An overview of catalytic organizations
Monday, February 20, 2006
(The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation)The Harwood Institute defines a catalytic
organization as one that is not only effective
at achieving its mission, but also builds
community while doing its work. These kinds of
organizations are one of the key ingredients
for developing the networks, norms,
relationships, and structures - what we call
public capital - that are the foundation of
vibrant communities and a robust public life.
How can organizations become catalytic,
and how can catalytic organizations deepen
their capacity to create change?
Certainly, there is no one single
answer to this question. But The Harwood
Institute, through its 20 years of
on-the-ground change work, has developed a
proven track record in partnering with
place-based organizations to help them address
the myriad of challenges they face in building
the collective will for action at a time when
so many people have retreated from public
life.
What it means to be
catalytic
The Harwood Institute
works to develop strong catalytic organizations
– organizations that combine, in their own
ways, the following attributes:
- Catalytic organizations are
boundary-spanning organizations – they see a
clear need to work across existing lines of
division, geography, and other boundaries that
keep people apart
- Catalytic organizations incubate new ideas
and often spin them off to other organizations
or groups once initiated
- Catalytic organizations build connections
and networks – creating safe places and
vibrant spaces for doing civic business
- Catalytic organizations make engaging the
community a part of their daily work ethic
- Catalytic organizations act as a candid
friend to the community, holding up a mirror to
the community on tough challenges
- Catalytic organizations build community resources, capacity and political will for change
We have found that developing strong catalytic organizations takes the active pursuit of the following:
- Re-orienting people’s view of how to work
within and tap community life – its layers,
norms, rhythms, public capital, and engaging
people as citizens
- Imagining effective pathways for moving
from goals to action – always thinking
long-term and seizing moments for opportunistic
change
- Applying rigorous frameworks for how to
identify key levers for change – including
how to set things in motion and sustain
them
- Understanding the reality of a community
and aligning internal culture, norms, and
reflexes in order to take meaningful
action
- Investing approaches that address key
community challenges and build community at the
same time
- Matching strategies with the community’s
capacity to act – and what to do when
mismatches exist
- Accelerating efforts to get everyone on the same page about what it takes to think and act catalytically – among staff, board members and key volunteers