Collective Impact: Dialogue at the Interface of the Colliding Systems of Philanthropy

World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, DOI:10.1504/WREMSD.2019.10018944

Posted: 3 Apr 2019

See all articles by Robert M. Yawson

Robert M. Yawson

Quinnipiac University

Gayle Peterson

Partners for Change

Ivy Johnson-Kanda

Quinnipiac University

Date Written: January 11, 2019

Abstract

Collective impact as a collaborative effort arose from the acknowledgment that existing methods and development approaches were incapable of addressing large-scale and long-term societal problems, the so-called wicked problems. By creating a model of the ecosystem of organizations around a particular issue, a funder can understand who else is working in the same space, identify potential allies, and anticipate political or economic challenges that might arise. In a case study to assess the developmental impacts of foreign aid and developmental programs on women and children in one of the poorest districts in Ghana, we developed an approach through which collective impact can be initiated and evaluated. Through the life of Lamisi Seidu, a typical, poor, rural Ghanaian woman, we tell the symbolic story of poor women living in rural, peri-urban, and urban areas all over the world. We examine what defines collective impact, how such initiatives are structured, and the challenges in creating collective impact initiatives that achieve successes that are both long-lasting and large scale. We also discuss the landscape mapping approach we developed.

Keywords: Collaboration, Collective Impact, Dialogue at the Interface, Landscape Mapping, Networking, Storytelling, Stakeholder Analysis, Wicked Problems

Suggested Citation

Yawson, Robert M. and Peterson, Gayle and Yawson, Ivy (Johnson-Kanda), Collective Impact: Dialogue at the Interface of the Colliding Systems of Philanthropy (January 11, 2019). World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, DOI:10.1504/WREMSD.2019.10018944 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3351026

Robert M. Yawson (Contact Author)

Quinnipiac University ( email )

275 Mt. Carmel Avenue, SB-DNF
School of Business
Hamden, CT 06518
United States
2035825023 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.qu.edu/faculty-and-staff/robert-yawson/

Gayle Peterson

Partners for Change ( email )

1420 N Lake Shore Drive 1B
Chicago, IL 60610
United States
3128786710 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.partners4change.org/

Ivy (Johnson-Kanda) Yawson

Quinnipiac University ( email )

275 Mt. Carmel Avenue
Hamden, CT 06518
United States

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