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 100th episode of our podcast, where we dive into the realities of what it means to rebuild collective work from the ground up.

To explore this topic, we talk with Annie Burke, the executive director of Together Bay Area, a regional coalition focused on climate resilience and equity in the Bay Area of California. Annie details the difficulties the coalition faced when experiencing a near collapse in 2018, the reckoning that followed, and what it looked like to rebuild. This included extensive partner and community engagement, improving governance, rebuilding trust, and developing a sustainable business model for the coalition to move forward.

From those challenges, a vibrant collective was reborn, and has since been championing the social and environmental changes needed for healthy lands, people, and communities.

If you have wondered what it can look like to rebuild a collective through challenging times and to come together for a renewed purpose, this is a great conversation to listen to.

Resources and Footnotes

• Together Bay Area
• The Water of Systems Change

More on Collective Impact

• Infographic: What is Collective Impact?
• Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? Contact us at: https://www.collectiveimpactforum.org/contact-us/

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 Melissa Darnell, Heather Equinoss, and Luzette Jaimes from the organization CoCreative, and learn how they work with collaboratives to blend structured and emergent strategies when doing collective work.

Listen in as we explore:

• How to navigate complex challenges by embracing uncertainty while maintaining clear purpose and shared goals.
• What methods can be used for co-designing solutions, fostering continuous learning, and adapting to shifting contexts.
• Why embracing the messy, unpredictable nature within collaboration is critical to progress.

Resources and Footnotes:

• CoCreative and the organization’s Creative Tools library
• Collaborative Innovation Roadmap
• 6 Patterns in Collaborative Innovation
• 4 Agendas in Collaborative Innovation
• Collaboration Advisor AI Tool

More on Collective Impact

• Infographic: What is Collective Impact?
• Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? Contact us at: https://www.collectiveimpactforum.org/contact-us/

In a time when so many are grappling with division and polarization in their communities, where does one start to build connections to better understand when and why do you feel like you “belong” in your community?

In this new podcast conversation, we talk with Anjum Rahman and Atarau Hamilton-Fuller from Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono, based in Aotearoa New Zealand. In the aftermath of the horrific Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019, their collective’s work focused on visiting communities across the country to foster understanding, empathy, and a sense of belonging by encouraging participants to share personal experiences of inclusion and exclusion.

Anjum and Atarau share about the unique, culturally grounded approach that they developed as their group hosted and facilitated “belonging conversations” across 46 cities and towns. These conversations, created with three simple yet revealing questions, helped create spaces where participants felt safe to be truly heard, learned the power of deep listening without judgement, and helped understand each other's shared humanity.

As part of this discussion, we also demonstrate the conversation, exploring the three core questions to help understand why these discussions have been so powerful for participants.

This discussion is essential listening for anyone seeking practical ideas for how to build understanding and foster genuine connection across different groups within the same community.

Resources and Footnotes:

• Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono
• Resource: What does belonging mean to you?
• Resource: How to Hold a Conversation on Belonging

More on Collective Impact

• Infographic: What is Collective Impact?
• Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? Contact us at: https://www.collectiveimpactforum.org/contact-us/