The Latest

Why Collective Impact?

Community problems are complex - education, poverty, food security, neighbourhood revitalization, crime prevention, and environmental sustainability – and we cannot solve or create lasting change when we work in isolation. The collective impact approach differs from collaboration in that it requires us to work towards a common agenda, across multiple sectors. This is achieved through a backbone infrastructure whose role is to support the community and ensure effective and on-going collaboration.

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Change Agent Leadership for #socialgood

At Family Life our purpose is transforming lives for stronger communities. Whilst we have in mind the characteristics of the stronger community we are aiming for, we do not necessarily know the detail.

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Building Trust and Sustaining Momentum with Key Stakeholders

At the recent Collective Impact Summit I hosted a panel discussion on Building Trust and Sustaining Momentum with Key Stakeholders with Lindsay Daniller from REACH Edmonton, Elena DiBattista from the Our Kids Network, and Adaoma Patterson from the Peel Poverty Reduction Strategy. Each speaker shared their successes, challenges and insights from their many years working in collaboratives and collective impact initiatives.

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Collective Impact 3.0: Big Ideas from CI Summit in Toronto

I'm a really lucky guy. I got to spend a week with my Canadian friends earlier this month and, once again, they both affirmed and pushed my thinking.  

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Melody Barnes at the Collective Impact Summit

As the opening keynote speaker at the Collective Impact Summit held in Toronto 6-10 October, Melody Barnes brought considerable political insight and experience to the question of Why Collective Impact and Why Now? Barnes, who served as assistant to US President Barack Obama and director of the White House Domestic Policy Council from 2009 to January 2012, was a key player in creating the White House Council for Community Solutions, which was established by the President in 2010 to seek solutions to America’s most serious problems, which the President felt certain would be found in local communities and not in Washington. 

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John Kania at the Collective Impact Summit

It is always a pleasure to see and hear John Kania speak.  In fact one participant at the recent Collective Impact Summit hosted by Tamarack in Toronto called Kania a “Rockstar” and I think the tribute is appropriate - John is a compelling speaker and certainly inspiring with his wonderful mix of clear conceptual thinking, rigorous research, real-life examples, and practical advice. 

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