Collective Impact

Across the Valley, needs rarely arrive one at a time. A family searching for stable housing may also be navigating food insecurity, behavioral health concerns, transportation challenges, and the complexity of public benefits.

 

There are many organizations in the Valley that provide services to support community members, yet no single organization, no matter how effective, can solve them alone. To address all the needs of our community, we have to move beyond isolated efforts and embrace a more powerful approach: collective impact.
 

The Power of Collective Impact

Collective impact is more than just partnership; it is a structured framework for turning many good efforts into one coordinated pathway to achieve social change. While traditional collaborations often involve information sharing or individual projects, collective impact requires a more unified approach. It brings community members, organizations, government, and businesses into a shared endeavor guided by five conditions that set it apart:
 

• A Common Agenda: All participants agree on a clear picture of the problem and a shared vision for solving it. This moves beyond organizational missions to a collective agreement on the key outcomes that matter most for the community.
   

• Shared Measurement: We track progress on a small set of key indicators in the same way across all partners. This consistent data allows us to learn from each other, hold ourselves mutually accountable, and adjust our strategies together in real time.
   

• Mutually Reinforcing Activities: Instead of duplicating efforts, each organization contributes its unique strengths in a coordinated way. A diverse set of stakeholders works in concert, aligning their distinct activities to support the common agenda.
   

• Continuous Communication: Regular, structured communication builds the trust and relationships necessary for true collaboration. Through honest data, regular check-ins, and feedback from those most affected, we foster transparency and strengthen our alignment.
   

• A Strong Backbone: A dedicated team stewards the day-to-day coordination, data analysis, and facilitation that keep the entire effort moving forward. This central infrastructure is a critical element of successful collective impact.
   

The problems community members face are interconnected and complicated. The solutions must be, too. Collective impact provides the framework to make that happen.
 

The Valley Council: Collective Impact for Change

For more than 30 years, the Valley Council for Health and Human Services has served as a vital collaborative for local nonprofits and other organizations. Building on this legacy of cooperation and service, we have evolved to become a collective impact partnership serving the Valley, driven by our mission: to strengthen the capacity of our members and community partners to provide high quality health, wellbeing, and human services that address social drivers of health. We provide the central infrastructure and coordination needed to weave individual efforts into a powerful, unified approach directed toward common goals.
 

Join the Valley Council: Put Collaboration to Work for Your Organization

If you share our commitment to supporting and improving the lives of Valley residents, come partner with us at Valley Council. We welcome you.