1. Using Networks to Advance
Environmental Goals
And Innovation Network for Communities
Pete Plastrik and Julia Parzen
June 2012
CGBD, Chattanooga 1

2. Overview
Responding to CGBD Member Challenges Building Networks…
• CHOOSING A NETWORK
– What can a network accomplish that an organization can’t?
• STARTING UP WELL
– How can you tell if a network is starting up well?
• LEARNING AND EVOLVING
– How do you evaluate a network’s performance and impact?
– How do you boost health and value?
• HOLDING A NETWORK ACCCOUNTABLE
– If a network has many organization or individual members, who do you hold accountable for
the network’s use of funds and its performance?
• FUNDING A NETWORK
– What should it cost to operate a network?
– How much should network members be contributing to the cost of operating the network?
– When should the network be developing other sources of outside funding? 2

3. Workshop Proposed Structure & Outcomes
Participants will leave ready to raise their network game through:
• Introduction to new tools, tips, and revealing stories based upon
CGBD survey (90 min. presentation/exercises)
• Interactive hands-on consultation sessions using CGBD member
examples (45 minutes)
• Scott Miller, Watershed Network Case
• Leslie Harroun, Tar Sands Campaign Case
• Wrap up session to address remaining burning questions (30-45
minutes)
3

4. … Using USDN as a Case Example
USDN is an active and engaged network of 115 North American city sustainability
directors who exchange information, collaborate to enhance our practice, and work
together to advance the field of urban sustainability.
4

5. 5

6. 6

7. … Using USDN as a Case Example
• USDN has created “small world” reach for its
members.
• USDN has experienced rapid growth.
• USDN has produced rapid diffusion of ideas and
feedback.
• USDN has achieved a high level of resilience.
• USDN has developed noticeable adaptive capacity.
• USDN is becoming a force for innovation and
professional and policy development in the
sustainability field.
7

8. USDN Answers to CGBD Guiding Questions
• CHOOSING A NETWORK
– A network fit the stage of development of the sustainability field and need for rapid
innovation and adaptation.
• STARTING UP WELL
– USDN started up well by adopting a clear purpose and value propositions, building on
existing relationships, ensuring members drove all activity, and reinforcing continually
the unique principles of networking.
• LEARNING AND EVOLVING
– USDN learns and evolves and ensures continuing value by completing network maps
every year and getting member feedback after every meeting and from an annual survey.
It dissolves all groups each year and asks members to decide what they want to
accomplish the next year.
• HOLDING A NETWORK ACCOUNTABLE
– USDN holds every member accountable for contributing value to the network and
ensuring a high return on investment.
• FUNDING A NETWORK
– USDN member dues started very small and grew to cover ¼ of core network costs with a
goal of reaching 50%. The hope is the other 50% can come from foundations for high
value projects.
8

9. Network Basics
9

10. A NETWORK is a continually evolving set of “nodes”
connected by “links.”
Nodes Links
Reviewing the Basics INC/USDN 10

11. Social Networks
– “Nodes” are people
– “Links” are relationships
Reviewing the Basics INC/USDN 11

12. Social Networks
• Other things being equal, it is easier to access ideas and information
from people who are closely connected in network terms (from
friends, and from friends of friends, for example) than from people
who are three or more steps removed.
• Outliers (nodes on the periphery of a network) often have access to
ideas and information that people at the core do not.
• Strong ties in closely knit
networks are a source of
valuable social capital
• Weak ties - provide access to
external assets
Reviewing the Basics INC/USDN 12

13. Social Networks
• Highly connected “hubs” are effective in spreading ideas and
connections
• “Dense clusters” are ideal for close collaboration and peer exchange
• “Boundary spanners” bridge isolated network clusters
• Multi-purpose social ties tend to be stronger, which means more can
be leveraged through them.
Reviewing the Basics INC/USDN 13

14. Networks are for Individual and
Collective Ends
– Individual Ends: individuals/organizations
network to achieve individual goals
Sharing value is good…
– Collective Ends: individuals/organizations work
together to achieve collective goals.
… The ultimate goal is to build and
strengthen connections that allow people to
achieve collective ends.
Reviewing the Basics INC/USDN 14

15. Network Building is about Creating Ties
Within Core and To Periphery
• Who’s connected to whom? Who’s not connected but should
be?
• Where are the hubs and brokers? How can we assist them?
• Where are the bottlenecks? Can we eliminate them?
• Are new connections forming? Clusters emerging?
Collaborations advancing ?
• Where are the network’s resources? Are they effectively
used?
• How is the network evolving and what are the implications?
Reviewing the Basics INC/USDN 15

16. USDN Built on Existing Relationships …
“Networks that are
formed as the result of
external, especially
donor-driven,
impetuses are less
sustainable in the long
run than networks that
evolve organically out
of existing
partnerships.”
USDN 2009
Reviewing the Basics INC/USDN 16

17. …While Responding to New Relationships
Increasingly
USDN Members
Connecting
Within Same
Regionin
Region
Reviewing the Basics INC/USDN 17

18. Response: Creation and Alignment with
Regional Networks
Cascadia
Michael Armstrong
Michigan New England
Matt Naud Christine Eppstein
Western Tang & Susanne
Rasmussen
Adaptation Heartland
Vicki Bennett
Dennis Murphey
California South East
Shannon Parry
Maggie Ullman &
Texas Susanna
Kevin Lefebvre Sutherland
Reviewing the Basics INC/USDN 18

19. Choosing a Network
19

20. Networks Are Different!
Networks Organizations Other
Are informal, organic, Are formal, fixed and Coalitions: Can be more or
mutual, voluntary, centralized with less formal, but are formed
distributed, open- delegated chains of at particular historical
ended, reciprocal, with command and moments focused on
relationships built on accountability to owners specific objectives. Often
trust. Members are directors, and bosses. dissolve when the job is
deliberate about over (win or loss).
building, strengthening,
and maintaining ties so Franchises: Are formal,
that they can be with a central hub
activated again and establishing standards for
again. “local” entities to use;
some local flexibility
… A Network is a base for many different types permitted.
of activities over time.
Choosing a Network INC/USDN 20

21. Advantages of Networks
 “Small World” Reach – By bringing
together novel combinations of people
and reaching across bridges to other 501
470 266
091
networks.
216 133
205 126
172
279 471 374
261 256 289 449
208
 More Rapid Growth – Networks can
331 375
049 520 145 033
371 223
543 204
330 146 053 134
307 379
050 313 066 163 190
583 429 556 005 105 574
253 472 122 235
523 326 070 068 109
036 578 351
quickly add relationships and bridges to
478
442 164
149 518 173 455 554
555 344
388 505 249 347
303 550 221
348
244 198 548 295 304 077
343
423 288 572 391 337 352 462 498
other networks.
476 345 502 052
495 380 101 359
377 039 023 004 219 334 137 338
406 220 019 506
531 257 088 366 084 282 130
420 035 245 489
569 265 060 034
547 044 188 422 046 155
140 229
128 180 376 113 016 108 479
093100 210 512 268
541 010 513 020 381 526 069 535
018 287
516 403 030 390 458 008
096 353 329 277 270
196 340 129 362 327 358 297 199
397 097 165 300
561 525 444
 More Rapid Diffusion – Through these
110 029 530 262
519 315 318 349 545 132 350 319 370 271 209
552 365 183 047
085 316
217 538 385 546
500 012 116 201 083 336
465 532 461 003 346 368
141 162 027 152 285 342 150
264 477
312 437 224 487 514 515 473
206 102 160 354 045
082 378 014 042 509 124 071
relationships and bridges.
228
054 425 521 167 232
158 484 043
492 138 022 490 320 557 233
230
067
112
412 499 384 450 212 467 251 065
333 537 169 446 443 493 576
213 428 031 207 231179
468 272 426 177 170
117 115 485 195
432 563 383 559 111 339 396 533
176
299 148 570
236 328 246 041 363 293 087 174 127
411 291 438
094 568 092 222
184
 Greater Resilience – Nodes quickly
399 226 508 292 294
241 413 431 322
564 580 234 587 369
308 317 240 286 488 355 079 135 577
021 120 539
258 252 191 356
187 392 464
250 273 325 389 051
551 451
301 417 534 276 405
453 194 072 581
309 536 181 075 247
408 142 507 398 448 037
239 211
reorganize around disruptions or
306 517 542 081 419 402 218
168 410 311 106 156
382 524
263 321 267 032 269 076 386
430 418 571 192 007
024 584
048 427 409 324 558 463 457
284 136 482 086
503 259 361
103
549
387 015 440 089
059 104
bottlenecks.
238 025 098
582 275 193 416 480
243 452 040 481
161 401 511
254 278 280 575
121 323 562 544 290
494 579 373
028 009 395 153 585
529 447
058 055
436
281 131 475
274 560 123
001 078
 Greater Adaptability – Networks
522 305
335 421
006
017 415 491
125 439
474 197 433 469
332
214
evolve and regroup with relative ease.
Choosing a Network INC/USDN 21

22. Summary: Making the Choice
An Organization A Network A Coalition
Is Best If… Is Best If… Is Best If…
• The work is relatively • The work is likely to • The work is focused,
predictable change rapidly specific (e.g., a time-
• It requires concentrated • You need access to a limited campaign)
expertise over time very broad range of • You need access to
• Producing value diverse relationships broad range of
requires highly stable • The work that is being relationships
relationships between done can be conducted • Producing value
players by “episodic” requires stable
• Work involves a lot of interactions relationships and work
proprietary information • Much information can plan
• Resources allow you to be shared freely • Information can be
pay full time for all of • The resources you need shared freely
your talent cannot be purchased on • Resources are limited
a full time basis
Choosing a Network INC/USDN 22

23. USDN Rational for Forming Network
Stage 1: Stage 2: Stage 3: Stage 4:
FRAMING NETWORKING MATURATION STANDARDIZATION
Conceptual Networking of Maturation of Practices become
framing and innovators and practices; highly standardized,
isolated proliferation of convergence and incorporated
practice practices. Practices around common into formal training;
examples. are fragmented and methods and credentialing and
often considered tools; integration certification
“proprietary.” of previously systems. Practices
differentiated are considered
practices; “commodities.”
development of a Reward systems
professional reinforce desired
implementation behaviors.
Urban support network.
Sustainability
in Stage 2
Choosing a Network INC/USDN 23

24. EXERCISE #1
Based on your experience, what are the primary advantages
of organizing as a network to advance common goals?
• Elect someone at your table to take notes and report back
• Everyone: Take a moment and think of an important
network experience that you’ve had as a funder
• Pick a partner and together list as many advantages of
this network as you can, drawing on your experience(s).
• Share your thoughts with other members at your table.
• Get ready to report out your combined list of advantages.
Choosing a Network INC/USDN 24

25. Starting Up Well
25
25

26. What Makes a Network Tick
Clarity of Purpose
Value Exchange
Trust
Complementary Capacities
Diversity
Bonds and Bridges
Stewardship
Enabling Infrastructure
Starting Up Well INC/USDN 26

27. PURPOSE
3 Different Network Functions
Lower Commitment, Trust Higher Commitment,
Trust
CONNECTING ALIGNING PRODUCING
Information Identity Initiative
Connects people to Aligns people in ways Fosters joint action by
allow easy flow of and that help them form people or organizations
access to information more collective —has a specific purpose
and transactions transactions than a
connectivity network
will do •Policy action
•Advocacy
Individuals come to •Learning
share a set of ideas, •Knowledge production
language, or standards and dissemination
Starting Up Well -- Purpose INC/USDN 27

28. PURPOSE
4 Different Network Outcomes
• Learning – Create and spread new knowledge
• Advocacy – Advocate for particular policies
• Innovation – Innovate to solve social problems
• Branding – Marketing, communications and shared
branding
Starting Up Well -- Outcomes INC/USDN 28

29. PURPOSE
USDN Began With Connecting;
Evolved to Innovation/Production
Foster joint action for
specialized outcomes
Ex: Innovation Grants
Develop and spread a
shared point of view
Ex: Create Professional
Development Toolkit
Allow easy flow of
information and
relationships
Ex. Information-Sharing
Website
Starting Up Well -- Purpose INC/USDN 29

30. USDN Began to Pursue Learning Outcomes
(Begun 2009)
2011 Annual Meeting Learning Experiences Were:
Starting Up Well -- Outcomes INC/USDN 30

31. USDN Later Pursued Innovation Outcomes
(Begun 2010)
• Food Systems
• Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Policy Scan - Kansas City, Columbia, and St.
Louis with U Mo Extension
• Sustainable Urban Food Infrastructure Guide and Food Policy Director Network -
Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, Louisville, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Vancouver,
Seattle, Portland (under development)
• Food Systems Economic Development Scan of Tools, Metrics, and
Strategies Minneapolis, San Francisco, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland (under
development)
• Sustainability Performance Measurement/Management
• Triple Bottom Line Investment Calculator - Atlanta, Boston, Calgary
• Benchmarking Study on Sustainability Performance Management - Ann Arbor,
Portland, NYC, Corvallis, Berkeley, Vancouver, Chicago, Minneapolis with McKinsey
• EV Adoption Northeast Regional Electric Vehicle Partnership and Tools Development -
Boston, New York, Philadelphia
• Climate Change Adaptation Inter-Mountain Regional Climate Adaptation Planning
Alliance and Regional Adaptation Prototype - Denver, Flagstaff, Ft. Collins, Las Vegas, Salt
Lake City, Tucson, Boulder County, Park City
Starting Up Well -- Outcomes INC/USDN 31

32. USDN Innovation Outcomes (cont.)
• Fostering Sustainable Behavior
• Community Social Engagement Guidebook and Case Studies - Albany and Richmond
• Pilot and Turnkey Project for Employee Computer Power Down - Santa Clara County CA,
Frederick County MD, Baltimore MD, Columbia MO (under development)
• Pilot and Turnkey Project for Community Cold Wash-Line Dry Behavior - San Francisco,
Tucson, Berkeley, Asheville (under development)
• Tool and Strategy for Prioritizing Behaviors and Develop Strategies for Fostering Behavior
Change - Denver, Baltimore, Berkeley (under development)
• Building Energy Efficiency
• Commercial Building Energy Disclosure Advancement Process - San Francisco, New York,
Seattle, Austin, Washington, D.C., Eugene, Cambridge, Minneapolis, and other cities with IMT
• Strategy for Commercial Bank Buy-in to PACE Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco with
PACENow
• EcoDistricts North American EcoDistricts Program Design - San Francisco, Austin, Bloomington,
Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Vancouver, Washington with Portland
Sustainability Institute
• Professional Development
• Self Assessment Tool for Sustainability Directors
• Urban Sustainability Leadership Academy (trained 90+ sustainability directors) with ISC
32
Starting Up Well -- Outcomes INC/USDN

33. USDN Innovation Outcomes (cont.)
• Regional Networks
• Sustainability Network Building Guidebook with INC
• Regional Network Coordinating Committee
• Regional Network TA Program with INC
• Innovation System
• Urban Sustainability Innovation Fund
• Funder’s Network’s Local Sustainability Matching Fund
• Prototype for best practice case studies and sector scans
• Asheville Prototype LED Street Lighting Case Study
• Food System Prototype Sector Scan
Starting Up Well -- Outcomes INC/USDN 33

34. VALUE
USDN Members Believe the Network Is Delivering
on Their Top Value Propositions
USDN Member Survey July-August 2011
Starting Up Well –Value INC/USDN 34

35. VALUE
USDN Members Have Come to Believe the Network Also
Spurs Collaboration & Joint Stakes
All USDN members strongly agree or agree that they feel very proud
of what they have built together at USDN, and feel part of
something big and important by participating in USDN.
Starting Up Well –Value INC/USDN 35

36. VALUE
USDN Members Walk the Talk
USDN Groups:
• Bike Sharing User Group
• Climate Change Adaptation User Group
• Eco-Districts User Group
• Food Systems User Group
• Net Zero Buildings User Group
• Policy Working Group
• Policy Communications Working Group
• Regional Network Coordinating
Committee
• Rental Housing User Group
• Sustainability Indicators User Group
• Sustainable Behavior Pilot Projects
Group
• Sustainable Behavior User Group
• Sustainable Economic Development User
Group
Starting Up Well -- Value INC/USDN • USDN Communications Committee 36

37. TRUST
Built Through Bandwidth
Year Avg # Ties
2009 8
2010 19
2011 26
2011
2010
2009 Starting Up Well -- Trust INC/USDN 37

38. TRUST
Built Through Reciprocity
USDN members commit to actively learn from, assist, and collaborate with
their peers and regularly contribute time and effort to the Network.
Starting Up Well -- Trust INC/USDN 38

39. Similarity and Diversity
39

40. STEWARDSHIP
Bandwidth Built Through Stewardship
• Organizers establish purpose and value proposition; connect
first nodes; attract initial resources.
• Financial stewards provide initial resources.
• Coordinators/Enablers help establish shared value
proposition; negotiate action plans for production; coordinate
production.
• Weavers increase connections among nodes; connect to new
nodes.
• Evaluators of network development and performance
• Coaches advise organizers, weavers, facilitators and
coordinators.
Starting Up Well --Stewardship INC/USDN 40

41. STEWARDSHIP
Stewardship Art
“No one runs USDN. It has a coordinator, but no board
of directors, no executive director or CEO, no legal
entity to receive funder’s checks, no employees. All it
really has are members—volunteers—who direct and
adapt the network through their dialogue and actions.
How else to get scores of independent cities to
collaborate and amass to address common
problems?”
--- Guidebook for Building Regional
Networks for Urban Sustainability
2.0
Starting Up Well --Stewardship INC/USDN 41

42. STEWARDSHIP
Stewardship Art
 Generating opportunities and “Aha!” moments, but
letting the network do the work
 Balancing between the needs of the “parts” and the
“whole.”
 Balancing autonomy with collective control.
 Balancing stability and change.
 Ensuring effective communications.
 “Policing” the network.
Starting Up Well --Stewardship INC/USDN 42

43. Factors in Success in Making the Case for
Sustainability (N = 102)
Starting Up Well -- Stewardship 43

44. … Yet Few Members Have Methods to Calculate
Economic Development or Equity Benefits
Starting Up Well -- Infrastructure INC/USDN 44

45. Enabling Infrastructure by Type of Network
Outcome
Type of Network
Connecting Aligning Innovating/Producing
• Members-only Web site • Collaborative work • Capacity to negotiate production
with networking tools processes + Web site agreements among members
• Meeting planning & • Capacity to analyze, • Project management and project
facilitation compare, and budgeting capacity
synthesize frameworks,
• Shared calendaring definitions, etc. • Formal governance of all
producers
• “Opt In” learning • Formal decision-making
processes processes to “endorse” • Performance accountability
alignment mechanisms mechanisms
• Member input systems (e.g., standards)
• Pricing and marketing capacity
• Sales, fulfillment, & financial
management
Starting Up Well -- Infrastructure INC/USDN 45

46. USDN Enabling Infrastructure
Information Sharing Tools
USDN fosters peer exchange and learning through:
•Weekly E-News
•USDN Members Only Website (usdn.org)
•Monthly USDN Idea Sharing Conference Calls
•Small Group Discussion MarketPlace
•Peer to Peer User Groups
•Annual Meeting
•Member Surveys
Starting Up Well -- Infrastructure INC/USDN 46

47. 47

48. 48

49. 49

50. USDN Enabling Infrastructure
Network Building System
• USDN tracks network health and evolution and pursues continuous
improvement.
• USDN helps build and aligns with structured multistate networks of
sustainability directors as a way to grow networking opportunities and
collaborative action.
• USDN has supported the creation of regional networks in New England,
Western States, Southern States, Heartland, Midwest, Cascadia, and Texas.
• The Regional Networks Coordinating Committee coordinates regional
network development, capacity building, and exchange.
• USDN raised funds with partner Innovation Network for Communities to
offer partner regional networks seed funding and training.
Starting Up Well -- Infrastructure INC/USDN 50

51. USDN Enabling Infrastructure
Innovation System (Came Later)
USDN supports collaboration across member jurisdictions on the
identification, development and distribution of key urban
sustainability innovations for products, policies and/or projects by:
• Helping members to Identify priorities for innovation
• Helping members come together to craft innovation proposals that
address these priorities and identify key partners
• Funding collaborative grants for the best projects through an
Urban Sustainability Innovation (USI) Fund
• Disseminating results through USDN, regional networks, key
partners, and the Funders’ Network Local Sustainability Matching
Fund
Starting Up Well -- Infrastructure INC/USDN 51

52. Urban Sustainability Innovation Fund
• Led by the USDN Sustainability Innovation Fund Steering
Committee.
• Has as a Fund Manager: Innovation Network for Communities
(INC).
• Supports 7 annual member priorities for innovation.
• Reviewed 13 proposals in the first 3 rounds and awarded
$230,000 to eight projects.
• For 4th round, in February 2012, received requests for upwards
of $700,000 for 16 proposals from a total of 45 cities.
• Have launched capital-raising to increase investments to $3
million over three years.
Starting Up Well -- Infrastructure INC/USDN 52

53. Local Sustainability Matching Fund
• Partnership of the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable
Communities, USDN, and national foundations
• Catalyzes partnerships between municipal or county-level
sustainability directors and local, place-based foundations to advance
important community-based sustainability initiatives
• Initial national pool will match funds for approximately 9-10
partnership projects of $25,000 to $75,000 in the first year
• Launched in January 2012
• 50% of grants go to USDN Core and Associate Members
• A pathway for dissemination of sustainability innovations because it
priorities USDN member innovation priorities
Starting Up Well -- Infrastructure INC/USDN 53

54. EXERCISE #2
How could you ensure that your networks get a good start?
• Elect someone at your table to take notes and report back
• Everyone: Take a moment and think of an important
network you have been a part of
• Pick a partner and make a list of ways you could
help/could have helped this network have its best
possible start.
• Share your thoughts with other members at your table.
• Get ready to report out your combined list of ways to help
your networks have the best possible start.
Starting Up Well -- Infrastructure INC/USDN 54

55. Learning and Evolving
55
55

56. Learning and Evolving
• Make the network do the work.
– Minimize “delegation” opportunities
• Let connections flow to value.
• Let variation create unplanned opportunities.
• Watch closely/Seek frequent feedback/Continually re-
evaluate.
• Keep plans flexible.
Learning and Evolving INC/USDN 56

57. Network Evaluation
• Assess for multiple dimensions:
– Connectivity (What flows? Between whom? How well?)
– Network health (Membership, Involvement, Diversity,
Unplanned benefits, Financial health)
– Outcomes (what was produced? At what quality levels? At
what cost)
• Focus on member value – avoid being funder-centric
• Build in the assessment design early
• Use network mapping for visual display
Learning and Evolving INC/USDN 57

58. USDN Network Evaluation
• Annual Network Connectivity Mapping
o Density of network connections
o Depth of the connections (i.e. sharing or collaborating?)
• Score Card for Member Participation in Network Activities and
Contribution to Network Value Creation
• Annual survey of members on:
o New contacts and relationships with sustainability directors
o Ideas and practices adopted because of USDN participation
o Progress made in addressing key challenges
o Satisfaction with USDN
o Effectiveness of USDN activities
Learning and Evolving INC/USDN 58

59. Evaluation Through Network Mapping
Year Avg # Ties
2009 8
2010 19
2011 26
2011
2010
2009 Learning and Evolving INC/USDN 59

60. Who Is Accountable for Network Performance?
• All Members
• All Groups
• Group Chairs
• Steering Comm.
• Coordinator
Learning and Evolving INC/USDN 60

61. EXERCISE #3
For one network you are a part of, how do you know it is effective?
• Elect someone at your table to take notes and report
back
• Everyone: Take a moment and think of an important
network you have been a part of
• Pick a partner and together list as many ways that you
know it is/was successful
• Share your thoughts with other members at your table.
• Get ready to report out your combined list of ways to
know a network is successful.
Learning and Evolving INC/USDN 61

62. Network Funding
62

63. Network Costs and Funding
• Network costs are determined by network purpose.
• Network resources can come from in-kind “sweat
equity”; grants; selling services; and member funding.
• Network resources must be allocated through an open
and equitable process.
“The allocation of funds, once raised, can be potentially
contentious, if the relationships among members have not been
well formed, and if agreements for the division of resources have
not been reached in an open and transparent fashion.”
(Heather Creech, “Form Follows Function”)
Funding INC/USDN 63

64. EXERCISE #4
Group Discussion about How to Manage Foundation Network
Involvement
• How much should a funder be involved in designing
and managing a network?
• How can a funder be knowledgeable about the
activities of a network and helpful to it, but not drive its
formation and activities?
• Are there certain elements of a network that
foundations should fund, and certain elements they
shouldn’t fund?
Funding INC/USDN 64

65. Case Discussions
• Scott Miller, Watershed Network: We have just launched a place-based
initiative in a watershed near Seattle...and are in the early stages of identifying
existing networks and developing strategies for weaving them together. We are
new at this game and are anxious to learn the tools that make this work more
efficient and effective. How do we identify nascent networks? How do we
weave these networks together to improve their effectiveness?
• Leslie Harroun, Tar Sands Campaign: How do we keep the broader goals
and objectives on the radar of all participants in the Tar Sands Campaign, a
group of about 50 North American NGOs working collaboratively to slow the
growth of the tar sands and to clean them up. The funder wants to improve
communications among members without incurring much cost. The TSC is
primarily funded by 4 foundations who pool their grants. Grant decisions are
made by three TSC staff. The campaign issues are broad and diverse, and there
are active mini-campaigns focused around individual pipelines throughout
North America. 65

66. Additional Cases
• A funder wants to support a network of 5 local universities in a consortium to use the
expertise and skills from each university to collaboratively address environmental issues,
but the administrations from each university slightly unwilling to collaborate with their
'competition.' How do we build collaboration between these institutions that are not
used to sharing such information and expertise?
• A network of university scientists, working on 4 different campuses, has pioneered new
methods and created new findings by integrating their findings and methods to a very
unusual degree. With constraints on federal and state funding, and the departure of a
major private donor, however, the network is faltering--and we are unable to carry the
full load of keeping them going. What are the funding options to keep this network
going?
• The U.S. Government has created 20+ Conservation Trust Funds overseas through debt
treatment programs. Many of these CTFs are networked through the Regional Network
of Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Funds (RedLAC). RedLAC has not been
successful at networking well with its counterparts in the North (e.g. CGBD). Why and
what can be done?
66