How to Build Equitable and Measurable Impact
To make more massive, measurable social change happen, collective impact initiatives are on the rise. They can be win-win-win for all partners involved. Foundations are embracing them to bring together many traditionally separate entities to work towards one strong goal and helps them to identify how and where to make grants, program, and mission-based investments. Nonprofits can find partners through these initiatives where ongoing collaborations can make sense. And businesses can align with these initiatives and be part of them as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts.
So what is collective impact? It’s a way of working that presents a lot of opportunity for designing better, more equitable systems and services. It’s an agreement among its partners that everyone will share in one vision and that everyone is in it together. The concept was first written about in this Stanford Social Innovation article in 2011 written by John Kania and Mark Kramer at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
There are already many strong collect impact initiatives happening that focus on big equitable concepts like solving for homelessness, poverty reduction, health and wellness goals, workforce development, community development, and educational initiatives. Evanston’s Cradle to Career for example explores how to increase community literacy in order to help children through 23 years old to meet agreed upon success metrics so that “all Evanston young adults will be on the path to leading productive, satisfying lives” according to their stated vision. Collective impact partners who are working towards this youth success include Northwestern University, the City of Evanston, Evanston Public Library, NorthShore University HealthSystem, and many organizations such as the YMCA and United Way.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to work on a very exciting collect impact initiative in partnership with the Joyce Foundation and Grantmakers in the Arts called “Enrich Chicago” that begged the very important question: “How might we increase pathways into arts administration roles for people of color?” The Americans for the Arts census for 2015 showed 83 percent of all arts administrators are white so we knew there was plenty of work to be done. In partnership with three additional consultants, I shaped the team, research plan, concepts, and desired outcomes. Since doing this work, it’s been reported in Crain’s Chicago Business and the impact committees continue to meet to make progress towards their goal. There was a 3% change for the better within two years.
More recently I’ve been working to build collective impact between Chicago Public Libraries, World Business Chicago, and Gensler asking “How might we help branch managers throughout our city to connect and share program and service ideas that are sustainable?” We’ve gotten to know librarians and citizens through city and neighborhood workshops in order to map what people want and need from their neighborhood library and have built strategic recommendations for fulfilling more and more needs.
Throughout these projects, here’s what I learned:
Agreed upon metrics drive groups forward to meet big goals together. There has to be an agreed goal at the beginning of the initiative with an understanding of who the stakeholders are and how the project will be funded. With that, there should be an end date where the funding will run out and the team can reflect on what success they have had… together. From there, the team can choose to re-calibrate to a new goal with a new funding structure or can choose to know they have succeeded in meeting their goals.
It’s important to talk to real people in their real environments and communities.All the data in the world can be brought into a meeting but there’s nothing like getting real stories from the people this work will benefit most. During Project Enrich, we interviewed dozens of employees of Chicago arts organizations and talked to many people of color who were interested in arts administration but hadn’t been able to “breakthrough.” From there, we found insights that drove the work forward as we looked at both what “Finders” at nonprofits needed and what “Seekers” of these positions needed. If we hadn’t done this ethnographic research, we wouldn’t have been able to see and feel the realities both finders and seekers face.
There will be friction, and that’s a good thing. There will be conversations that you never thought you would have building this kind of work. During Enrich we talked through stories of racial reconciliation, memories from childhood, and personally reflected on our own biases coming into the project. As much as one might like to think of this kind of impact work as professional, at the end of the day, it’s very personal. There’s really no separation. Especially if you are dedicating your life to this kind of systemic, cultural change.
Bigger groups get things done because they have built-in accountability and they get press. Having monthly workshops with 25+ leaders might sound overwhelming and hard to manage, but in reality, it provides built-in promise that the work will be completed. With the right engagement design structure, facilitation, and activities, I’ve seen these groups of organizations be highly productive in ways that arguably solo companies and organizations are not since these initiatives have such intensely built-in shared success metrics that are agreed upon from the beginning of each project.
It’s all about personal relationships. I’ve seen that people really enjoy strengthening their own organization’s mission and programs through increased capacity for designed collaboration. And, through such intense work together, key relationships develop in ways they might not otherwise. It truly is inspiring and enlightening to come together around a shared impact vision with new and talented individuals who share the same passion to achieve results.
Are you beginning a new project at your company that’s focused on social impact? Are you wanting to start a new initiative at your nonprofit or your foundation so you all are known for creating magnificent change? Consider bringing a greater group of thought leaders and unique businesses and organizations together around a shared purpose that will make progress and will far outlast your current role. You’ll personally be stretched and challenged in new and rich ways knowing you’re part of far-reaching, measurable, life-changing work.
