Relational approaches – such as multi-community networks, impact alliances, or ecosystems – are increasingly recognized for their potential to support sustainable solutions and to nurture resilience while navigating complex challenges. However, expertise in building and sustaining such approaches is still scarce and intermediaries, networks, and movements around the world experience a lack of resources and appropriate funding instruments.

To build collective readiness and capacity, Connecting Networks provides a learning environment for individuals and organizations who are open to critically think and reflect together.

Through gatherings that prioritize connection and trust-building, we aspire to exchange from a place of curiosity and jointly ask questions such as:

• How can we employ relational approaches to better address the complex challenges we are facing?
  
• What needs to shift on an individual, organizational and field level?
  
• How can we support each other along the way?

Connecting Networks offers various learning formats that invite participants to step out of every-day workflows and roles and get inspired by connecting and exchanging with peers working across different topics and geographies:

Learning Labs

Learning Labs are designed as a deep dive into a specific theme that explores the potential of relational and collaborative approaches. Theoretical input is woven together with relevant cases and participants´ own inquiries, grounding meta reflections in real-life scenarios. External thought leaders are invited to provide impulses that unlock fresh thinking, but the focus lies in surfacing the knowledge and experience of the participants.

Strategy Retreats

Strategy Retreats provide opportunities to explore professional inquiries in a supportive and creative environment. Through peer exchange between practitioners working in a variety of thematic fields and geographies, these retreats offer the time and space to explore strategic questions around implementing relational and collaborative approaches in practice.

Since 2017, more than 160 people from over 40 organizations have taken part in one of the Connecting Network formats.

To ensure insights from Connecting Networks gatherings are widely shared, we carefully distill and disseminate learnings and resources in transferable formats that offer value to both participants and the broader field of philanthropy and social change. For example:

Do you want to learn more or join a future event? Please get in touch with:

Naomi Martin
naomi.martin@iac-berlin.org