Collective Impact: Homelessness and Unemployment in Coatesville

Authors

  • Nicholas Torres Unniversity of Pennsylvania
  • Vanessa Briggs Alliance health Equity

Keywords:

Collective Impact, Equity, Homelessness, Unemployment, Government

Abstract

The Alliance for Health Equity began a three-phase process to implement a Collective Impact model for the Homelessness and Unemployment in Coatesville Collective (Coatesville Collective). This was after the successful completion of phase one and two, a six-month training and nine-month planning processes on the adoption of the model respectively. This was done to address community-identified local complex problems. Building upon phases one and two of Collective Impact Multi-Sector Community Engagement Process, the Coatesville Collective then used the model for phase three: implementation. Implementation focused on building capacity and setting strategic direction for Coatesville’s Collective with the intent to streamline, integrate, and reduce redundancy among service providers by addressing inequities in within homelessness, unemployment, and case management services. Three primary goals were established to guide the work of the Coatesville Collective by using an evidenced-based model and tools. This article outlines processes, strategies, adjustments, and the evolution of the Homelessness and Unemployment in Coatesville Collective. It summarizes how the process intentionally addressed inequities. Further, it elaborates on the Collective’s movement beyond the creation of societal impact through the utilization of data to drive collective discussions and influence on service models, systems, policies, and anticipated funding allocations.

Author Biographies

Nicholas Torres, Unniversity of Pennsylvania

Nicholas Torres, MEd, has over 20 years of experience in executive management. Nicholas serves in the capacity of the executive director of The Network: Towards Unity for Health (TUFH) an official non state actor of WHO. He is also Co-Founder and CEO of Social Innovations Partners which publishes the Social Innovations Journal, manages the Social Innovations Institute & Lab, and incubates and launches high impact social sector models and enterprises. He teaches Nonprofit Leadership, Social Policy, and Social Entrepreneurship at University of Pennsylvania. He serves on many regional boards including the Free Library of Philadelphia and Springboard Health National Advisory Board.

Nicholas works at the cross section between the private sector, government, and not-for-profits and aligns them toward collective social impact goals and public policy. He has led and founded multiple for-profit and not-for-profit social ventures that are driven both by social impact and financial sustainability measures. Some of his launched social ventures include charter schools, an early literacy technology platform; school-based health centers; and community-based satellite college sites.

Vanessa Briggs, Alliance health Equity

Vanessa Briggs, the President and CEO of The Alliance for Health Equity, is a finalist for a 2020 Greater Philadelphia Social Innovations Award in the category of “Not For Profit Social Impact Company.” The Greater Philadelphia Social Innovations Awards are driven by the belief that the potential for good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated. They honor the region’s most passionate and accomplished social innovators and entrepreneurs and the work that they are doing to make Greater Philadelphia a more inclusive, equitable, and thriving region of opportunity for all of its residents. The theme of the 2020 awards – “Innovating Ideas, Revolutionizing Realities” – recognizes how organic leadership can re-envision the challenges communities face and find solutions through innovative programs and policies. The awards celebrate those changemakers whose work and social impact too often goes unacknowledged. Briggs guided The Alliance for Health Equity’s board as it empowered the community to lead, define, and shape a new direction that embeds diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies into grant making and social impact investing. She has dedicated her entire career to fighting historical bias, changing social norms, and challenging systemic inequities. Voting closes on Dec. 15. Click here to vote for Vanessa Briggs for a 2020 Greater Philadelphia Social Innovations Award.

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Published

2021-12-06

How to Cite

Torres, N., & Briggs, V. . (2021). Collective Impact: Homelessness and Unemployment in Coatesville . Social Innovations Journal, 10. Retrieved from https://socialinnovationsjournal.com/index.php/sij/article/view/1947

Issue

Vol. 10 (2021): Transformative Social Innovations: Cross Sector Collaborations and Partnerships

Section

Collective Impact and System Transformation

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Nicholas Torres, Vanessa Briggs

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