Back to Collective Impact grants Collective Impact Toolkit Welcome to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s online resource library for communities. These resources from the Community Tool Box and other online sources are oriented around the collective impact model, a framework for collaboration to advance equity and achieve systems change. ^ back to top Introduction Phases Five Conditions Collective Impact Grant What is Collective Impact? Collective impact is a network of community members, organizations, and institutions who advance equity by learning together, aligning, and integrating their actions to achieve population and systems-level change. Learn more about Collective Impact Forum Five Phases of Collective Impact Although rooted in the local context, collaborative action can generally be categorized by five phases: Assess Readiness, Initiate Action, Organize for Impact, Begin Implementation, and Sustain Action and Impact. To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits for the five phases of collective impact, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Phase 1: Assess Readiness The group explores whether the community and relevant stakeholders have the capacity, resources, and interest to engage in a collective impact effort. This phase helps determine if conditions are right for collaborative action. Some recommended actions for Phase 1: Through collaboration with community, conduct a readiness and landscape assessment (assess complexity and urgency of problem, assess history of collaboration, identify existing local collaborations, identify potential champions, determine resources). Create baseline landscape and data mapping. Resources for Phase 1: Toolkit: Assessing Community Needs and Resources Chapter 3: Community Assessment To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Phase 2: Initiate Action The group identifies and convenes key community members, leaders, and stakeholders to launch the shared effort. Community engagement and initial meetings generate early momentum, align expectations, and encourage meaningful participation. Some recommended actions for Phase 2: Kick off steering committee. Engage in community outreach. Resources for Phase 2: Chapter 6: Communications to Promote Interest Toolkit: Increasing Participation and Membership Community Engagement Toolkit To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Phase 3: Organize for Impact The group formalizes its strategic direction through defining a common agenda, clarifying its goals, and establishing the structures to support impactful collaboration. Some recommended actions for Phase 3: Create a common agenda: clear problem definition, common vision, population level goal, basic theory of change. Develop high-level population goal. Select backbone organization. Ongoingly, engage community perspective/voice. Resources for Phase 3: Toolkit: Developing a Framework or Model of Change Toolkit: Creating Strategic and Action Plans To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Phase 4: Begin Implementation The group begins implementation of coordinated strategic activities to achieve their shared goals. Some recommended actions for Phase 4: Determine shared measurement and aligned strategies to create mutually reinforcing activities. Develop working groups to implement strategies. Continue efforts to share the initiative with the broader community. Resources for Phase 4: Toolkit: Creating and Maintaining Coalitions and Partnerships Chapter 9, Section 3: Developing Multisector Task Forces or Action Committees for the Initiative To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Phase 5: Sustain Action and Impact The group sustains the initiative through ongoing participatory evaluation, adaptation, and community engagement. The initiative continues to evolve, and strategies are adjusted to meet changing needs and conditions. Some recommended actions for Phase 5: Continue implementing strategies. Collect and use data to learn and refine strategies. Evolve steering committee and working group composition to match adaptive strategies. Continue ongoing activities to share initiative progress and gain community input. Resources for Phase 5: Toolkit: Evaluating the Initiative Chapter 19. Choosing and Adapting Community Interventions Toolkit: Sustaining the Work or Initiative Strategies for Sustaining the Initiative A Guide for Building a Sustainable and Resilient Collaboration To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Five Conditions of Collective Impact To drive systems change, organizations engaged in collective impact work must address five conditions: Common Agenda, Shared Measurement, Mutually Reinforcing Activities, Continuous Communication, and Backbone Support. To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits related to the five conditions of collective impact, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Common Agenda All participants share a vision for change that includes a common understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving the problem through agreed-upon actions. Resources for Common Agenda: Toolkit 3: Analyzing Problems and Goals Toolkit 7: Developing an Intervention Chapter 2, Section 9: Community Readiness Chapter 8, Section 1: An Overview of Strategic Planning or “VMOSA” (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Action Plans) Chapter 8, Section 2: Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Shared Measurement Participating organizations agree on the ways success will be measured and reported, with a short list of common indicators identified and used for learning and improvement. Resources for Shared Measurement: Chapter 3, Section 9: Developing Baseline Measures of Behavior Chapter 3, Section 18: Creating and Using Community Report Cards Chapter 3, Section 19: Using Public Records and Archival Data Chapter 8, Section 3: Creating Objectives Chapter 38, Section 9: Gathering and Using Community-level Indicators – Main Section Chapter 39, Section 1: Using an Evaluation System to Answer Key Questions about Your Initiative To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Mutually Reinforcing Activities A diverse set of stakeholders, typically across sectors, coordinate a set of differentiated activities through a mutually reinforcing plan of action. Resources for Mutually Reinforcing Activities: Toolkit 5: Developing Strategic and Action Plans Chapter 1, Section 8: Some Lessons Learned on Community Organization and Change To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Continuous Communication All players engage in frequent and structured open communication to build trust, assure mutual objectives, and create common motivation. Resources for Continuous Communication: Chapter 4: Getting Issues on the Public Agenda Chapter 6: Communications to Promote Interest To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Backbone Support An independent, funded staff dedicated to the initiative provides ongoing support by guiding the initiative’s vision and strategy, supporting aligned activities, establishing shared measurement practices, building public will, advancing policy, and mobilizing resources. Resources for Backbone Support: Toolkit 1: Creating and Maintaining Partnerships Chapter 1, Section 7: Working Together for Healthier Communities: A Framework for Collaboration Among Community Partnerships, Support Organizations, and Funders To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Additional Resources Troubleshooting Guide: 14 Common Dilemmas in Community Work Centering Equity in Collective Impact 10 Dangers to Collective Impact (Lessons Learned) To explore the entire collection of chapters and associated toolkits, visit the Collective Impact Forum Table of Contents. Kauffman Collective Impact grant The Kauffman Foundation Collective Impact grant is a two-part grant for coalitions of high-capacity organizations to create a systems-change strategy to close economic mobility gaps in the Kansas City region aligned with our strategic priorities and focus areas. Learn more about the Kauffman Collective Impact grant