View the Resource By Michelle Shumate Can organizations working together make a bigger social impact? If so, how do they do it? Network theories of change describe how networks of nonprofits, government agencies, and socially responsible businesses can make a social impact.
If you google network, the first result that comes up is a 1976 satire directed by Sidney Lumet. If you dig down the page further, you’ll get to computer networks, how shy people can network, and telecommunication network services. We use the word “network” a lot. It’s in our name. But, none of these results describe what we mean. Instead, when we talk about networks, we think about collaborations among
Leading a network is much more complicated than advancing a single organization. Many successful organizational leaders are not good network leaders. Organizational leaders are often accustomed to making a decision and then having it implemented by paid staff. Network leaders get organizational leaders to work together without merging into a single organization – meaning they neither make decisions independently nor have the power to mandate their implementation. Conveners and long-term
View the Resource By Michelle Shumate, Amy O’Connor, Rong Wang This simulation is designed to help students identify toxic node behavior, contain the influence of toxic nodes and determine how to resolve conflicts. The scenario involves a grant awarded to partners representing public schools, private schools, local nonprofits and city government to improve student educational and socio-emotional outcomes. Students receive a common scenario, instructions for the simulation and an introduction
View the Resource By Michelle Shumate In this case, lessons from the Chicago Benchmarking Collaborative illustrate key principles of collaborative action and the importance of using data to achieve SMART goals. In 2015, the Chicago Benchmarking Collaborative (CBC) was a network of seven agencies in Chicago, Illinois, serving 12,000 low-income residents. Each of the agencies had early childhood, school-age children, and adult education programs. At the prompting of the Chicago
View the Resource By Michelle Shumate, Liz Livingston Howard, Waikar Sachin “Driving Strategic Change at the Junior League (A)” describes a troubled organizational environment. Challenges included a dissatisfied membership, declining membership numbers, a large diversity among local leagues, and limited resources to meet the organization’s overall objectives. The case describes a “participatory roadmap” approach, drawing on the insights of comprehensive research, and highlights a strategic-change approach that focuses on participation
