When communities seek to tackle complex issues—whether it’s addressing food insecurity, improving early childhood education, supporting older adults, or developing the workforce—their go-to solution is often to organize a new network, coalition, or alliance. These efforts, typically fueled by well-intentioned goals of cross-sector collaboration, aim
Community networks are essential in tackling wide-ranging societal challenges such as public health, education, equity, and environmental sustainability. These networks, which comprise individuals, organizations, and stakeholders, collaborate to spearhead change and implement solutions. In this article, we’ll introduce some important actionable insights from network science
In today’s rapidly changing world, the concept of resilience has never been more critical, especially when it comes to managing community networks. Resilience in systems thinking is the ability of a system – like a network of community partners – to withstand and adapt to
The concept of ecosystem thinking and strategies continues to spread among social impact professionals. As such, it’s helpful to revisit the roots of this exciting new way of thinking. While there are differences between for-profit and non-profit approaches toward ecosystem-building strategies, there are also many
Network science offers powerful insights into how organizations can work together to address intricate social and environmental issues. One particularly powerful structure is the hub-and-spoke network model. Often used in contexts ranging from transportation to communication systems, this model can also be applied in an
The initial energy of launching a community network or forming a coalition is truly something to behold. Seeing disparate groups converge, aligning their objectives, and celebrating their first victories together creates an invigorating sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. However, one of the key challenges
Managing a network of community partners is no easy task. Unlike typical hierarchical organizations, a network is horizontal with few formal mechanisms for accountability through control. Network leaders have to rely on more abstract ideas like trust and mission alignment to keep their partners accountable,
Network centrality is among the most well-known social network analysis metrics, measuring the degree to which a person or organization is central to a network. There are three different ways to measure network centrality, and some are easier to understand than others. Centrality is a
There are many different ways to structure a network… for example, in a decentralized structure, everyone in a network can be connected to everyone else, while in a centralized structure, everyone connects to a single, central entity. Each of these organizational network structures has its
People build networks for a reason, what we call their “network purpose.” Some networks or alliances are extremely focused in what they address, while others take a more fluid approach and change their purpose over time. However, it’s important to pick a purpose with intent
Click one of the links below to download a free resource to strengthen your community partnerships, collaborative network, and strategic ecosystem.
Advice for building, managing, and assessing cross-sector networks or coalitions of partners.
A template to map the connections and interactions between key stakeholders in your community.
A worksheet and guide to help you think through and develop your network or ecosystem strategy.
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