1. Fostering Youth Opportunities: A Collective Impact Initiative
October 18, 2016
Stan Holt, MSPH, PhD
woman, priest, 2 ministers and a rabbi….
How do nonprofits receive their funding? Workplace giving campaigns.

2. Why Collective Impact Lots of good programs - effective
No population level change
Complex social problems
Rittel and Webber, tame vs. wicked problems
Cause is not clearly related to effect
Multiple systems
No lasting solutions
Collaboration movement existed
Got legs
United Way a natural fit because of the network of providers

3. Conditions of Collective Impact
Common agenda
Shared measurement
Constant communications
Mutually reinforcing activities
Backbone organization – functions
Equity

4. Fostering Youth Opportunities as an example
Exploring and building a matched savings project targeting young people aging out of foster care
Fostering Youth Opportunities – Self-sufficient by age 24
Step toward collective impact
Outcomes in housing, employment and education
Integrated services model
$1 M over three years to four county-wide collaboratives

5. Diverse systems in each county
Durham (2014)
Johnston (2015)
Orange (2015)
Wake (2014)
Nonprofit WIOA
LINKS
Nonprofit Case Management
Mental Health
WIOA
Housing
Nonprofit Employment
Community College

6. FYO - Common Agenda
Common outcome of supporting young people as they transition out of foster care
Not to be confused with different program philosophies
Diverse philosophies allow different support for youth
Diverse philosophies can raise conflict

7. FYO - Shared Measurement
Program level outcomes required in the funding application
Improved housing
Improved education
Improved income
Built database to track clients
Barriers of consent have to be overcome with this population
Discussing milestone measurements
Changes in gradepoint average
Employed for six weeks

8. FYO - Constant Communication
Weekly or bi-weekly meetings of case workers
Monthly meeting of all stakeholders
Quarterly regional meetings of a learning community
Training on youth development
Strategizing around employment barriers
Issues between organizations
Different program philosophies
Assumptions around program
Communication with the young person – less triangulation

9. FYO - Mutually Reinforcing Activities
Centralized intake/coordinated assessment with interesting results
One story one time
Team is problem solving around youth
Start with what the youth wants
All have same goals
Unique organizational strengths are built upon
Funding streams maximized
Unique personal relationships
Organizations stretch their activities
Gaps are identified

10. FYO - Backbone Function
Different organization for each county
Sometimes not attractive work
Meeting scheduling
Meeting minutes
Communication and relationship building
Funding
Accounting/managing money

11. FYO - Equity Youth at the center of their plan
Youth originally at the table when we conceptualized this project
Employing youth to help with activities associated with this project

12. New skills needed Flexibility Patience
Mindful of process vs. outcome/action
Reflection and generation
Systems thinking (
New way of telling the story and securing resources
Collective vs. agency/program
Listening
Learning how to give up something in the short term, for long term gain
Accountability to each other, not external donors/funders

13. Some lessons about collaboration
Who is at the table – you don’t have to have everyone to start, but don’t claim to “represent”
Working together
Relationships are most important
Sharing credit is more important than taking credit
Working together differently, not taking on one part of the system
Watching for success
Combinations of activities; not just one thing
Evaluation is more developmental as opposed to at point-in-time junctures
Pay attention to how things adapt/emerge/change

14. Contact Information
Stan Holt, MSPH, PhD