THE COLLECTIVE POWER OF WORKING TOGETHER
“No single organization, no matter how powerful or innovative, can tackle future challenges in isolation.”
Collective impact is used to describe a cross-sector network that comes together around a set of common goals and shared data to solve complex community challenges to achieve social change. North State Together views education as a continuum that begins at birth and extends through K-12, college, career and beyond. Our regional network has brought together cross-sector partners who have signed on to strengthen this educational continuum for ALL in the North State.
Backbone support is a critical component of the collective impact infrastructure that enables collaborative, multi-sector efforts to advance systems change. It is also one of the most unique elements of collective impact, distinguishing the approach from several other forms of collaboration (FSG). North State Together offers the six essential functions for backbone support to our region:
1. Guiding regional vision and strategy
2. Supporting aligned activities
3. Establishing shared measurement practices
4. Cultivating community engagement and ownership
5. Advancing policy
6. Mobilizing resources
As a backbone, North State Together maintains a delicate balance between the strong leadership needed to keep our counties united toward our common vision, and the invisible “behind the scenes” role that lets each county network own their own success.
