Resources
Resources for understanding and putting into practice transformational systems change have grown considerably in recent years. We have gathered here a select set of ecosystem resources that have been influential to the Shifting System Initiative’s work. They offer multiple entry points into the practice of shifting systems and include thought leadership, practical tools, illustrative cases, systems-oriented capacity builders, and field-building networks from across philanthropy and beyond.
We aim to shine a light on cutting-edge and powerful work from across the dynamic ecosystem for systems transformation. This is by no means a set or comprehensive list. Rather, it is a collection of resources that our SSI team, including our Advisory Council of thought leaders from around the world, has appreciated of late.
Recent Studies and Thought Leadership on Systems Change
- A Paradigm Shift in Measurement, Evaluation and Impact
- BUILD Evaluation
- Ecosystem Catallyzation
- Funding Field Catalysts from Origins to Revolutionizing the World
- How Field Catalysts Accelerate Impact
- How Nonprofits Look at Systems Thinking
- Orchestrators of Change and the Journey to Transformation
- Partnering for People Power: The Philanthropy Support Ecosystem for Social Movements in Africa and Latin America
- Philanthropy 4.0: Giving in Times of Disruption
- Social Innovation and the Journey to Transformation
- The Relational Work of Systems Change
- What opportunities exist for philanthropic partnership in the Global South
Frameworks, Habits, and Tools for Facilitating Systems Change
- Ecosystem Cards
- Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems
- How to do M&E When You’re Working with Complex Problems
- Learning Towards Zero (Learnbook One Zero and Systems Innovation)
Resource Portals and Capacity Builders
- Deep Transitions Lab
- Illuminate Systems
- Philanthropy Dialogues
- Philanthropy Transformation Initiative (PTI)
- Re-imagining the INGO (RINGO)
- School of System Change
- Shake the Table
- Shift the Power
- The Global South House
- The Relational Podcast
- Villars Institute
- Wasan Network
Impact Investing: Systems-Oriented Field Builders and Publications
- How Can Impact Investors Enable Systems Change?
- Pando Funding
- Systems Change: An Emerging Practice in Impact Investing
- The Owning Impact Project
- Transformation Capital
- TWIST
- Why Impact Investors Are Embracing Systems Change
Climate Philanthropy: Systems-Oriented Field Builders and Publications
- Climate Philanthropy Catalyst Coalition (CPCC)
- Climate SMILE (Strategy, Monitoring, Impact, Learning & Evaluation Community)
- Disrupting Fields: Addressing Power Dynamics in the Fields of Climate Finance and Gender Lens Investing
- The Lupine Collaborative
Narrative Change: Systems-Oriented Field Builders and Publications
- Center for Cultural Power
- Grace Anderson — Writing
- IRIS
- Liberation Alliance Africa
- Stories of Change: Insight The Moth and Ford’s Storytelling Training for Nonprofits