Readings
Collective Mind creates and curates network knowledge and welcomes insights from our learning community. Check out the latest resources below.
Blogs
Our blogs capture network concepts and practical guidance in short, easy-to-read narratives.
Our most recent blogs:
Celebrating in our networks (under Culture)
Legal arrangements for networks (under Managing Infrastructure & Activities)
Cultivating self-awareness for collective well-being in our networks — February 12, 2023
Not just more member engagement — November 12, 2023
How to improve funding to networks — October 2, 2023
The limitations of goal setting — September 18, 2023
Our foundational blogs:
Understanding network assessment
Understanding network strategy
Organizing models for social change: networks as an inclusive category
What capacities do networks need to succeed?
Form follows function follows shared purpose: network functions and backbone roles
Defining network management: Facilitation, coordination, and administration for effective networks
Searching for more resources on additional topics? Here’s what else we’ve written.
Publications
We strive to share our knowledge and expertise across this burgeoning field of networks practice.
Unique opportunities within the network-donor relationship — published in Philanthropy News Digest — July 2023
Funding Networks: Answering the What, Why, and How — published in Alliance Magazine — September 2021
Philanthropy and Networks: Opening the Black Box — published in Alliance Magazine — January 2021
Call to Action: Let's Elevate the Field of Networks Practice — published by Peace & Collaborative Development Network (PCDN) — November 2020
The Network Whisperer with Kerstin Tebbe — interview with Collective Mind founder, Kerstin Tebbe, as part of the PCDN Social Change Career Podcast — August 2020
Research
We occasionally undertake research and projects that help further the field of network practice and build the evidence base to support it.
Participatory Research Project on Donor Funding to Networks
2021-2023
Collective Mind undertook a participatory research project that engaged both networks and donors to better understand donor funding to networks. Through an extensive data collection and analysis process with a diverse sample of donors and networks, we captured key issues, challenges, insights, and recommendations related to funding and fundraising.
The results shed light on the “what”, “why”, and “how” of donor funding for networks, building the evidence base about how to improve funding and fundraising for networks.
Collective Mind Co-Creation: Lessons from the pandemic
March-June 2021
Following a Community Conversation in November 2020, Collective Mind facilitated a co-creation process for network practitioners to share their experiences, struggles, and insights related to managing their networks during and after the pandemic.
Participants completed a survey — response highlights can be found here — and joined open workshops to contribute. The final product — a concise set of reflections, silver linings, upsides, and techniques — pulls from the experiences and perspectives of participants across five continents on how they learned and adapted in these challenging times to and managing during and after the pandemic. All participants are credited in the guidance as a collaborator.