Thanks to the authors for sharing this article and the work that they have done on articulating the value of backbone organizations in collective impact.
As a direct service provider, I can see the value of backbone organizations in helping partner organizations achieve mutually reinforcing goals. While there is a case to be made for a backbone organization that can remain focused on an overarching goal while also supporting the work of its partners, they may also face challenges in obtaining funding. This may be an issue in cases where donors are not interested in supporting an intermediary between itself and the organization working directly on the social challenge being addressed.
I’m wondering if attention has or is being given to the adoption of sustainable revenue models by backbone organizations, as well as their partners, so that they are less reliant on donations and grants.
You raise a great point that is top-of-mind for GCF. Obviously, we see the value of backbone organizations, but even when making our case for support with our board and volunteers, we were faced with the challenge of communicating the value-add they provide! That is precisely why we felt this was an important community leadership role for the foundation.
Once the field is better able to quantify the value of a backbone organization, and clearly articulate the case, we believe it will lead to a stronger sustainability model. It’s not sexy philanthropy; it’s not what I call ‘shiny object’ philanthropy, but it is important if we really want to make progress.
I’m very pleased to hear your support of the backbone organization as a direct service provider. It would help if other direct service providers would also lend their voices of support.
I would challenge other backbones to post a response to the sustainability issue. What do you see as the most viable long-term sustainability model?
Thank you for the important information that you are sharing with us as you develop the Collective Impact model. As a foundation, we are using this to guide a process with local Jewish organizations. We have two specific questions that we’d like to learn more about: (1) What experience have you had with foundations operating as the backbone organization and (2) questions around membership models (e.g. members and partners, concentric circles). We have a group that has been meeting for over a year and while we would be interested in seeing the membership expand, they are reluctant to change the composition of the group.
Would love to hear from you.
There is a new group for sharing information and discussions on Collective Impact that should become a valuable source of ideas, best practices and more. It is part of a new Website (http://www.communitycommons.org) backed by many major organizations (http://www.advancingthemovement.org). Create a free account (and gain access to valuable data, mapping capabilities and other things that would typically cost many thousands of dollars), and then go to the “Engage” section to find the groups. You’ll see the Collective Impact group there. Please join and become an active participant.
Great article! Congratulations on your clarity of focus and capacity to see a dynamic that many would not have seen.
I am directing a “backbone organization” that works internationally and then here in the US and our work and focus was well-represented by your words.
Our work grew into being a backbone organization as we found success in incubating local youth, family and community development organizations and then morphed ourselves into a becoming what these local, indigenously-led organizations would most need to help them maximize their impact.
Could you give any tips on what funders are most focused on working with backbone organizations?
Excellent and helpful series of articles! In our small rural village of Delburne, Alberta, Canada, we partnered with Tamarack on their 1000 Conversations campaign and engaged approximately 1/2 of our population from all sides of the street to share their hopes & dreams for the future. A unique spin on the initiative was the incorporation of the “Belonging: DELBURNE” photo project which intentionally and effectively employed art as a medium to increase community engagement and build social capital via deep heart level connections.
To date, the degree of shared community ownership/responsibility around identifying vital projects and collaboratively action planning for results has been solid. Thus, I find our project slightly in reverse to those of the cohort groups in that building public will was the first step, which lead to a grassroots, community owned vision. We are now looking to create a backbone to support community members as they move forward on vital projects. Trying to figure out how to create structure without it becoming “institutional” and thus undermining grassroots empowerment.
Your work is great. I think most of the aspects you’ve mentioned are very important. I have questions though:
I’ve been thinking about the idea of the backbone organization’s shared measurement systems and i would like to know how you avoid collective negative impact. As I come from an environmental view on the world I would like to know how and if you report on sustainability issues.
I also would like to know how your innovation process is designed to face knew challenges. I am asking because I have the fear that a centralized management of action leads to less awareness of , yet unknown, problems through trust.
In particular I think that shared measurement systems are only valuable to a certain extent and should leave lots of room for self designing and it should request a certain amount of self reflection to find out what indicators suite the most for the individual participants. This should lead to a more complex understanding of the challenges we face. In the end there might be a trade of between collective impact and the complex understanding of sustainable change if too many organizations stick to the same rules. As well it might decrease the capability of recognizing rising problems early.
It might be that I think to narrowly, but I would like to see that backbone organizations are the sum of individuals and not shaping individuals to become a sum.
thank you for reading.
Dear All
thank you all for sharing such amazing case studies and the role of backbone organisations in driving systemic change. i chair a couple of NGO’s (environment and road safety) in the Sultanate of Oman and find your methodology a very useful one to drive a system and population changes. I am as a chair of backbone organisations trying to get funders and other stakeholders united towards one goal either in environmental protection or road safety advocacy especially in the use of child seat restrainers. it has not been easy but i have become a strong believer of collaboration impact, therefore i would appreciate your guidance and support to make the process more rewarding
reg
amor almatani
Oman
COMMENTS
BY Kimberley Jutze
ON July 21, 2012 03:10 PM
Thanks to the authors for sharing this article and the work that they have done on articulating the value of backbone organizations in collective impact.
As a direct service provider, I can see the value of backbone organizations in helping partner organizations achieve mutually reinforcing goals. While there is a case to be made for a backbone organization that can remain focused on an overarching goal while also supporting the work of its partners, they may also face challenges in obtaining funding. This may be an issue in cases where donors are not interested in supporting an intermediary between itself and the organization working directly on the social challenge being addressed.
I’m wondering if attention has or is being given to the adoption of sustainable revenue models by backbone organizations, as well as their partners, so that they are less reliant on donations and grants.
BY Shiloh Turner
ON August 1, 2012 06:24 PM
Hi Kimberley,
You raise a great point that is top-of-mind for GCF. Obviously, we see the value of backbone organizations, but even when making our case for support with our board and volunteers, we were faced with the challenge of communicating the value-add they provide! That is precisely why we felt this was an important community leadership role for the foundation.
Once the field is better able to quantify the value of a backbone organization, and clearly articulate the case, we believe it will lead to a stronger sustainability model. It’s not sexy philanthropy; it’s not what I call ‘shiny object’ philanthropy, but it is important if we really want to make progress.
I’m very pleased to hear your support of the backbone organization as a direct service provider. It would help if other direct service providers would also lend their voices of support.
I would challenge other backbones to post a response to the sustainability issue. What do you see as the most viable long-term sustainability model?
BY Shari Edelstein
ON August 17, 2012 08:42 AM
Thank you for the important information that you are sharing with us as you develop the Collective Impact model. As a foundation, we are using this to guide a process with local Jewish organizations. We have two specific questions that we’d like to learn more about: (1) What experience have you had with foundations operating as the backbone organization and (2) questions around membership models (e.g. members and partners, concentric circles). We have a group that has been meeting for over a year and while we would be interested in seeing the membership expand, they are reluctant to change the composition of the group.
Would love to hear from you.
BY Bill Barberg
ON August 23, 2012 09:25 AM
There is a new group for sharing information and discussions on Collective Impact that should become a valuable source of ideas, best practices and more. It is part of a new Website (http://www.communitycommons.org) backed by many major organizations (http://www.advancingthemovement.org). Create a free account (and gain access to valuable data, mapping capabilities and other things that would typically cost many thousands of dollars), and then go to the “Engage” section to find the groups. You’ll see the Collective Impact group there. Please join and become an active participant.
BY Jamie Johnson
ON August 23, 2013 07:05 AM
Great article! Congratulations on your clarity of focus and capacity to see a dynamic that many would not have seen.
I am directing a “backbone organization” that works internationally and then here in the US and our work and focus was well-represented by your words.
Our work grew into being a backbone organization as we found success in incubating local youth, family and community development organizations and then morphed ourselves into a becoming what these local, indigenously-led organizations would most need to help them maximize their impact.
Could you give any tips on what funders are most focused on working with backbone organizations?
BY Nora Smith
ON September 23, 2014 01:48 PM
Excellent and helpful series of articles! In our small rural village of Delburne, Alberta, Canada, we partnered with Tamarack on their 1000 Conversations campaign and engaged approximately 1/2 of our population from all sides of the street to share their hopes & dreams for the future. A unique spin on the initiative was the incorporation of the “Belonging: DELBURNE” photo project which intentionally and effectively employed art as a medium to increase community engagement and build social capital via deep heart level connections.
To date, the degree of shared community ownership/responsibility around identifying vital projects and collaboratively action planning for results has been solid. Thus, I find our project slightly in reverse to those of the cohort groups in that building public will was the first step, which lead to a grassroots, community owned vision. We are now looking to create a backbone to support community members as they move forward on vital projects. Trying to figure out how to create structure without it becoming “institutional” and thus undermining grassroots empowerment.
Any ideas?
BY Rukan Nasri
ON February 27, 2015 05:11 AM
Your work is great. I think most of the aspects you’ve mentioned are very important. I have questions though:
I’ve been thinking about the idea of the backbone organization’s shared measurement systems and i would like to know how you avoid collective negative impact. As I come from an environmental view on the world I would like to know how and if you report on sustainability issues.
I also would like to know how your innovation process is designed to face knew challenges. I am asking because I have the fear that a centralized management of action leads to less awareness of , yet unknown, problems through trust.
In particular I think that shared measurement systems are only valuable to a certain extent and should leave lots of room for self designing and it should request a certain amount of self reflection to find out what indicators suite the most for the individual participants. This should lead to a more complex understanding of the challenges we face. In the end there might be a trade of between collective impact and the complex understanding of sustainable change if too many organizations stick to the same rules. As well it might decrease the capability of recognizing rising problems early.
It might be that I think to narrowly, but I would like to see that backbone organizations are the sum of individuals and not shaping individuals to become a sum.
thank you for reading.
BY Amor Nasser Almatani
ON December 30, 2018 09:44 PM
Dear All
thank you all for sharing such amazing case studies and the role of backbone organisations in driving systemic change. i chair a couple of NGO’s (environment and road safety) in the Sultanate of Oman and find your methodology a very useful one to drive a system and population changes. I am as a chair of backbone organisations trying to get funders and other stakeholders united towards one goal either in environmental protection or road safety advocacy especially in the use of child seat restrainers. it has not been easy but i have become a strong believer of collaboration impact, therefore i would appreciate your guidance and support to make the process more rewarding
reg
amor almatani
Oman