In a chaotic social and political environment, “defensive” social change tactics dominate strategy conversations. It’s logical that pro-democracy advocates are deep in the trenches on mutual defense and litigation. But a growing group of experts agree that leaders also must act to support “affirmative” social change. The future will not wait for activists to be “ready.” If more inclusive and equitable policies are to emerge this year, next year, or any time soon, the work that nurtures them has to happen now.
Social-change innovation is challenging, but not mysterious. The key conditions that foster innovation have been well-explored in analogous contexts.
Pro-innovation work includes:
- Providing innovators with sufficient ongoing support to make realistically possible the imagining, developing, and piloting of new initiatives.
- Limiting social sector “gatekeeping” and disincentives for trying and “failing.”
- Supporting “idea communities” that put innovators into regular contact with peers from fields that are just far enough outside their core communities to be both relatable and new.
- Expanding mutual understanding between innovators and their funding sources.
Our latest paper, “Innovation for Social Change: How to Better Support It,” is now available on the Fine Gauge Strategy Resources page. It explores how the social sector can support innovators to cultivate the “adjacent possible” — a concept where innovations are built through the creative adaptive use of already-existing “parts.”
We hope this analysis of innovation-supportive conditions, resources, and environments is helpful to your work, and we’d love to hear your ideas for supporting social sector innovation.
