Collective Impact Forum

In this powerful address from the 2021 Collective Impact Convening, Rev. Dr. William Barber (Repairers of the Breach) issues a call to action to not return to the “normal” of pre-covid, and to recognize the systemic inequities that existed before and contributed to why the pandemic has had such a devastating impact on so many people and communities. Rev. Dr. Barber describes that what’s needed now...

This episode features a dynamic discussion from the 2021 Collective Impact Action Summit, and focuses on the importance of narrative in collective social change efforts. This discussion is led by Melody Barnes of the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, and features Crystal Echo Hawk from IllumiNative, Rashad Robinson from Color of Change, and Nayantara Sen from Real Food Real Stories. T...

Nikki Pitre and Kendra Becenti from the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute share about their work on the recent Indigenous Futures Survey project, a comprehensive survey, and the first of its kind, with thousands of participants across 401 tribes and 50 states. Nikki and Kendra share about what they learned through this survey project, including the immense impact of interview...

In this episode, we chat with Jackie Campbell, who serves as Executive Director of ROC the Future, a collective impact education initiative that’s part of the Strive Together Network and is based in Rochester, NY. Listen in to hear how ROC the Future takes a systems lens to their work with youth, including supporting their community through the ongoing COVID pandemic and racial justice reckonings...

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 R...

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 fu...

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 Chang...

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 L...

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 pursuin...

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 findi...

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...

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 F...

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-...

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, an...

In this roundtable discussion, we address some questions from Forum community members about how to support anti-racism work, and specifically exploring the question of what does it mean to be an ally to others, and how to use one’s own privilege to forward anti-racism efforts. Featuring Robert Albright, Sheri Brady, Jennifer Splansky Juster, Paul Schmitz, Tracy Timmons-Gray, and Junious Williams....

In this roundtable discussion, we address some questions from Forum community members about how our collaborative work is affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including supporting exhausted community partners, figuring out how to build engagement around a new initiative during the pandemic, and how to keep long-term goals while meeting immediate needs. Featuring Robert Albright, Sheri Brady,...

In this roundtable discussion, we reflect on what’s been happening with the pandemic, the economy, and the protests to support Black lives, the impact we’re seeing, and what does it mean to look ahead when the future seems so unknown. Featuring Robert Albright, Sheri Brady, Jennifer Splansky Juster, Paul Schmitz, Tracy Timmons-Gray, and Junious Williams. Resources and Footnotes Blog: Scenario Thin...

In this interview, Dr. Lauren Smith, Co-CEO of FSG, shares key recommendations for how funders can support grantees now during the Covid-19 pandemic, and how their programs may evolve when supporting the needs of communities post-pandemic. Resources and Footnotes Blog: COVID-19⁠—Seven Things Philanthropy Can Do by Lauren A. Smith Blog: Foundations: Use Your Balance Sheet to Help by Mark Kramer Mor...

In response to the current situation with the Covid-19 pandemic and how it affects so much of our lives, the Forum is hosting weekly virtual office hours that looks at your questions related to how to manage change right now- whether it’s change in your work, or your relationships, or even how to work right now. We’ll be sharing the audio from those virtual office hours so listeners of the podcast...

In this episode, we’re sharing a keynote and panel discussion titled, “Complementary or in Conflict? Community Organizing and Collective Impact” that features a talk by Marshall Ganz, who serves as Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Organizing, and Civil Society at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  Following the keynote is a panel discussion on community organizing in collective...

This episode continues the theme of “Getting Started” in collective impact by focusing on some underlying factors including building relationships and shifting mindsets that can support the long-term success of a collaborative effort. Episode Contents 1:44: Before diving into these key factors for success, how did we come up with these factors in the first place? 3:44: Four mental model shifts tha...

In this episode, we’re sharing a keynote talk titled, “Moving from Charity to Justice in Collective Impact” by Liz Dozier, founder and CEO of Chicago Beyond, an impact investor that backs the fight for youth equity. Chicago Beyond exists so that all youth, especially the most vulnerable, will have the opportunity to achieve their fullest human potential. This talk was held on May 16, 2019 at the 2...

In this episode, we’re sharing a keynote talk titled, “Beyond Seats at the Table: Equity, Inclusion, and Collective Impact” that features a talk by Vu Le, founding Executive Director of Rainier Valley Corps and author of the blog NonprofitAF.  Introducing Vu Le is Sheri Brady, who serves at the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions as well as co-lead of the Collective Impact Forum. This ta...

In this episode, we’re sharing a 2019 Collective Impact Convening keynote talk titled, “From the “Why” to the “How": Operationalizing Equity in Collective Impact” by Professor john a powell, who serves as Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute at the University of California Berkeley.  Following the keynote, Michael McAfee, President and CEO of PolicyLink, joins Professor Powell in a dis...

Jen, Robert, and Tracy go into the topics of getting ready to launch a collective impact effort, including exploring the question of “How do I know if the collective impact approach is the right approach to take for my collaborative?” Episode Contents: 2:35: Robert and Jen share a few of the conditions that can be helpful to have in place when deciding whether or not to use this approach on a soci...