People leading place-based collaboratives play a critical role, known as the backbone, in sustaining the long-term work required to strengthen communities and transform systems. This role is distinct and requires specific relational, strategic, and systems-level capacities, and the demands on backbone leaders have continued to grow as conditions shift, and the work becomes more complex. As these demands increase, they often exceed the leadership support and investment currently available to ensure leaders thrive.
The Collective Leadership Advancing Racial Equity (CLARE) program was designed to address this gap, based on what we heard directly from backbone leaders in the field, particularly those in regions that tend to receive less philanthropic investment. The pilot surfaced clear and actionable insights into what leaders need to stay grounded, sustained and effective in the role.
In the webinar discussion Cultivating the Leader Within, we highlight insights from the CLARE pilot, including the types of support participants found most impactful and how CLARE has shaped how leaders view themselves, their role within their collaborative, and their approach to advancing systems change.
During the webinar, we explore:
- What backbone leaders need to thrive in place-based work
- The role of coaching, peer learning, and individualized support
- How funders and intermediaries can invest more effectively in leadership development
Webinar Speakers: Courtney W. Robertson, Director of Programs and Partnerships, Collective Impact Forum; Dominique Samari, Principal, KIN Consultant Group; Cindy Santos, Senior Associate, Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, and Ruchi Warrier, Founder & President, Strategy and Seva.
Webinar Resources
The Collective Impact Forum Launches Collective Leadership Advancing Racial Equity
Backbone Leadership is Different: Report / Webinar / Podcast
