02 | Collective Impact: Strategic Philanthropy for Complex Issues

In this two-part episode, I’ll be exploring the efficacy of the collective impact model from two perspectives:  Philanthropy and Community Development.

Collective impact: 

• Starts with a common agenda (coming together to collectively define the problem and create a shared vision to solve it; 
• Establishes shared measurement (agreeing to track progress, in the same way, allowing for continuous improvement; 
• Fosters mutually reinforcing activities (coordinating collective efforts to maximize the end results); and 
• Encourages continuous communication (building trust and relationships among all participants) 

It also has a strong backbone – such as a team dedicated to orchestrating the work of the group. 

With principles of practice that places a priority on equity, uses data to continuously learn, adapt and improve and includes community members and cross-sector partners, the collective impact model has become a “best practice model” for philanthropy and strategic grantmaking at the community-level. 

In this two-part episode, I’ll be exploring the efficacy of the collective impact model from two perspectives:  Philanthropy and Community Development. 

Today I’m talking with Nan Silva, Program Director with Community Memorial Foundation.

Community Memorial Foundation aims to measurably improve the health of those who live and work in the western suburbs of Chicago.   

In 2015, the Community Memorial Foundation launched a Regional Health and Human Services agenda for the western suburbs.  This integrated agenda identifies health and human service priorities for the Foundation’s service area and highlights corresponding indicators to track progress over a ten-year time frame.  The Foundation uses the agenda to define its strategies, programs, and grantmaking, including the Community Health Worker Pilot and the creation of a Trauma-Informed Community; both of which engage the Collective Impact framework. 

Nan leads the Regional Health and Human Services Agenda and is here today to talk about the role of the Collective Impact in these two initiatives.

How does the CMF engage the Collective Impact model to support the creation of a trauma-informed community in South Chicago? 

The first phase of collective impact is readiness assessment and, in that phase,, we conduct strategic planning. Phase 2 is the action initiation. CMF developed the regional agenda together with the community. Phase 3, which is the organization for impact, CMF first convened the regional agenda implementation council which provides oversight and the healthcare access and behavioral action teams with guide initiative development.  

Phase 4, CMF began implementation of the regional agenda goals, grant making and activates. 

Phase 5 will involve sustaining the action for maximum impact. Many residences are unaware of local health and human service resources. We launched a 3-year community health worker pilot in the cook county portion of our area in partnership with a healthy community’s foundation. 

Our goal is to improve access to care and to advance health equity for individuals living in the western suburbs of cook county. 

Building resilient and communities are essential to improving public health and wellbeing. Taking innovative steps to create safer and healthier places to live, learn, work, and play by integrating and aligning services from different sectors to promote safety health and resilience. 

What supports does CMF provide to support the grantees and partners engaged in this work? 

We recognized that we needed to actively seek our partners as we went through all of the various needs and priorities. We were able to reach out to Healthy Communities Foundation, which has the same mindset as far as grassroots community-based approaches and certainty already had a good understanding of the community health worker model. 

We don’t consider ourselves the backbone organization. That is Health and Medical Policy Research Group. They’re the ones taking the lead in all project logistics and provide support through sustained communication through this whole collaborative learning approach. 

We also have a Center for CHW Research Outcomes and Workforce Developpement (CROWD). CROWD provides technical assistance on CHW   pilot evaluation. 

Investors are also a big part of our support. 

Are there communication supports that you also provide for your grantees? 

The importance of communication, and the importance that no matter how solid and robust and great a program might be, if nobody knew about it or if the resource wasn’t just out there for the taking, then it would just be there with no one benefitting from it. 

 We hired a communication coordinator with the specific intent of making sure that work of the Community Memorial Foundation and its various partners does have a say across our website, social media and through various print and air media that exists in our community.  

What are the strengths and challenges surrounding the Collective Impact Model? 

Shifting from the word inclusion to belonging. Invite them to belong and co-create the gain from the onset. It’s so important to include diverse voices and experience at the table. For this learning to be a powerful culture of learning must be present and embraced and shared learning should be amongst grantees, partners, community, and funders. 

This approach takes a lot of time and a lot of patience.  Don’t try to do it alone. The word is leverage, not just investments, but also ideas but strategies. Be open to learning from each other and building from each other. Be honest about those inevitable bumps in the road.