Collective Impact - What Leads Up to this?

In the August 31 Huffington Post Emmett D. Carson, CEO, Silicon Valley Community Foundation offers a critique of Collective Impact.

In the September 5 FSG blog Emily Gorin Malenfant offers a response.

I've written a number of articles focusing on collaboration and collective impact and I've posted comments on FSG blogs in the past.

In the FSG response Ms. Malenfant writes that it is essential that "nonprofit organizations, funders, businesses and government agencies actively work together from a common base of facts and a shared set of goals."

In my comments on FSG blogs I've asked for more information showing how these different stakeholders were brought together to the point where they had trust in each other and shared a common vision. This is a form of community organizing that is extremely difficult, but perhaps made easier if the person/organization doing the convening were also someone with a bucket of gold.

My faith in the Internet is that anyone, regardless of your status, wealth, etc. could post a good idea and reach out through free media to build a following. However, I recognize how difficult this is.

I encourage you to read both of the commentaries and more of the articles about collective impact. I don't think we can help millions of kids living in high poverty move through school and into jobs without a lot of people sharing the same vision and a long-term commitment to making this result a reality.