ABOUT

About the Center for Collaborative Change

With its energy, tenacity, diversity, and promise, Newark, NJ, has access to the resources and expertise it needs to transform into a place of health, safety and opportunity for all.  To get there, we need to focus on the things that matter most to people and that have the greatest potential for saving and improving their lives. Then, we need to invest in high impact solutions that harness the unique assets of our community to meet those unique community needs.

But how do we know which issues pose the gravest risks to people’s health or safety, and which solutions hold the greatest promise to catalyze growth and opportunity?  Before 2009, it was nobody’s job to perform broad-based, citywide participatory needs and impact assessments. It was nobody’s job to research national best practices on behalf of the Newark community. And it was nobody’s job to build and provide backbone support to cross-sector partnerships that can implement collaborative, sustainable solutions to those identified community priorities.

In 2009, we made that our business. We conduct primary and secondary research to determine priority areas for change. We consult expert practitioners and academics about what works. We broker relationships and build win-win partnerships that align individual and institutional interests for the greater good, developing sustainable, collaborative solutions to longstanding issues.

The Center for Collaborative Change connects people, ideas and resources to Newark’s most urgent needs to make our community thrive.

 

The mission of the Center for Collaborative Change is to engage community members and assist civic leadership in developing policies and programs that accelerate Newark’s revitalization through an inclusive process.

Click here to see team bios, and here for contact information.

 

We have a dynamic, multidisciplinary team of staff, fellows and volunteers who bring a variety of perspectives and experiences to our work.

In everything that we do, we are guided by the following core values:

  • Value Added: We are responsive to the priorities of our community and strive to achieve significant and verifiable results.

  • Ownership: We take individual and collective responsibility for our efforts, presentation, and our results.

  • Inclusiveness: We value the expertise of all community stakeholders and affirmatively create opportunities for everyone to participate meaningfully.

  • Collaboration: We believe that bridging community wisdom and existing resources will create effective, respectful, and sustainable solutions.

  • Empowerment: We approach all aspects of our work with the intention that what we do and how we do it strengthens individuals and communities.

Our goal is to alleviate poverty and fuel a cycle of opportunity in our city and beyond.   To achieve this, we do four things:

Assess community needs and assets

Build solutions through research and innovation 

Connect ideas, people and resources to implement these solutions

Develop opportunities for civic participation