Collective Action Resource Library
What is Collective Action?
A community-led process for advancing equity and achieving social change.
It’s the movement of a group of people impacted by and impacting a challenge who share power, trust, resources, and effort to achieve a common purpose.
Collective Action Resources
Collective Action Backbone Roles and Functions
Additional Collective Action Resources
Collective Action Projects
Biogen STAR Initative in Somerville and Cambridhe Public Schools
Reducing Infant Mortality Rate and Disparities in Maternal Health in Guilford County, NC
Increasing Community Wealth in Springfield, MA with the Mass Mutual Foundation
Boston WINs (Workforce Investment Network) in Boston Public Schools
The Youth Violence Prevention Funder Learning Collaborative
Say Yes Guilford: Building Pathways for Success in Education and Youth Development
Collaboration for Impact Peer Learning & Action Cohorts
Root Cause is launching Collaboration for Impact Cohorts in 2025. This six-month virtual program is designed to help nonprofit leaders, backbone teams, and cross-sector partners strengthen collaboration, build resilience, and drive meaningful social change. Through virtual convenings, coaching, workshops, and facilitated peer learning, participants gain the skills and support networks needed to drive long-term impact.
Root Cause is currently seeking funding partners to support the first cohort, launching Spring/Summer 2025. Funding partners can sponsor individual grantee participation, a geographic- or issue-based group, or contribute to a pooled fund. If you are interested in exploring partnership opportunities or cohort customization, please email us at [email protected].
Collective Action Backbone Learning Series
In 2023, Root Cause hosted a free virtual learning series focused on backbone support for collective action work. The three 90-minute workshops in this series are designed to be interactive and practical, with participants engaged in practice and dialogue with backbone teams, Root Cause collective action practitioners, and peers.
Backbone teams provide critical support infrastructure to collective action initiatives. They play a key role in ensuring that the initiative…
- Maintains alignment towards the common purpose
- Commits to a culture and process that is equitable, relationship-driven, trustworthy, and transparent
- Continuously learns, adjusts, and improves their work together
- Follows the community’s lead
Purpose: How to use Collective Action as a flexible, localizable approach to advance equity and systemic change
Process: How to build backbone team capacity, including how teams center the values that drive the practice and evolution of collective action work
