- like 5 or 10 years for a project (or longer.) Change can take a long time, and because of that, an added challenge is just keeping people motivated, keeping partners at the table, or figuring out how to fund a long-term initiative when grant funding may not continue after a year or two. So what do you do? If these big social change goals take a long time to become reality, how do we get there? In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive discussion to talk about seven factors that can support an initiative’s long-term sustainability.

Featuring Jennifer Splansky Juster, Robert Albright, and Tracy Timmons-Gray.

Resources and Footnotes

Paper: Sustaining Community-Based Programs:  Relationships Between Sustainability Factors and Program Results by Dr. Lydia I. Marek and Dr. Jay A. Mancini

Tool: Sustaining Collective Impact Efforts (Tamarack Institute) 

Resource: Guide to Evaluating Collective Impact

Case Study: Collective Impact in Emergency Response: A Case Study of Milwaukee’s COVID-19 Civic Response Team

Podcast: Together Through Crisis: A Case Study of Milwaukee’s COVID Civic Response

Blog: The Baker’s Dilemma and the inequity of restricted funding

Blog: Managing Change During the Pandemic: Thoughts for Collective Impact and Nonprofits

Tool: The Eco-Cycle Mapping Tool

More on Collective Impact approach to collaborate for social change:

Infographic: What is Collective Impact?

Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? You can send it to our short podcast listener survey or at [email protected].

In this episode, Collective Impact Forum executive director Jennifer Splansky Juster is in conversation with John Kania and Juanita Zerda of the social impact organization Collective Change Lab. Jen, John, and Juanita discuss what are some of the key qualities and practices needed when working to achieve long-term systems change.

Resources and Footnotes

The Water of Systems Change

Collective Change Lab

More on the Collective Impact approach to collaborate for social change:

Infographic: What is Collective Impact?

Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? You can send it to our short podcast listener survey or at [email protected].

In this discussion, we hear from FSG's Hallie Preskill and Joelle Cook, who share advice, recommendations, and concrete ideas on how to continue to keep learning about how our collaborative work is going, even during times of prolonged crisis like the pandemic. 

Resources  and Footnotes

Blog: Learning in a Time of Crisis

Resource: Facilitating Intentional Group Learning: A Practical Guide to 21 Learning Activities

Tool: Appreciative Inquiry

More on Collective Impact approach to collaborate for social change:

Infographic: What is Collective Impact?

Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? You can send it to our short podcast listener survey or at [email protected].

In this interview with Forum senior advisor Paul Schmitz, we hear about the formation and experiences of Milwaukee’s Civic Response team during the first months of the pandemic and learn about the city’s comprehensive response to the COVID-19 crisis. Along the way, Paul shares the lessons learned about how collective impact efforts can be most effective in both meeting emergency needs and pursuing long-term systems change.

Resources and Footnotes

Case Study: Collective Impact in Emergency Response: A Case Study of Milwaukee’s COVID-19 Civic Response Team

Webinar: Collective Impact in Emergency Response: A Virtual Discussion on Milwaukee’s COVID-19 Civic Response Team

Resource: Targeted Universalism: Policy & Practice

Podcast: john a. powell - Operationalizing Equity in Collective Impact

More on Collective Impact approach to collaborate for social change:

Infographic: What is Collective Impact?

Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? You can send it to our short podcast listener survey or at [email protected].

In this roundtable discussion, we focus on questions around how to collaborate when there may be conflicts between partners, whether it’s conflicting schedules, motivations, or values, and what to consider when those conflicts come up. This discussion includes what to consider when partnering with law enforcement, how to sort through conflicting community meeting needs, and the challenges of finding common ground when everything seems polarized.

Featuring Sheri Brady, Paul Schmitz, Tracy Timmons-Gray, and Junious Williams.

Resources and Footnotes

Video and Transcript: Complementary or in Conflict? Community Organizing and Collective Impact

Podcast: Marshall Ganz - Community Organizing and Collective Impact

Book: Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein

More on Collective Impact approach to collaborate for social change:

Infographic: What is Collective Impact?

Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? You can send it to our short podcast listener survey or at [email protected].

We often talk about bringing together people and organizations from different sectors to do collaborative work, but it is also essential to bring folks from different generations into the conversation. What are the common differences we see across generations when working in collaboration, and how can we work through these challenges? 

Joining this cross-generational conversation on collective and community work is Sheri Brady, Ana Taukolo, and Junious Williams. This discussion was originally hosted at the Champions for Change virtual workshop on September 16, 2020.

More on Collective Impact approach to collaborate for social change:

Infographic: What is Collective Impact?

Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? You can send it to our short podcast listener survey or at [email protected].
 

How does one go about creating a “common agenda” with collaborative partners? In this deep dive episode, we explore the components of the common agenda, including what to think about when forming one, and what to consider when these current uncertain times might affect how your common agenda moves forward. Featuring Jennifer Splansky Juster, Rpbert Albright, and Tracy Timmons-Gray.

Resources and Footnotes

Report: When Collective Impact has an Impact: A Cross-Site Study of 25 Collective Impact Initiatives

Podcast: Getting Started – What is Collective Impact?

Podcast: Top things to consider when launching a new collective impact effort

Podcast: Key Factors to Support a Succesful Collaborative

More on Collective Impact approach to collaborate for social change:

Infographic: What is Collective Impact?

Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? You can send it to our short podcast listener survey or at [email protected].

What does it mean to be a “good partner?” In this roundtable discussion, we discuss community questions around how to support and assess partnerships, and what does it really look like to share credit among multiple partners in a collaborative. 

Featuring Sheri Brady, Jennifer Splansky Juster, Paul Schmitz, Tracy Timmons-Gray, and Junious Williams.

Resources and Footnotes

Article: Turf, Trust, Co-Creation & Collective Impact

Tool: TRIZ

Blog: Lessons Learned from our Conversations with Experienced Backbone Leaders

Report: When Collective Impact has an Impact: A Cross-Site Study of 25 Collective Impact Initiatives

More on Collective Impact approach to collaborate for social change:

Infographic: What is Collective Impact?

Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? You can send it to our short podcast listener survey or at [email protected].

In this roundtable discussion, we continue discussing community questions about how to support anti-racism within our work, and specifically diving into how to host hard conversations when everyone is gathering virtually, and what to consider when the focus of your work feels separate from race and racial equity. Featuring Sheri Brady, Jennifer Splansky Juster, Paul Schmitz, Tracy Timmons-Gray, and Junious Williams.

Resources and Footnotes

Resource: Covid, Race, and the Revolution from PolicyLink

Blog: Have nonprofit and philanthropy become the “white moderate” that Dr. King warned us about? By Vu Le (Nonprofit AF)

Book: Dying of Whiteness by Jonathan M. Metzl

Opinion: Together, You can Redeem the Soul of the Nation by John Lewis

Video: Congressman John Lewis' Funeral Service In Georgia (Time)

Podcast: Allies and Co-Conspirators: Stepping up to support Anti-Racism from the Collective Impact Forum

Blog: 116 Organizations Driving Change by MacKenzie Scott 

More on Collective Impact approach to collaborate for social change:

Infographic: What is Collective Impact?

Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? You can send it to our short podcast listener survey or at [email protected].