Services for Collaboratives, Coalitions, and Community Initiatives

Big problems need many hands. Together, we can make systems-level change when we build and maintain movements that are informed, effective, and sustainable over the long-haul. We help leaders engage community members, define and understand the problem, and build data-driven strategies. We also support ongoing implementation with high-quality facilitation, work team management, governance, and engagement. No matter the size of your group, we are experienced in giving you the critical support necessary through each cycle of your work.

Strategy and design

Thoughtful, informed, strategic design is critical in creating collective movements that are effective and sustainable. We support collaboratives and community initiatives at all stages of growth or change.


Needs assessments
Systematically understand opportunities and challenges to help you understand how to best utilize your resources.

Asset, resource, stakeholder/actor, and system power mapping
We help you identify what’s in place, who should be at the table, and map the unique nuances present in your community.

Infrastructure and governance planning and design
No matter the size of your group, we develop clear governance structures that keep everyone on the same page.

Consensus-driven planning
We help you engage your stakeholders, drive critical conversation, and build buy-in to goals and strategies.

Priority identification and implementation planning
We are experts in analyzing community needs, group input, and data to help you prioritize strategies that help you reach key milestones.

Operational support services

There are many moving pieces and dynamics when it comes to managing a collaborative or community initiative. Get support in keeping everyone informed and on track.


Backbone support
Get general support for your backbone and governance teams within your collaborative. We support collaboratives in managing diverse teams to keep things moving forward.

Facilitation services
We’re experts in facilitating groups (large and small) through tough conversations, vision-casting, strategy development, and learning and improvement. We serve as your neutral facilitator to keep meetings efficient and productive.

Evaluation and data services

Evaluating the right outcomes and understanding how and when to use data is especially important in maintaining momentum and buy-in throughout the long-term work required for systems change. We help you tell your story with data to maintain forward progress.


Data collection and community engagement
Ensure your strategies are informed by data. We identify, collect, and analyze existing available data (such as census data, etc.) as well as facilitate community engagement to  guide initiatives with meaningful, relevant information. This includes community-based and/or participatory research and evaluation, along with other methods and approaches.

Impact evaluation
Get clarity about the progress of strategies, collaborative infrastructure, or overall impact of your collective efforts. We work collaboratively with clients to develop the right metrics based on your unique goals and collective makeup.

FLEX in-house consultants
Build sustainable capacity with monthly evaluation support.

Training and workshops

We offer a variety of workshops and trainings to help collaborative groups better understand systems change, evaluation, and collaboration techniques.


We offer a variety of workshops and trainings to help teams better understand data and design.

  • Understanding and Applying Evaluation Methods

  • Supporting Productive Collaboration 

  • Understanding and Designing Systems Change


Case Studies

Every community and every nonprofit is a little different. We take time to understand the nuances of your organization, barriers, and key stakeholders, and design approaches that are built on best practices yet customized to meet your unique needs. Take a look at some of our work and get to know how the Elevate team can support you.

Let’s work together.

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