Collective Impact Forum
Episodes
How Does Emergent Learning Help Collaboratives Learn and Adapt?
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When collaborative partners come together to tackle complex challenges, learning must be part of the work itself and not an afterthought.In this new p...
How Can a Collaborative Radically Restart?
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it look like for a collaborative to shift from nearly sunsetting to achieving a vibrant renewal?We tackle this challenging question in the 1...
How Can Your Collaborative Strategy Be Both Structured and Emergent?
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it look like for a collaborative to balance planned strategies with new and rising needs?In this new podcast discussion, we talk with Meliss...
Building Belonging through Conversations
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a time when so many are grappling with division and polarization in their communities, where does one start to build connections to better understa...
How to Influence without Authority
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A backbone’s role in a collective is often to facilitate collaboration among partners and help the group make progress toward a shared goal. This ca...
How Collaboration Can Support Communities Through Economic Transitions
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can a community shift their economic future?In this episode, we explore how communities heavily reliant on a single industry can come together to ...
Defending and Advancing Democracy and Equity in Collective Impact Work
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Collaboratives based in the U.S. that are working to solve for and reduce disparities in their communities are facing compounding challenges with the ...
Why Community Listening is Critical to Achieve Effective Philanthropy
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listening to community members and tapping into community expertise are key factors when trying to understand why social issues are happening, and wha...
Why is Backbone Leadership Different?
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are the skills and mindsets necessary to be a backbone leader for a collaborative?In this new podcast discussion, we talk with Paul Schmitz and D...
Partnering with Companies to Advance Collective Impact
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Companies can be a critical partner in collective impact work. However, working with companies can pose unique challenges, from understanding how to i...
How to Foster Effective Partnerships with Government
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Achieving long-term change requires having government—whether local, state, or federal—at the collaborative table as a key partner. However, many ...
Reflecting on a Career Committed to Collective Change
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Later this fall, Tamarack Institute’s Co-CEO Liz Weaver will retire, closing a chapter that includes many decades supporting community change, colle...
Connecting Advocacy and Data to Advance Collective Goals
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, Independent Sector published research on how advocacy by the nonprofit sector has evolved over the last 25 years, and specifically, how it ...
Designing to Inspire Community Joy and Connection
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can inclusive design spur community connections and build stronger partnerships in the process?During the COVID pandemic, the Van Alen Institute a...
How Practicing Futurism Can Strengthen Your Collaborative Strategy
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When building a collaborative strategy or working through your implementation plans, it might feel like what you need most is a crystal ball (or a mys...
Advancing Equity in Times of Polarization and Division
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Without proactively removing the structures and systems that have contributed to inequity, place-based collaboratives can not make a meaningful impact...
The Necessary Skills to Navigate Change
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Navigating and managing change is key to a collaborative’s journey, but it’s also one of the most challenging as each partner’s relationship, pe...
For Philanthropy to Succeed, All Strategies Must Address Disability
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Addressing issues related to disability and access are often cordoned off within the social sector and philanthropy. Disability is often deemed as “...
Why Understanding Local Context Is Critical for Collective Impact
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding a community’s “context” and its readiness for complex change work is a critical factor for launching and advancing collective impa...
Why a Policy Agenda is an Important Part of Collective Impact Work
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A core element of collective impact is changing systems in the pursuit of equity. Pursuing policy change and advocacy efforts are some of the key leve...
Mental Health is Important for Every Collaborative
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we wanted to highlight the importance of recognizing and supporting mental health as a critical and necessar...
How Belonging, Meaning, Wellbeing, and Purpose (BMWP) Can Empower Youth and Their Communities
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For more than a decade, The Opportunity Youth Forum at the Aspen Institute’s Forum for Community Solutions has been working with a growing network o...
Pivoting to Build a Stronger Collaborative
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We welcome back members of the Healthy Food Community of Practice to hear what they learned from their multi-year collaboration and how the way they w...
Shifting from Competition to Partnership in Private Sector Collaboration
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Millers for Nutrition coalition is working with 100+ millers and other partners to achieve an ambitious goal—getting nutritious, fortified food ...
The Ongoing Practice of Building Movements and Solidarity
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to build a movement? How is movement building connected to organizing and practicing solidarity with others? And why are these conce...
Exploring the Four Voices of Design to Solve Complex Problems
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Getting to the heart of complex problems can be tricky. How does one untangle the many threads that can be involved? How do you uncover what the real ...
How Community Leads the Way with Participatory Action Research (PAR)
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Communities can be “researched,” engaged, and surveyed to explore a variety of questions such as what barriers are preventing students from gradua...
What Collective Change Can You Make in 100 Days?
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Addressing homelessness in rural areas has multiple complexities including scarcity of funding, support services, and shelter options, as well as fa...
(Replay) The Role of Narrative Change in Collective Action
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
During the winter break, we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes.This replay episode features a dynamic discussion from the 2021 Collective...
(Replay) Leading From ‘Languishing’ to Beloved Community with Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During the winter break, we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes.In this episode from 2022, we hear from Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, who serve...
Achieving Transformational Results in Housing Through Partnerships
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a time when many cities across the United States are facing a growing housing crisis, one community has challenged the status quo, working across d...
What Makes an Effective Backbone Leader
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To find out what contributes to an effective and sustainable backbone, the EdRedesign Lab at Harvard University interviewed backbone leaders and fiel...
(Replay) The Power of Parent Engagement
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During this holiday week, we're replaying one of our favorite episodes from last year that focused on the power of parent engagement.In this 2022 podc...
Sustaining Impact for the Long-Term with Child Safety Forward
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How does a collaborative effort start planting the foundation for sustainability early on? In this podcast episode, we learn about the work of Child ...
System Catalysts - The Moth: Storytelling Leads to Change
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re excited to share with you an episode of another podcast that we think you’ll find very valuable for your social change work. System Catalyst...
Centering Equity in Challenging Times
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Director of Programs and Partnerships Courtney W. Robertson talks with Jamilica Burke and Melody Freeman from Seeding Success, an org...
Partnering with Local Governments to Advance Collective Goals
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Local governments can play a critical and necessary role in advancing system and policy changes to support communities, but it can be challenging to u...
How Homelessness is Solvable with a Collective Approach
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Complex issues like homelessness can feel unsolvable or intractable, but that does not have to be the case. Through a commitment to a collective appro...
Measuring What Matters With Community-Led Monitoring
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the practice of community-led monitoring, and how this practice can help inform and influence collaborative change efforts...
Heeding the Call for Community Partnerships
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the power of community partnerships, and how necessary they are when working to support better outcomes for the whole comm...
Building Capacity to Support Community Listening
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What can it look like to build capacity to support authentic community listening?In this podcast discussion, we learn about the community listening wo...
Krista Tippett: Collectively Remaking Our World
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How can you imagine and create a world for everyone?In this new podcast episode, we’re sharing our conversation with Krista Tippett, which was the c...
Imani Barbarin: Creating Accessible Spaces for Belonging
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to create truly accessible spaces within your collective work? At the 2023 Collective Impact Action Summit, we explored this questi...
Creating Purposeful Spaces of Inclusion and Belonging: A Conversation with Ruchika Tulshyan
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to create a culture of “belonging” within your collective work? At the 2023 Collective Impact Action Summit, we explored this q...
Strengthening Relationships through a Community of Practice
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Communities of practice are a valuable way of bringing partners together to connect and learn from each other to strengthen their collective work. It ...
Learning to Share Power Within an Organization
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the topic of sharing power, which is a key component and strategy when advancing equity in collective impact work. But wh...
Centering Parent Voice and Leadership to Support Early Relational Health
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we learn about how to build and strengthen partnerships with parent leaders so that the wide spectrum of parent voices and needs are ...
Building Collective Power to Strengthen Collaboration
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about building “collective power,” including what it means to build collective power and what factors can contribute to b...
Supporting a Sustainable and Resilient Collaboration – Part 2
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the second part of a two-part discussion that explores what practices can help a collaborative be more sustainable and resilient. For ...
Supporting a Sustainable and Resilient Collaboration – Part 1
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the first of a two-part discussion that explores what practices can help a collaborative be more sustainable and resilient. For this c...
Trusting the Messiness in Collective Impact
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about “trusting the messiness,” and how one can balance navigating partnerships and managing expectations while participa...
Exploring How to Use the New Racial Equity Toolkit
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have a deep dive discussion about a new resource called the Racial Equity Toolkit that’s free to download and available now in the Collective Imp...
How to Collaborate in Polarized Times
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we share a discussion from this spring’s 2022 Collective Impact Action Summit. This discussion explored ways to better collaborate ...
Leading From 'Languishing' to Beloved Community with Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, who serves as President and CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund. Dr. Wilson reflects on the ch...
The Power of Parent Engagement
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Parents can be powerful advocates in supporting the wellbeing of children and families in their community. But sometimes collaboratives and organizati...
Building Community Authority in Place-Based Collaboration
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is “community authority,” and what are ways to authentically build it within place-based collaborative work? In this new podcast discussion, ...
Mobilizing Innovative Partnerships for Community Investment
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can community anchor institutions, like hospitals, help launch and strengthen community investment initiatives? In this episode, we learn about h...
Building System Leadership Skills with Advance Together
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What kinds of dedicated skill-building can help prepare system leaders for the monumental job of coordinating complex collaborations? In this episode...
Exploring Backbone Staffing and Peer Support Models with United Way of Salt Lake
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can a backbone build structures and processes that can better support and retain its staff?In this new podcast episode, we’re doing a deep dive ...
Building Clarity of Purpose with a Project Charter
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can collaboratives build and ensure clarity of purpose as partners work together? In this episode, we’re doing a deep dive discussion into a spe...
Core Principles to Support Anti-Racism in Collective Impact
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Collective Impact Forum senior advisor Junious Williams talks with Erika Bernabei and Theo Miller who co-lead the consulting group Eq...
Avoiding the 10 Dangers to Collective Impact
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Collective Impact Forum senior advisor Paul Schmitz shares what he’s learned through supporting many collective impact initiatives,...
Strategies for Using Data Effectively
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our new episode of the Collective Impact Forum podcast, we’re talking with Justin Piff from Equal Measure about his recent article Data in Collec...
How Collective Impact Funders Can Build Trust
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are ways that funders can foster trust and support relationships with community partners? In this episode, Fay Hanleybrown, John Harper, and Vict...
Roundtable Discussion: Embracing Collective Impact at United Way
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we feature an unabridged roundtable discussion amongst a group of leaders who are part of United Way organizations from across the Un...
Roundtable Discussion: Reflecting on Collective Impact for Place-Based Social Change
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In September 2021, Melody Barnes, chair of the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, led a conversation with four social change leaders who f...
Bringing an Anti-Racist Approach to Collective Impact: Interview with Dr. Zea Malawa
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can the collective impact approach put anti-racism at the center of its work? How can collective impact work authentically center Black and Paci...
Strategies to Support Centering Equity in Collective Impact
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re talking about the findings from a new article in the winter 2022 edition of the Stanford Social Innovation Review titled, "Ce...
Connecting to Community Organizing and Advocacy with Frontline Solutions
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can collective impact initiatives leverage advocacy and community organizing to create more equitable systems and policy outcomes? In this episode...
How Funders Can Embrace the Original Collective Impact
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We share a deep dive discussion on the topic on how funders can support frontline community organizing and activism. This discussion was part of this ...
Join Us at Our Upcoming Virtual Office Hours this September
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hello, Collective Impact Forum listeners! Appreciate your patience as we prep our next podcast release, but before then we wanted to drop by and invit...
Shifting Power with Participatory Grantmaking
30 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’re sharing a deep dive discussion on the topic of participatory grantmaking that was part of this past spring’s 2021 Collective Impact Action S...
Narrative Change and Disability with Imani Barbarin
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
traIn this episode, we’re sharing a conversation from the 2021 Collective Impact Action Summit that was held this past spring. During this session...
Collective Impact in Rural Communities with Deb Halliday
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’re diving into the topic of what does it mean to do collective impact work in more rural areas. Collective Impact Forum executive director Jennif...
Sonya Renee Taylor: 2021 Collective Impact Action Summit Keynote
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features a powerful keynote address by author, entrepreneur, poet, and activist Sonya Renee Taylor that was part of the 2021 Collective I...
Rev. Dr. William Barber: 2021 Collective Impact Action Summit Keynote
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this powerful address from the 2021 Collective Impact Convening, Rev. Dr. William Barber (Repairers of the Breach) issues a call to action to not r...
The Role of Narrative Change in Collective Action
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features a dynamic discussion from the 2021 Collective Impact Action Summit, and focuses on the importance of narrative in collective soc...
The Power of Community-Led Data Gathering with the Center for Native American Youth
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nikki Pitre and Kendra Becenti from the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute share about their work on the recent Indigenous Future...
Building Transformative Partnerships with ROC the Future
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we chat with Jackie Campbell, who serves as Executive Director of ROC the Future, a collective impact education initiative that’s p...
What is the Role of the Backbone in Collective Impact?
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to play the backbone role for a collective impact initiative? What approaches to identifying the backbone tend to set the work up fo...
How Do You Sustain Your Initiative Over the Long Term?
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do you sustain momentum over the long-term when doing collaborative work? For many collective impact initiatives, there can be a far horizon to se...
Transformational Change with John Kania and Juanita Zerda of Collective Change Lab
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Collective Impact Forum executive director Jennifer Splansky Juster is in conversation with John Kania and Juanita Zerda of the socia...
How to Keep Learning During a Crisis
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this discussion, we hear from FSG's Hallie Preskill and Joelle Cook, who share advice, recommendations, and concrete ideas on how to continue to ke...
Together Through Crisis: A Case Study of Milwaukee’s COVID-19 Civic Response
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview with Forum senior advisor Paul Schmitz, we hear about the formation and experiences of Milwaukee’s Civic Response team during the ...
Partners in Conflict
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this roundtable discussion, we focus on questions around how to collaborate when there may be conflicts between partners, whether it’s conflictin...
Bridging the “Generation Gap” for Collective Impact
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We often talk about bringing together people and organizations from different sectors to do collaborative work, but it is also essential to bring folk...
How do you form a Common Agenda?
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How does one go about creating a “common agenda” with collaborative partners? In this deep dive episode, we explore the components of the common a...
Building Trust among Partners and Sharing Credit
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be a “good partner?” In this roundtable discussion, we discuss community questions around how to support and assess partnersh...
Holding Hard Conversations and Moving Beyond Neutrality
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this roundtable discussion, we continue discussing community questions about how to support anti-racism within our work, and specifically diving in...
Allies and Co-Conspirators: Stepping up to support Anti-Racism
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this roundtable discussion, we address some questions from Forum community members about how to support anti-racism work, and specifically explorin...
Collaborating during COVID-19
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this roundtable discussion, we address some questions from Forum community members about how our collaborative work is affected by the ongoing COVI...
Reflecting on this Moment and What’s Ahead
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this roundtable discussion, we reflect on what’s been happening with the pandemic, the economy, and the protests to support Black lives, the impa...
How Philanthropy Can Help Support Communities During Covid-19
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview, Dr. Lauren Smith, Co-CEO of FSG, shares key recommendations for how funders can support grantees now during the Covid-19 pandemic, ...
Managing Change in Rapidly Changing Times (Office Hour 1)
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In response to the current situation with the Covid-19 pandemic and how it affects so much of our lives, the Forum is hosting weekly virtual office ho...
Marshall Ganz: Community Organizing and Collective Impact
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re sharing a keynote and panel discussion titled, “Complementary or in Conflict? Community Organizing and Collective Impact”...
Key Factors to Support a Successful Collaborative
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode continues the theme of “Getting Started” in collective impact by focusing on some underlying factors including building relationships...
Liz Dozier - Moving from Charity to Justice in Collective Impact
21 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re sharing a keynote talk titled, “Moving from Charity to Justice in Collective Impact” by Liz Dozier, founder and CEO of Ch...
Vu Le - Equity, Inclusion, and Collective Impact
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re sharing a keynote talk titled, “Beyond Seats at the Table: Equity, Inclusion, and Collective Impact” that features a talk...
john a. powell - Operationalizing Equity in Collective Impact
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re sharing a 2019 Collective Impact Convening keynote talk titled, “From the “Why” to the “How": Operationalizing Equity...
Top things to consider when launching a new collective impact effort
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jen, Robert, and Tracy go into the topics of getting ready to launch a collective impact effort, including exploring the question of “How do I know ...