Roundtable Discussion: Reflecting on Collective Impact for Place-Based Social Change

<p>In September 2021, <strong>Melody Barnes</strong>, chair of the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, led a conversation with four social change leaders who for more than a decade have used collective impact to create collaborative, place-based change. Participants included <strong>Jennifer Blatz</strong>, president and CEO of <a href="https://www.strivetogether.org/">StriveTogether</a>, a national network of local communities striving to achieve racial equity and economic mobility, supporting the success of every child from cradle to career; <strong>Geoffrey Canada</strong>, founder and president of <a href="https://hcz.org/">Harlem Children’s Zone</a> and the recently launched <a href="https://hcz.org/william-julius-wilson-institute/">William Julius Wilson Center</a>, nonprofits working to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty with comprehensive, on-the-ground programming that builds opportunities for children, families, and communities; <strong>Rosanne Haggerty</strong>, president and chief executive officer of <a href="https://community.solutions/">Community Solutions</a>, a nonprofit working to achieve a lasting end to homelessness; and <strong>Erik Stegman</strong>, chief executive officer of <a href="https://nativephilanthropy.org/">Native Americans in Philanthropy</a>, an organization promoting increased and equitable investments in tribal communities that align with Indigenous values.</p><p>During this roundtable, the participants discussed how their years of experience with collective impact has evolved and what they have learned that will carry them into the next decade of collaborative work to improve communities. This discussion is an unabridged version of an article shared in the Stanford Social Innovation Review titled Reflecting on Collective Impact for Place-Based Social Change.</p><p><strong>Resources and Footnotes</strong></p><p>Article: <a href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/centering_equity_in_collective_impact" target="_blank">Centering Equity in Collective Impact</a></p