At SureImpact, we often emphasize the power of data and collaboration in driving meaningful change.
Recently, an article published by the Center for Effective Philanthropy titled The Power of Partnership: Insights from the CORE Collective Program from EdTrust-West highlighted the importance of working collectively.
EdTrust-West is a nonprofit committed to dismantling the racial and economic barriers embedded in the California education system. The article showcased their real-world application of the collective impact model—a framework that brings together different stakeholders to solve complex social issues. The CORE Collective's success in improving student outcomes underscores how vital this approach is in creating equitable educational opportunities for all students.
In this post, we’ll explore how the CORE Collective Program follows the five key conditions of the collective impact model and how SureImpact can help collective impact collaboratives automate and streamline the process of shared measurement, data collection, and reporting—ensuring that all partners are aligned and working toward common goals.
What Is Collective Impact?
Before diving into the specifics of the CORE Collective, it’s important to revisit the collective impact framework. At its core, collective impact is about bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders to solve complex social problems. Unlike traditional models where organizations work in isolation, collective impact requires coordination across sectors, united by a shared vision.
According to research on the most successful initiatives, collective impact projects generally meet five key conditions that foster collaboration and lead to meaningful results:
A common agenda
Shared measurement systems
Mutually reinforcing activities
Continuous communication
Backbone support organizations
The CORE Collective Program follows this model almost to the letter, and their achievements serve as a testament to the model’s effectiveness in fostering equitable outcomes in education.
A Common Agenda: Grounding in Diverse Community Perspectives
The first condition for collective impact is creating a common agenda—a shared understanding of the problem and a unified goal among all participants. In the case of the CORE Collective, the common agenda is clear: ensuring that all students, especially those from historically underserved communities, have equitable access to quality education.
The program brings together eight community-based organizations committed to equity and inclusion in California’s schools, colleges, and universities. By grounding their advocacy in community perspectives and lived experiences, the CORE Collective ensures that their work reflects the needs of the students they aim to serve. In just the first year of the latest cohort, the CORE Collective has made significant strides in areas like educator diversity, college access, and family engagement.
This ability to unite organizations under a common agenda—despite the different contexts and challenges they face—is a hallmark of the collective impact model. At SureImpact, we recognize the importance of a common agenda and offer tools that allow organizations to define and measure their goals in alignment with their mission, ensuring that all partners are working toward the same outcome.
Shared Measurement: Streamlining Data Collection with SureImpact
The second condition for collective impact is having a shared measurement system. In the case of the CORE Collective, their shared goals necessitate consistent data collection across all partner organizations to assess the impact of their work. Data is crucial not only for measuring progress but also for holding partners accountable and identifying what strategies are working.
However, as many organizations know, setting up a shared measurement system can be a complex and time-consuming process.
That’s where SureImpact comes in.
SureImpact was built specifically to automate and simplify the process of shared measurement, making it easier for organizations to collect, analyze, and report data. Our platform allows multiple organizations to contribute to a unified data set while maintaining the flexibility to track their own unique outcomes.
In the CORE Collective’s work, shared measurement has played a key role in amplifying their impact. For example, when the rushed adoption of the federal Better FAFSA policy affected students across California, the CORE Collective quickly organized to share insights and best practices. This real-time collaboration was made possible by the collective’s shared understanding of the problem, supported by consistent data collection and measurement.
SureImpact’s tools can help streamline this process even further, ensuring that every organization involved in a collective impact initiative has access to the same data, presented in ways that are actionable and aligned with their common agenda.
Mutually Reinforcing Activities: Leveraging Strengths for Maximum Impact
Another essential element of the collective impact model is mutually reinforcing activities. This means that while each organization involved in the initiative may focus on different aspects of the problem, their activities are coordinated to support the overall goals of the group.
The CORE Collective exemplifies this principle beautifully. Each of the eight organizations brings unique expertise and focuses on different aspects of educational equity, whether it’s improving educator diversity, increasing college access, or supporting multilingual learners. By working together, they create a more comprehensive strategy that addresses the many facets of the education system.
At SureImpact, we understand that collaboration is more effective when organizations can focus on what they do best. Our platform allows for the backbone organization to establish shared data collection requirements to measure how everyone’s work contributes to the broader goals of the collective. This flexibility is crucial for organizations involved in collective impact initiatives, where success depends on leveraging the strengths of each partner.
Continuous Communication: Building Trust and Facilitating Collaboration
One of the most challenging but crucial aspects of any collective impact initiative is maintaining continuous communication. Trust and transparency are essential for keeping all partners aligned and ensuring that decisions are made based on objective evidence.
The CORE Collective prioritizes regular communication through virtual meetings, annual in-person gatherings, and collaborative learning opportunities. These meetings allow organizations to share updates, strategize together, and explore potential advocacy actions. This continuous communication helps to build trust among partners and ensures that everyone is on the same page.
SureImpact enhances communication by providing a central platform where organizations can share data, track progress, and communicate in real time. Our platform’s reporting features allow all partners to stay informed about the collective’s progress, fostering transparency and collaboration.
Backbone Support: Providing the Infrastructure for Success
The final condition for collective impact is having a backbone organization—an entity responsible for coordinating the initiative and ensuring that all the moving parts come together smoothly. In the case of the CORE Collective, EdTrust-West plays this role by providing not only funding but also capacity-building resources, advocacy support, and opportunities for collaboration.
SureImpact empowers collective impact collaboratives with the technology infrastructure needed to manage and simplify shared measurement, track progress, and facilitate communication among partners. SureImpact gives the backbone organization a real-time collective impact dashboard where they can view the impact of the whole network and drill down into the impact of each organization. Our platform was designed to support organizations working on complex social issues, and we’re proud to provide the tools that help initiatives like the CORE Collective succeed.
Conclusion: The Power of Partnership in Action
The success of the CORE Collective Program demonstrates the power of working together to achieve equitable educational outcomes. By following the collective impact model, they’ve been able to unite diverse organizations under a common agenda, implement a shared measurement system, and coordinate their activities to amplify their impact. This collaborative approach has led to real, measurable progress for students across California.
At SureImpact, we’re passionate about helping organizations achieve similar results. Our platform was built to simplify the process of shared measurement, data collection, and reporting—so that organizations can focus on what really matters: making a difference in their communities.
As more organizations embrace the collective impact model, the potential for large-scale social change will only grow. The work of the CORE Collective is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we come together to solve complex problems, and SureImpact is here to support those efforts every step of the way.
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