Network Health Scorecard
A self-scoring diagnostic tool for networks members to use, the scorecard contains four diagnostic categories: purpose, performance, operations, and capacity. Ask network members to score each of the 22 topics, aggregate and analyze the scores, then have members consider what the patterns in responses are, what needs further discussion or action.
Network Evaluation Framework & Casebook
In these reports, Network Impact and the Center for Evaluation Innovation provide a first deep look at the practice of evaluating a social-impact network’s performance. The framework describes the key elements in evaluating a network, while the casebook provides 10 cases of network evaluations. Coauthors include Connecting to Change the World coauthors Taylor and Plastrik.
Click here for more information and to download.
A Guide to Collaboration Software
Produced by Cause Communications, this report identifies different uses for collaborative communications tools and can help you figure out which tools are right for you.
Click here to download the guide.
Network Evolution Assessment
Click here for a tool for looking at a network’s key characteristics as they may evolve over time.
Recommended Resources for Network Builders
In the Resources section of Connecting to Change the World, we list and describe resources we have found most useful for understanding what makes networks tick:
- 23 books and articles
- 5 websites
- 7 network case studies
Get a PDF of the Resources section now.
Network Impact
Network Impact is accelerating and spreading the use of networks to achieve increased social impact by providing consulting, tool-building, research, and assessment services to support social-impact networks, foundations, and the emerging field of network builders.
Learn more at NetworkImpact.org .
Innovation Network for Communities
The Innovation Network for Communities (INC) is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to develop and spread scalable innovations that transform the performance of community systems. INC works in three primary sectors: urban sustainability, high performing urban K-12 schools, and adult workforce development.
Learn more at IN4C.net .
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
Nonprofits are successful at achieving more meaningful change in our communities when they have the resources and skills to be effective. By not adequately responding to what nonprofits say they need most to maximize impact, funders can inadvertently do harm to the organizations and causes we intend to support. Changing grantmaker practice is hard work, but our communities can’t afford for us to wait.
Learn more at geofunders.org .
Beth Kanter’s Blog
A much-in-demand trainer, Beth was the keynote speaker for the Cambodian Bloggers Conference in Phnom Penh, The Connecting Up Conference in Brisbane, Australia, State Department’s Tech@State Conference, Minnesota Council on Nonprofits, Making Media Conference in Chicago and many others. She has presented about nonprofits and social media at some of the leading social media industry conferences including O’Reilly’s Graphing Social Patterns, Gnomedex, SXSW, Blogher, Podcamp, and many others .
Learn more at BethKanter.org .