--- title: It's About Making Things Happen description: In this blog, Liz Weaver shares the key content from the book The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. image: https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Photos/Image%20Library/calculator%20blog.jpeg --- [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=200&height=47&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) # It's About Making Things Happen Posted on March 5, 2013 [By Liz Weaver](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/liz-weaver) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) One of my favourite things to do when I am in an airport is to cruise the bookstores and catch up on the latest publications.  I often indulge in buying a book if the title and table of contents speak to me.  Recently, on a trip home, I picked up **The Impact Equation **by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith.  I have been thinking alot about [**collective impact**](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/collectiveimpact?hsLang=en-us) lately and the power and potential of communities to tackle some of their most vexing issues including reducing poverty, achieving school success, neighbourhood revitalization and dealing with health disparities.  The **Impact Equation **builds upon the collective impact framework developed by [**FSG Social Impact Consulants**](http://www.fsg.org/consulting).  John Kania and Mark Kramer identify five conditions for collective impact:  a common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication and a backbone organization.  ![calculator blog.jpeg](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Photos/Image%20Library/calculator%20blog.jpeg?width=320&name=calculator%20blog.jpeg)Similarly, Brogan and Smith have developed a fairly succinct equative for moving toward impact:  **Impact = Contrast x (Reach + Exposure + Articulation + Trust + Echo)** You can see how the two big ideas interplay.  Building a common agenda includes articulating the it, building trust, reach and exposure.  Shared measurement and mutually reinforcing activities provide contrast, exposure and echo and are critical for extending reach.  Continuous communications and a backbone organization are critical functions to build reach, exposure, trust and the echo.    In working with **The Impact Equation **Brogan and Smith delve deeper into the role of goals, ideas, platforms and networks as key elements for building impact.  Again, these core themes resonate with the conditions of collective impact.  One of the biggest takeaways for me from this book, is the importance of navigating relationships to create reach and impact.  It is the investment in personal connections, leveraged by creative ideas, the use of multiple tools and impactful measures that brings about social and community change. Topics: [Collective Impact](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/collective-impact), [Liz Weaver](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/liz-weaver), [Community Change](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/community-change) ![Liz Weaver](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Website_Author_Liz_Weaver.jpg) ### By [Liz Weaver](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/liz-weaver) Liz Weaver is passionate about the power and potential of communities to create impact on complex issues. She is Tamarack’s former Co-CEO and Director of the Learning Centre, where she provided strategic leadership and led key learning initiatives, including collective impact capacity-building services for the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Liz is one of Tamarack’s highly regarded trainers and has developed and delivered curriculum on collaborative governance, leadership, collective impact, community innovation, influencing policy change, and social media for impact. ## Related Posts [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/changemakers.jpeg)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/creating-community-for-changemakers?hsLang=en-us) #### [Creating Community for Changemakers](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/creating-community-for-changemakers?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Waterloo-crisis-post-cropped-widescreen.jpg)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/response-to-the-june-2023-hate-acts-at-the-university-of-waterloo-campus?hsLang=en-us) #### [Response to the June 2023 Hate Acts at the University of Waterloo Campus](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/response-to-the-june-2023-hate-acts-at-the-university-of-waterloo-campus?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Community-driven-pathways-blog-post-staff-office-widescreen.png)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/five-community-driven-pathways-for-systems-change?hsLang=en-us) #### [Five Community-Driven Pathways for Systems Change](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/five-community-driven-pathways-for-systems-change?hsLang=en-us) [![BACK TO THE LATEST](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/316071/e6ffa9bb-4467-4833-8ecc-eb340b11d829.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/316071/e6ffa9bb-4467-4833-8ecc-eb340b11d829) [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=3401&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) ### Tamarack [Home](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) [Latest](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest) [Events](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/eventlisting?hsLang=en-us) [Donate](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/donate?hsLang=en-us) [About](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/whoweare?hsLang=en-us) ### Follow Us [** ** ](https://www.facebook.com/TamarackInstitute) [** ** ](https://twitter.com/Tamarack_Inst) [** ** ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tamarack-institute-for-community-engagement)   In the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and truth we honour and acknowledge that our work occurs across Turtle Island (North America), which has been home since time immemorial to the ancestors of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. ### Subscribe Be in the know. 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