Learning Reports
2022-2023 Report on Learning and Impact
Download High Hanging Fruit here.
Working in systems transformation requires exuberant ambition. Small, steady steps are important, make no mistake, but systems are not transformed simply by tackling the so-called “low-hanging fruit.”
This report details by strategic area and theme some of the lessons we have learned in the last year. It is a transparent, vulnerable look at some of our processes. Our goal is to help others in this field also aspire for the higher goals, the high-hanging fruit, and for real systems transformation. To quote Louise’s introduction,
“Sharing what we learn is essential to our mission. By sharing our learnings about community—the things we notice up close, that are unique to each project, and the things we see better at a distance that may be applicable in other situations—we hope to continue to enrich the field of social innovation. We fertilize the soil that feeds the seeds of new change by composting our learnings and tilling it in, while at the same time, we try to ensure the right resources are in place and in balance: the sunshine of adequate funding and the soothing rain of policy shifts.”– Louise Adongo
2021-2022 Report on Learning and Impact
A Year of Transforming
“The breadth of the work IC does still impresses me and I have been following this work since day one.
National Sector Partner
Read the full report here.
Inspiring Communities is an equity-centered systems change leader in Atlantic Canada. The impact we aim to see is an increase in equity—that is, more fairness and justice in our communities—and the emergence of alternative systems to our dominant, inequitable systems.
Our work is not paced for “quick wins.” We do not deal in “low hanging fruit.” Systems change takes time, and the early signs of change can be subtle. We try new things, and a number of things we try will not work. Sometimes what didn’t work tells us more than what did work. Often our learning is incremental.
2020-2021 Stories of Impact
Systems Change In Difficult Times
Systems change is a long term endeavour, and changing relationships and mindsets is where it starts. Signs of change will seem slow to appear, but we know the seeds we are planting will bear fruit in the fullness of time.
Read the full report here
In this report, you will find that some of our longer term projects are beginning to show the first signs of impact. In spite of the ways the pandemic affected us, our communities, and our work, this was a full, abundant year of fostering collaboration, innovation and social change.
We lifted up the voices of those with lived experience; connected leaders and increased capacity in our network; increased our culture of collaboration, supported communities in taking collective action in response to the pandemic; we strengthened evaluation capacity, shifted outdated narratives and made progress on building a learning culture.
It is our hope that what we have learned will help inspire and support changemakers across the region to create experiments and pilot projects in their own communities.
Looking for more detail on our community sites’ impacts?
Read Between the Bridges’ Reports here
Read Northside Rising’s Report here
Read Turning the Tide’s Report here
2018-2020 Stories of Impact
We’re proud to share our first annual report capturing impactful stories with you to showcase some of what we’ve learned and accomplished in our work so far.
You can watch our video mini-series to learn more about our work and our priority areas of Nesting, Learning, and Evaluation.