Collective Impact 2017

For Bridge Alliance Members only.
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Grant Proposal Form
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Idea Board (add your own!)
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The Grant Program

Exclusively for Bridge Alliance Members

Bridge Alliance will allocate $300,000 in early 2017 to Bridge Alliance members who create powerful collective impact projects with other Bridge Alliance members.

We are requesting proposals by Bridge Alliance organizations to work together on a collective impact project that costs between $25,000 to $125,000. Each proposal should include at least three Bridge Alliance members who are sharing the project.

Our Bridge Alliance objectives are:

  • Prove the power of collective impact to potential new funders in our field
  • Fund projects that are not effusive or nebulous or that take 3-5 years to develop
  • Progress as a result of collective impact versus individual projects is obvious

Other considerations are

  • Can the work be scaled if more funding becomes available in the future?
  • Might the project have possibilities for further collective impact in the future?
  • What is the value of the project to media coverage?
  • Does this project build a shared identity for “bridging organizations”

Bridge Alliance Collective Impact Concept Plan Questions - Submit here.

  1. Describe your collective impact project. What exactly are you are doing, or do you plan to do, in order to create an impact of putting country before party. (500 words max.)

  2. Why will this project of working with other Bridge Alliance organizations result in greater impact than if the project was done by only one Bridge Alliance organization. How will the money be allocated?  (500 words max.)

    1. Your CI concept plan should include an estimated budget sheet as to expected costs.  In some cases you might be providing staff hours at no extra cost and if so please indicate such. You may email spreadsheets to CI at BridgeAlliance.us

  3. What results do you anticipate for the next year? (250 words max.)

  4. Please provide brief bios for each core team member.

At Bridge Alliance, we believe that this is a unique and catalytic moment in our history that offers challenges but also offers enormous opportunities.  The wounds are deep.  The divide is wide.  We have a responsibility to help to forge a new path and to heal the wound in our divided country. The divisive election campaign and the unexpected result is a Black Swan event that may change the essence of the political process in the coming years, and will in all likelihood transform the very nature of the transpartisan political reform movement.

THIS IS A TIME FOR ACTION AND AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR MEMBERS OF BRIDGE ALLIANCE TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE!

Bridge Alliance is growing at an amazing rate.  We expect to have 60 members soon representing all the categories that comprise the political reform movement.  We believe more than ever that the Bridge Alliance has the potential to bring infrastructure and funding to the transpartisan movement.  We will never succeed if we remain within our own silos.

We firmly believe that for significant political transformation to occur, a network must be established to build a shared identity, raise visibility, strengthen and expand the numbers of organizations and individuals dedicated to collaborative civic problem solving and collaborative public policy innovation.   

This hypothesis is reinforced by an important Stanford University writing titled “Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work”.  The following quote from the writing sums up our belief:

“The complex nature of most social problems belies the idea that any single program or organization, however well managed and funded, can single-handedly create lasting large-scale change.“

CREATING THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT NEEDED TO
MOVE OUR COUNTRY FORWARD MUST HAPPEN NOW

We believe that if the initial projects are successful,  then the funding of collective impact projects will become a significant component of the Bridge Alliance going forward.

We have an agreement with other funders to match our initial funding, if the first round of projects are successful.  Additionally, we are simultaneously going to foundations and business leaders with the goal of securing an additional $1,000,000 for additional Bridge Alliance collective impact projects.  

This initial funding is provided by a generous contribution Bridge Alliance President, David L. Nevins. The overall outcome desired is to increase collective impact for the sake of bridging our political divide. This could take many forms from:

  • grassroots movement building to
  • policy work to
  • better public process to
  • new citizen-oriented technology to
  • bringing together “strange bedfellows” to
  • strengthening our democracy to
  • making citizen voices heard
  • fill in your own idea

Let your imagination run!

For purposes of efficiency, the decision on this initial phase of funding will be made by three board members of Bridge Alliance, including David L. Nevins, Debilyn Molineaux and Kahlil Byrd. When other funding becomes available, the selection committee will expand.