Collective Impact Without Borders
Since publishing our first article on collective impact—a structured, cross-sector approach to solving complex social problems—in 2011, we have deepened our understanding of what it takes to effectively implement collaborative processes between different sectors. Recently, FSG has been asked to advise on a growing number of efforts that foster funder and grantee collaborations across national borders. Given this increasing interest in using collective impact principles across geographies and cultures, we would like to share what we have learned from launching and advising funder-driven, transnational collaborative efforts. These collaborations are at different stages and aim to address a wide variety of challenges (including social mobility in Israel, fisheries sustainability in Mexico, human trafficking in Brazil, and alternative care in Cambodia).
While collective impact is not always the only or even the most appropriate approach, when conditions are present for a successful, multi-sector collaboration to address a systemic issue in a foreign country, two dimensions require particular consideration.