Spring forward!
At Network Impact, we start the “New Year” in March to coincide with the beginning of spring. We step back at this time of new growth to reflect on our work and priorities for the months to come.
Here are some themes that are on our radar screen this year:
Building on Connections - Oftentimes, grantmakers who fund fellowships or awards do not integrate these programs into their network building efforts as strategically as they could. We are working on a framework to help guide funder decisions about whether and how to leverage their investments in these programs to build networks for more impact.
Proto-networks - “Proto-network” is a term we use internally at Network Impact to describe networks that have yet to fully take shape but show early signs of promise in addressing some aspect of an important social problem. We will be continuing to work with these networks to explore their “fit” with other network initiatives and larger systems change efforts. These types of synergies are increasingly possible as more and more change agents are organizing in social impact networks.
Making the invisible visible - We recently developed a network learning module for The Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities. As part of this work, we spoke with a handful of thought leaders about what they consider to be essential insights in the field of social impact network building. This stood out: the importance of making the invisible visible. This has several dimensions, including the influence that large social forces have on how we identify and prioritize social problems as well as their solutions, including network solutions. We will be exploring these concepts in our research and writing about social impact networks this year.
Recent releases
Network Impact has completed an assessment for the Knight Foundation to learn about how developers and designers in the OpenNews network are collaborating on open technologies to benefit journalism. More about the project and our findings.>>
From the field
As the infrastructure and capacity to use data is increasing in the social sector, we are seeing more networks monitor member engagement regularly by creating activity categories and tracking changes in participation. This can be a hugely helpful practice for network organizers to optimize engagement strategies and keep an eye on network evolution. Network Impact has been exploring ways to build on this approach to assess how engagement relates to impact. Senior Consultant Amanda Welsh offers a description of two recent projects - Community Commons and Mozilla Science Lab>>.
Client news & updates of interest
Incourage in Wisconsin Rapids, WI is working with residents to re-imagine community indicators that more accurately track the health and vitality of the community, and can be used by networks of residents and leaders to make decisions.
The Immigrant Rights group of the Legal Impact Network (LIN) was joined recently by partners from National Immigration Law Center to discuss the current challenges facing immigrant communities and strategies for addressing them. LIN is a network of law and advocacy organizations implementing coordinated multi-state strategies to address poverty and advance social justice in the U.S.
Out and about
Headed to St. Paul for The Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities Annual Conference this week? Madeleine Taylor will be presenting "Social Impact Networks and How to Invest in Them". Come by and say hello!