What Is Collective Impact & Why Does It Matter?
Collective Impact is a term coined by John Kania and Mark Kramer, of FSG Social Impact Advisors, which was first published in a 2011 article titled “Collective Impact” in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Kania and Kramer define Collective Impact as “the commitment of a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem". At Avenue of Life, we've applied this framework to our Impact KCK Program as we work to end student homelessness in Kansas City.
Utilizing the "Collective Impact" framework, Impact KCK connects more than 90 organizations across different sectors to work together to end student homelessness. Avenue of Life serves as the backbone agency for Impact KCK, coordinating resources across organizations to provide families with wrap-around services to ensure housing stability, safety, health, and wellness.
In the 2022-2023 School Year, because of our Impact KCK Partners, we were able to support 433 families, including:
1,760 individuals
634 adults
927 students
230 children under 4 years old
Our Impact KCK Partners also allowed Impact KCK to provide wrap-around services to ensure:
292 families received full case management services
112 families were housed
75 families were employed
86 families attained career advancement
By coming together, we are able to better support families in Kansas City experiencing housing instability, working to end student homelessness in our community.
Financial donations from people like you make this reality possible. Click the button below to donate online or by check. Thank you for your support.