After the 2014 Champions for Change conference, Liz Weaver interviewed John Kania and Fay Hanleybrown of FSG for The Philanthropist -- a free online journal for practitioners, academics, supporters and others engaged in the non-profit sector in Canada. When asked about whether anything had surprised them, and what they would say has changed the most since the original Collective Impact article was written by John Kania and Mark Kramer in 2011, Fay responded saying...
"I’d like to stress that this is not a rigid model—Collective Impact looks different in different contexts. We have found tremendous value for practitioners from learning across different efforts, so that’s why we’ve launched the Collective Impact Forum. There is great opportunity for learning from one another, but also a danger if people see Collective Impact as a model that looks the same in each place."
When leading a Collective Impact initiative, it is essential to recognize that although we can, and should, learn from one another, we must also acknowledge the uniqueness of our initiatives and allow fluidity within our models. Not every Collective Impact story will look the same.
Looking for real-life examples? Check these out:
Are you interested in exploring more Collective Impact stories? Do you want to bring your story to the table? Consider joining the Canadian Collective Impact online Community of Practice!