BeijingCambridgeChicagoDelhiDubaiHong KongJohannesburgHow Networks are Changing Social ChangeA Briefing for the Network of Network FundersSeptember 30, 2009LondonLos AngelesMadridManilaMoscowMumbaiMunichNew YorkPalo AltoParisSan FranciscoSão PauloSeoulShanghaiSingaporeTokyoTorontoThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.Zurich
How can Networks Accelerate Social Impact?In partnership with the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Monitor Institute  has explored the role of social networks and media in the non-profit sector
Theory: Building Our Knowledge (IP)Convened ExpertsScanned LiteratureMonitoring and Scanning On-line EnvironmentNetwork Resources InventoryCase Study ResearchTools and TrainingBlog
Action: Pilot ProjectsNitrogen WikiEcosystem-Based Management (EBM) NetworksNetwork Effectiveness (ONE) SupportFarm Bill NetworksMapping Networks in Salinas
What are networks?Groups of individuals or organizations connected through meaningful relationships.
We’re most interested in networks with…Many participantsAbility to self-organize Fueled by new technologiesSource of photo: http://www.midnightpoutine.ca/archives/flashmob1.jpg
Networks Have Been Around Forever…
New Technologies for Sharing Content……new online spaces for building relationships
Advances in the Science of Networks and ComplexitySource for Network Graphic: orgnet.com“If someone tells you that you can influence 1,000 people, it changes your way of seeing the world.”Dr. James Fowler …Combined with Established Group ProcessesSource for Network Graphic: orgnet.com
The Result = “Working Wikily”“… wikis and other social media tools are engendering a new, networked mindset—a way of working wikily—that is characterized by principles of openness, transparency, decentralized decision-making, and distributed action. " - Working Wikily 2.0
What Do We Mean by “Working Wikily”?Established Ways of WorkingWorking WikilyCentralized
Firmly controlled
Planned
Proprietary
One-way 	communicationsDecentralized
Loosely controlled
Emergent
Public
Two-way 	communicationsWhere are you on these continuums? The answer will be different for different situations
It Starts with a Network MindsetOrganization OrientationNetwork OrientationMindsetCompetitionCollaborationStrategyGrow the organizationGrow the networkBehaviorsCompete for resourcesProtect knowledgeCompetitive advantageHoard talentShare resourcesOpen source IPDevelop competitorsCultivate leadershipSource: Heather McLeod Grant and Leslie R. Crutchfield, “Forces for Good,” (2007).
Obama Administration Experimenting with Gov. 2.0“We live in an age of democratic experimentation — both in our official institutions and in the many informal ways in which the public is consulted”James Fishkin, Stanford political scientistSource:  Whitehouse.gov; NY Times
Twitter “Emboldened” Iranian Election Protesters “If anyone had questions about the power of citizen media, those questions were answered by the Iran protests.”HamidTehrani (Iran editor for Global Voices)Source: ethanzuckerman.com/blog  Twitter, youTube Time Magazine
We’re Witnessing the Death of Old Models…“While newspaper circulation has long been in decline, the latest figures show the drop is accelerating…Weekday circulation declined 7.1% for the six months that ended March 31, compared with the previous year.”New York Times, April 27,2009…And New Models Are Emerging
The Way Our Work Gets Done Is Changing
Nonprofits Need to Find Ways to Work WikilyIncreasing Number of NonprofitsMore Competition for ResourcesMany Nonprofits Not at Scale82% of nonprofits operate on annual budgets of under $1 millionNetworks are oneanswerSources: “Index of National Fundraising Performance, 2009 First Calendar Quarter Results”, Target Analytics, 2009, Alliance Trends. “The Non-Profit Sector in Brief,” National Center for Charitable Statistics, 2008.
Networks Can Address Diverse ChallengesWorking Wikily PotentialProblemIsolation
Unmet needs
Lack of power
Duplication and fragmentation of effort
Lack of shared knowledge
Untapped talent and wisdom
Suboptimal impact and challenges with growth
Build community
Engage people
Advocate for policy change
Coordinate resources and services
Develop and share knowledge
Innovate
Get to scaleBuild Community2008:162 Countries400,000 Ministers / Priests1980:205 Members
Engage People2008: 400,000 Volunteers in 104 Countries1985:Single-site Effort in US
Advocate for Policy Change 2008: 3.2 Million Members1998: Email to100 friends
Coordinate Resources and ServicesTotal Loans2009: $66 millionTotal Loans2006: $1 million
Develop and Share Knowledge14 Countries1,300 Trained VolunteersInteragency Program Integrated Fire Management
Innovate“Open Sourcing Social Solutions”Internal, Proprietary R&D Labs
- EGYPT- Get to Scale…transformingcommunities through collaborations to address root causes of poverty and homelessnessTypical HFH country programs produce 200 houses each yearIn Egypt, HFH builds 1,000 houses a year, on averageSource: Jane Wei-Skillern and Kerry Herman, “Habitat for Humanity—Egypt,” Harvard Business School Cases, October 3, 2006.
Using a Network LensSource: orgnet
A Typology of Organizing StructuresCentralizedNonprofit organizations (without explicit network structure)
Membership organizations (Organizations with network component)

Net Effectiveness For Net Funders

  • 1.
    BeijingCambridgeChicagoDelhiDubaiHong KongJohannesburgHow Networksare Changing Social ChangeA Briefing for the Network of Network FundersSeptember 30, 2009LondonLos AngelesMadridManilaMoscowMumbaiMunichNew YorkPalo AltoParisSan FranciscoSão PauloSeoulShanghaiSingaporeTokyoTorontoThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.Zurich
  • 2.
    How can NetworksAccelerate Social Impact?In partnership with the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Monitor Institute has explored the role of social networks and media in the non-profit sector
  • 3.
    Theory: Building OurKnowledge (IP)Convened ExpertsScanned LiteratureMonitoring and Scanning On-line EnvironmentNetwork Resources InventoryCase Study ResearchTools and TrainingBlog
  • 4.
    Action: Pilot ProjectsNitrogenWikiEcosystem-Based Management (EBM) NetworksNetwork Effectiveness (ONE) SupportFarm Bill NetworksMapping Networks in Salinas
  • 5.
    What are networks?Groupsof individuals or organizations connected through meaningful relationships.
  • 6.
    We’re most interestedin networks with…Many participantsAbility to self-organize Fueled by new technologiesSource of photo: http://www.midnightpoutine.ca/archives/flashmob1.jpg
  • 7.
    Networks Have BeenAround Forever…
  • 8.
    New Technologies forSharing Content……new online spaces for building relationships
  • 9.
    Advances in theScience of Networks and ComplexitySource for Network Graphic: orgnet.com“If someone tells you that you can influence 1,000 people, it changes your way of seeing the world.”Dr. James Fowler …Combined with Established Group ProcessesSource for Network Graphic: orgnet.com
  • 10.
    The Result =“Working Wikily”“… wikis and other social media tools are engendering a new, networked mindset—a way of working wikily—that is characterized by principles of openness, transparency, decentralized decision-making, and distributed action. " - Working Wikily 2.0
  • 11.
    What Do WeMean by “Working Wikily”?Established Ways of WorkingWorking WikilyCentralized
  • 12.
  • 13.
  • 14.
  • 15.
  • 16.
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
    Two-way communicationsWhere areyou on these continuums? The answer will be different for different situations
  • 20.
    It Starts witha Network MindsetOrganization OrientationNetwork OrientationMindsetCompetitionCollaborationStrategyGrow the organizationGrow the networkBehaviorsCompete for resourcesProtect knowledgeCompetitive advantageHoard talentShare resourcesOpen source IPDevelop competitorsCultivate leadershipSource: Heather McLeod Grant and Leslie R. Crutchfield, “Forces for Good,” (2007).
  • 21.
    Obama Administration Experimentingwith Gov. 2.0“We live in an age of democratic experimentation — both in our official institutions and in the many informal ways in which the public is consulted”James Fishkin, Stanford political scientistSource: Whitehouse.gov; NY Times
  • 22.
    Twitter “Emboldened” IranianElection Protesters “If anyone had questions about the power of citizen media, those questions were answered by the Iran protests.”HamidTehrani (Iran editor for Global Voices)Source: ethanzuckerman.com/blog Twitter, youTube Time Magazine
  • 23.
    We’re Witnessing theDeath of Old Models…“While newspaper circulation has long been in decline, the latest figures show the drop is accelerating…Weekday circulation declined 7.1% for the six months that ended March 31, compared with the previous year.”New York Times, April 27,2009…And New Models Are Emerging
  • 24.
    The Way OurWork Gets Done Is Changing
  • 25.
    Nonprofits Need toFind Ways to Work WikilyIncreasing Number of NonprofitsMore Competition for ResourcesMany Nonprofits Not at Scale82% of nonprofits operate on annual budgets of under $1 millionNetworks are oneanswerSources: “Index of National Fundraising Performance, 2009 First Calendar Quarter Results”, Target Analytics, 2009, Alliance Trends. “The Non-Profit Sector in Brief,” National Center for Charitable Statistics, 2008.
  • 26.
    Networks Can AddressDiverse ChallengesWorking Wikily PotentialProblemIsolation
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  • 28.
  • 29.
  • 30.
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  • 32.
    Suboptimal impact andchallenges with growth
  • 33.
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  • 35.
  • 36.
  • 37.
  • 38.
  • 39.
    Get to scaleBuildCommunity2008:162 Countries400,000 Ministers / Priests1980:205 Members
  • 40.
    Engage People2008: 400,000Volunteers in 104 Countries1985:Single-site Effort in US
  • 41.
    Advocate for PolicyChange 2008: 3.2 Million Members1998: Email to100 friends
  • 42.
    Coordinate Resources andServicesTotal Loans2009: $66 millionTotal Loans2006: $1 million
  • 43.
    Develop and ShareKnowledge14 Countries1,300 Trained VolunteersInteragency Program Integrated Fire Management
  • 44.
    Innovate“Open Sourcing SocialSolutions”Internal, Proprietary R&D Labs
  • 45.
    - EGYPT- Getto Scale…transformingcommunities through collaborations to address root causes of poverty and homelessnessTypical HFH country programs produce 200 houses each yearIn Egypt, HFH builds 1,000 houses a year, on averageSource: Jane Wei-Skillern and Kerry Herman, “Habitat for Humanity—Egypt,” Harvard Business School Cases, October 3, 2006.
  • 46.
    Using a NetworkLensSource: orgnet
  • 47.
    A Typology ofOrganizing StructuresCentralizedNonprofit organizations (without explicit network structure)
  • 48.
  • 49.
    Nonprofits with explicitnetwork strategy and structure
  • 50.
    Coalition / Alliance(network of organizations)
  • 51.
  • 52.
    Ad hoc networksDecentralizedNote:These categories often overlap. Most of the examples fit in to multiple categories.Developed from: Plastrik and Taylor, “Net Gains,” (2006); Patti Anklam, “Net Work,” (2007); Krebs and Holley. “Building Smart Communities,” (2006).Source: orgnet
  • 53.
    How Do Movementsand Campaigns Relate to Networks?MovementCampaignNetworkA large, informal grouping that brings people together around shared values, provides structure and strategy for collective action, results in ‘new rules’An organized effort conducted by one group, which attempts to persuade others to accept, modify, or abandon certain ideas, attitudes, practices, or behavior Groups of individuals or organizations connected through meaningful relationshipsChoose Justice: Campaign to Protect RoePro-Choice MovementSources: Movement def’n- LokmanTsui on Marshall Ganz (www.lokman.org). Campaign def’n- Kotter Philip, Ned Roberto and Nancy Lee. Social Marketing: Improving the Quality of Life. Movement image - commondreams.org. Network graphics: orgnet.com
  • 54.
    PeripheryClusterLinkNodeSocial Network Analysis:A Few Helpful DefinitionsCoreHubSource: Monitor Institute
  • 55.
    Network Mapping canbe Low-Tech…Source: June Holley
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    What’s Possible fromNetwork Mapping?Visualize the network: see connections within the system
  • 58.
    Make visible networkresources, and see flow of resources
  • 59.
    Spark a conversationamong participants
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    Assess the “health”of a network, diagnose
  • 61.
    Assess change innetwork over timeSalinas Network Mapping Pilot
  • 62.
    Network by OrganizationTypeGovernmentFoundationNon-ProfitFor-ProfitSchoolUnknownReligiousOtherMaps Were Used to Analyze the NetworkA map of the different networks shows fairly loose connections
  • 63.
    The Green andHealthy Building Network: 2005Source: Barr Foundation “Green and Healthy Building Network Case Study” by Beth Tener, Al Neirenberg, Bruce Hoppe
  • 64.
    The Green andHealthy Building Network: 2007Source: Barr Foundation “Green and Healthy Building Network Case Study” by Beth Tener, Al Neirenberg, Bruce Hoppe
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    Characteristics of HealthyNetworks: OverviewValueClearly articulated give and get for participants
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    High engagementParticipationFormBalance oftop-down and bottom-up logic
  • 71.
    Space for self-organizedactionLeadershipLeadership with “network mindset”
  • 72.
  • 73.
    Ample shared space:on-line and in-personCapacityAbility surface & tap network talent
  • 74.
    Model for sustainabilityLearning& AdaptationLearning-capture
  • 75.
    Ability to gatherand act on feedbackHelpful Sources: M. Kearns and K. Showalter; J. Holley and V. Krebs; P. Plastrik and M. Taylor; J. W. Skillern; C. Shirky
  • 76.
    Leading with aNetwork Mindset
  • 77.
    How is NetworkLeadership Different?Network LeadershipOrganizational LeadershipRole, behavior
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    Action-orientedWhat would ittake for you to work more wikily?
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    Establishes first linksto participantsFunderProvides initial resources for organizing the networkWeaverWorks to increase connections among participants
  • 93.
    May focus ongrowing the network by connecting to new participants
  • 94.
    Can be multiplepeople with formal and informal rolesFacilitator / CoordinatorHelps participants to undertake collective action
  • 95.
    Ensures flow ofinformation and other resourcesTechnology StewardFacilitates the network use of online technology to learn, coordinate, connect or share information togetherSources: Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor, Net Gains (2006); Beth Kanter; Stephanie Lowell , Building the Field of Dreams (2007); White, Wenger, and Smith, Digital Habitats (2009)
  • 96.
    What is theWork of Network Leadership?Convene diverse people and groupsEngage network participantsGenerate cooperation and collective actionBroker connections and bridge differenceBuild social capital – emphasize trust and reciprocitySource: Adapted from Net Work by Patti Anklam (2007) and “Vertigo and the Intentional Inhabitant: Leadership in a Connected World” by Bill Traynor (2009)Source of picture: flickr
  • 97.
    What is theWork of Network Leadership?Nurture self-organizationGenuinely participate. Influence from the insideLeverage technologyCreate, preserve, and protect network ‘space’Source: Adapted from Net Work by Patti Anklam (2007) and “Vertigo and the Intentional Inhabitant: Leadership in a Connected World” by Bill Traynor (2009)Source of picture: flickr
  • 98.
    A Few ChallengesFaced by Network LeadersUnlearning past behaviors and frameworks (organizational mindset) Engaging and inspiring network participants without being controllingLetting go of controlDetermining network boundariesDealing with information overload Making the case; measuring successLearning and leveraging new technologies Source of images: Cut Throat Communications, Blog.com, Rutgers University RU FAIR, Kodaikanal International School, flickr
  • 99.
    Eight Lessons We’reLearningDesign your experiments around a problem, not the toolsExperiment a lot, make only new mistakesSet appropriate expectations for time and effort requiredPrioritize human elements like trust and funUnderstand your position within networksPush power to the edgesBalance bottom-up and top-down strategiesBe open and transparent
  • 100.
    Can you Beginto Make the Shift?Established Ways of WorkingWorking WikilyCentralized
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    Two-way communicationsWhat wouldit take for you to work more wikily?