Collective Impact

The concept of collective impact was first outlined in a 2011 Stanford Social Innovation Review article by John Kania and Mark Kramer. The article described collective impact as the commitment of a group of actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem.

The core components of collective impact are:

• Common Agenda: Build a common vision and approach to addressing a specific social problem.
• Shared Measurement System: Identify common metrics to track progress and success, enabling relational accountability and reflection on shared interests.
• Mutually Reinforcing Activities: Coordinate efforts so that diverse activities complement and support each other toward achieving common goals.
• Continuous Communication: Foster trust, collaboration, and motivation among the collective through continuous communication.
• Backbone Support Organization: Facilitate collaboration, manage data collection, and ensure effective coordination among partners by establishing a backbone organization.

Since its introduction, the model has evolved through practitioner feedback and critique. A Collective Impact Forum was created and organizations like the Tamarack Institute proposed significant upgrades to the original framework illustrated here.