The Leadership for a Changing World program, a partnership between the Ford Foundation, the Institute for Sustainable Communities* and NYU Wagner, recognized approximately 150 exemplary community leaders who worked in 90 organizations around the country.

The goals of the program were to recognize and better understand social change leadership in American communities in order to contribute to changing the national conversation about leadership to one that recognizes the importance of community leadership and appreciates that leadership comes in many forms and from many different communities.

The Research and Documentation Component, housed at RCLA, was anchored in the belief that creating a new conversation about leadership depends on the ability to describe community leadership clearly and with an authentic voice. RCLA is committed to doing research about leadership with leaders, rather than on leaders.

Therefore, the program worked to generate new knowledge about community leadership through a collaborative approach. Award recipients were invited to become co-researchers and to explore collectively how leadership happens in their communities. Co-researchers were able to observe, analyze their own experience, and share reflections about what makes their practice successful, and what leadership challenges they confront.

Through these activities, we have developed new understandings about the ways in which communities trying to make social change engage in the work of leadership.  These findings continue to inform our scholarship and the development of the Social Change Leadership Network, a program to support and connect social change leaders across the nation.

Leadership as a Collective Achievement

Viewing leadership as a collective achievement moves beyond focusing on the relationship between leaders and followers. It recognizes the process by which people come together to pursue change, and in doing so, together develop a shared vision of what the world should look like, make sense of their experience and shape their decisions and actions. Learn more about leadership as a collective achievement.

Leadership Practices

Leadership practices are strategic interventions that help build collective power to make change possible. Learn more about RCLA's findings on these practices essential to the work of leadership.

Why This is Important

Social change organizations are local sites for democracy in action as they open spaces for every member of their communities to participate in making change happen. Social change leadership offers insight for other how other public service and private organizations can become more adaptive, inclusive and effective. Learn more about what this leadership can teach us for the future of public service.

Resources for Nonprofit Leaders

RCLA's reports for practitioners offer practical insights into strategies and approaches for developing leadership and building the capacity of individuals, organizations and communities to create change. Access the reports on leadership.