Collective Impact Forum

Collective Impact Forum
Name	Collective Impact Forum
Formation	2011
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Trust for Public Land?
Leader title	Founder
Leader name	John Kania and Mark Kramer?

Collective Impact Forum The Collective Impact Forum is a convening and learning network focused on coordinating cross-sector collaborations to address complex social challenges. It connects practitioners, philanthropies, foundations, nonprofits, and public institutions to advance a structured approach to systems change. The Forum emerged alongside initiatives in networked philanthropy, strategic philanthropy, and community development.

Overview

The Forum promotes a structured collective impact approach that emphasizes backbone organizations, shared measurement, and mutually reinforcing activities. Its activities bring together actors from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and municipal partners such as the City of New York and City of Chicago. The Forum engages intermediary organizations like United Way Worldwide, Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and research institutions including Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Brookings Institution, and RAND Corporation.

History and Development

Origins trace to practitioners and scholars influenced by convenings hosted by FSG, thought leaders including John Kania and Mark Kramer, and publications in Stanford Social Innovation Review and entries in the work of Bryson, Crosby, and Stone. Early pilots involved collaborations in regions such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, StriveTogether, and statewide efforts like Cradle to Career partnerships. Major moments included adoption by networks supported by the Annenberg Foundation, endorsement by municipal initiatives in Seattle and San Francisco, and conversations at conferences such as Skoll World Forum, Clinton Global Initiative, and World Economic Forum sessions.

Structure and Governance

The Forum operates as a programmatic hub within a larger organizational host or independent nonprofit structure, collaborating with philanthropic partners including MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and corporate partners like JP Morgan Chase. Governance models have included advisory councils with representatives from local government, civic organizations like Civic Commons, academic partners such as Princeton University, Yale University, and evaluation partners from Mathematica Policy Research and Abt Associates. Backbone functions often mirror roles performed by intermediaries such as National League of Cities and regional nonprofit networks.

Key Initiatives and Programs

Programs have focused on issues championed by funders and civic coalitions: early childhood outcomes with United Way of Greater Atlanta and StriveTogether, public health collaborations with Kaiser Permanente and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, criminal justice reform pilots connected to MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge, and workforce development aligned with JPMorgan Chase’s New Skills at Work initiative. Learning networks have convened participants from initiatives like Promise Neighborhoods, Collective Impact Lab cohorts, Purpose Built Communities, and state-based coalitions supported by Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Methodology and Framework

The Forum advances a methodology emphasizing five core conditions derived from early writings in Stanford Social Innovation Review and practice: a common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support. Implementation tools draw from evaluation frameworks by Harvard Kennedy School, improvement science from Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and systems mapping techniques promoted by Deloitte and McKinsey & Company consultants. Training and capacity building involve partners such as Taproot Foundation, Bridgespan Group, and university extension programs at Columbia University and University of Chicago.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations have been conducted by research organizations including RAND Corporation, Mathematica Policy Research, Urban Institute, and academic teams from University of Pennsylvania. Reported outcomes include improvements in coordinated service delivery in pilot cities like Cincinnati, reductions in duplicate case management across agencies such as Head Start providers, and increased funder collaboration documented by studies from The Bridgespan Group and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. Critiques have appeared in outlets associated with Brookings Institution and Stanford Social Innovation Review examining attribution, measurement challenges, and equity considerations.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships have involved major philanthropies such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and corporate partners including JP Morgan Chase and Kaiser Permanente. Implementation partners have included intermediary networks like United Way Worldwide, policy organizations such as National Governors Association, and academic centers like Harvard Kennedy School and Stanford University. Collaborative funding models frequently rely on pooled grants, pay-for-success experiments in partnership with Social Finance US, and municipal budget commitments from cities like New York City and Chicago.

Category:Nonprofit organizations