March 2021Collective Impact Newsletter
Dear Creative Community,
Welcome to the 2nd edition of of the DC Collaborative's Collective Impact Newsletter! In this edition, we will be providing you with updates about our work as the backbone organization of our Collective Impact work, committees, and additional resources for understanding the work of Collective Impact.

AGC DC Co-Chair Orientation Summary
We recently held our Committee co-chair orientation on February 26, where we discussed the history of the DC Collaborative, community roles, and expectations for the co-chairs of the Assessment/Evaluation and Equity/Justice Committees.

Back-bone Update
Collective Impact is a framework for data-driven strategic planning. View the Collective Impact Resource Page on our website and one of the Collaborative's previous blog posts for more information.

DC Collaborative's Role in Collective Impact: "Back-bone Support"
Collective Impact is driven by our entire arts and humanities education community, providing leadership and the support infrastructure to enable our community to work together to achieve its collective goals. The Collaborative team is here to listen, guide, and help facilitate.
March 2021 Collective Impact Newsletter Contents:

  1. Steering Committee Update
  2. Data Visualization Update
  3. Equity/Justice Committee Update
  4. Assessment/Evaluation Committee Update
  5. AHFES Programming Committee Update
  6. Collective Impact Resource Feature: Understanding the Role of Backbone Organizations in Collective Impact
AGC DC Steering Committee Update
The Steering Committee met on March 12, 2021, to discuss the broader goals of Any Given Child DC (AGC DC). Key takeaways continued to be needs of clarity around defining roles/terms and framing the work. The Steering Committee participated in a Jam Board activity around the Collaborative's role and how it intersects in the AGC DC committee work. The Committee will then oversee the creation of a visual to assist in communicating and clearly defining the community roles in Collective Impact.

Overarching Goals
The Steering Committee is posing questions that connect to overarching goals (in the strategic plan) to provide direction to the Equity/Justice and Assessment/Evaluation Committees. A working list of the questions are below. Next, the Committee will work on prioritizing and delegating these questions to the active committees:

  • Who is our audience / Who is our community?
  • Who is missing from our committee work?
  • Who are we serving and with what type of programming?
  • What makes a partnership successful?
  • What makes youth-centered programming successful?
  • What barriers to access have been reduced or exacerbated due to the pandemic?

AGC DC Terms and Audiences
The Steering Committee's last action item is to review/contribute to a glossary of terms. The Equity Committee will also be contributing to it simultaneously. The document will serve as a foundation for the communications and data initiatives. Anyone in our community can contribute! Please provide comments or contact Tracey Wyton at [email protected] by April 2.
Next Meeting Date: April 9th, 2021 at 9:30 AM
AGC DC Equity & Justice
Committee Update


The Equity/Justice Committee, facilitated by co-chairs Jeanette McCune (view bio) of the Kennedy Center and Michelle Hoffmann (view bio) of Washington Performing Arts, is continuing to turn their passion into action. Their strategic goals and plans of action include:
  • Co-creating a glossary of terms to better inform their work and how it impacts the community.
  • Providing a Training/Resource document of local/regional resources pertaining to anti-bias training, anti-racism workshops, DEI consultants, informative books and articles, etc.
  • Cultivating a welcoming and collaborative environment for new members who have a passion for this work and ties to local communities through neighborhood councils, local arts organizations, and community initiatives. If you are interested in joining, or would like to suggest someone who would be interested, please email Ashlee McKinnon, the Collaborative's point of contact, at [email protected], or fill out the form below.
Next Meeting Date: April 20th, 2021 at 3:00 PM
AGC DC Assessment & Evaluation
Committee Update


The Assessment/Evaluation Committee is excited to announce its three co-chairs: Adrienne L. Gayoso (view bio) of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Wendy Wang Pisa (view bio) of the DC Collaborative, and James Mitaritonna (view bio) of DC Public Schools.

The Committee will be holding a virtual Meet & Greet on March 31, 2021 at 11:00 AM, and will have their first official meeting on April 13, 2021 at 11:00 AM. Anyone who is interested in joining and participating in the Assessment/Evaluation Committee this year should fill out the form below.

Next Meeting Date: March 31, 2021 at 11:00 AM
Data Visualization Update
Based on our SY17-18 data dashboard groups feedback, we are tailoring our SY19-20 data dashboards towards a more purposeful framework for our community stakeholders. The focus will be geared towards:
  1. Simplifying dashboards for DCPS usage
  2. Clearly mapping the collaborative work and collective impact with our members
  3. Curating data intended for strategic planning for AGC DC
  4. Demonstrating DC Collaborative's value for potential funders and grant-makers
  5. Creating the Co-Lab: a portal for data sharing

Questions? Contact Wendy Wang Pisa, Manager of Community Partnerships: [email protected], or Sanae Hendy, Spring 2021 Community Partnerships Intern: [email protected]
AHFES Programming Committee Update
March 30: DC Collaborative AHFES Feedback Session

The DC Collaborative Programming Committee would like to invite all Fall and Winter AHFES practitioners to join us for a feedback session on March 30, 2021 at 10:00 AM, to explore the needs and solutions for the future.

The hour-long discussion will center our primary question: Moving forward, what would you need from the Collaborative to help support your virtual AHFES programming?

Meeting Agenda:
  • Review of current thinking regarding AHFES for Fall 2021
  • Brainstorming suggestions and improvements in small groups
  • Synthesizing major themes and outcomes

If you would like to attend, please complete the following registration form. Once completed, you will receive the Zoom link, prior to the meeting.

For additional questions or concerns, please contact Trés McMichael, Education Programs Manager at [email protected].
Collective Impact Resource Feature
Back-bone Support

This month's Collective Impact resource feature is the article, "Understanding the Value of Backbone Organizations in Collective Impact" from the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

A summary of the article is provided on the DC Collaborative's Story Bank Blog.

"The study found that there were six common activities of backbone organizations. These organizations often worked to 'guide vision and strategy; support aligned activities; establish shared measurement practices; build public will; advance policy [and] mobilize funding'".
Ways to Give
Donate to the DC Collaborative online or remit payment by check to:

DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative

The DC Collaborative is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

  • Are you a government employee? Give through the  CFC Catalogue of Caring. We're CFC#66894
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The DC Collaborative is a recipient of an FY21 General Operating Support Service Grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
The DC Collaborative is proud to receive a grant for its Collective Impact work supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The DC Collaborative is the backbone support organization that leads members of the Any Given Child DC program, an initiative of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.