Design the Change

Customer-Partner Mindset

Those affected by the issue are active co-creators, not passive beneficiaries.

This model replaces the commonly implemented benefactor-beneficiary framework. Instead of a relationship where one party is seen as the giver and the other as the receiver, the customer-partner model helps social impact organizations shift how they view the individuals they work with.

When a social impact organization considers the people they work with as co-creators rather than beneficiaries, they create an independent relationship where both parties benefit as opposed to a one-way dependent relationship. Additionally, co-creation often improves the longevity of implemented interventions. Co-creators have unique insights and skills regarding the problem that can help build smarter, better solutions. Continuously reflecting on and implementing the customer-partner model reinforces key relationships, prioritizes human-centered design, and generally results in improved interventions.

To what extent do your organization's current actions treat those affected by the issue as co-creators?

Human-Centered Design

Problem-solve from the affected individual’s perspective.

 The concept of human-centered design, largely popularized by the nonprofit design studio IDEO.org, has become widely used across the social impact ecosystem to create sustainable change.

The core principle of human-centered design is that the people experiencing a problem are the experts on that problem. They understand the nuances, barriers, and context in ways outsiders never could. Rather than designing solutions for people, human-centered design encourages designing with them.

1. Inspiration 

The inspiration phase gathers information and feedback from customer-partners through genuine conversations and connections. It’s not just data collection. It’s about immersing oneself in the lives and experiences of the individuals the solution is intended for.

2. Ideation 

The ideation phase interprets information gathered during inspiration, imagines possible solutions, and creates prototypes for testing with the collaborative efforts of the previously mentioned customer-partners.

3. Implementation 

Once the prototype has been refined enough to become an actual product, program, or service, implementation can begin. This phase focuses on delivery, assessment, and improving the longevity and sustainability of the solution.

Human-centered design exemplifies the Ballard Center core principle to love the one. By encouraging connection and co-creating solutions, it reinforces the importance of solving social problems on an individual level.

How well is your organization practicing human-centered design?

Theory of Change

Develop the blueprint for building toward desired outcomes.

A theory of change is a logical framework that explains how an intervention is expected to create change, showing the causal pathway from planned intervention activities to projected intermediate outcomes and then overall intended impact. A theory of change makes explicit the “if-then” relationships in the work. “If we provide job training, then participants will gain skills, which will lead to employment, ultimately reducing poverty in the chosen community.”

Similar to a hypothesis, a theory of change explains why change will occur. It also provides a reference point for interpreting results by explicitly listing the anticipated pathways of change. Organizations can then compare actual short-term outcomes with those predicted in the theory of change

Are you able to define your organization's theory of change for your chosen social problem?

Ecosystem Maps

Visualize how all the key stakeholders are related.

Ecosystem mapping is a strategic tool used to visualize the complex networks of relationships and interactions within or surrounding a social issue. It involves identifying and charting the key players, resources, and connections that constitute the ecosystem. These maps provide a comprehensive overview of the issue landscape, highlighting how different entities and factors interrelate and influence one another.

Think of an ecosystem map like a network diagram that shows not just who’s involved in addressing an issue, but how they’re connected, what they contribute, and where the gaps are. Just as a biological ecosystem shows how organisms depend on and influence each other, a social impact ecosystem map reveals the interdependencies and flows within a community working on or experiencing a shared challenge. Creating an ecosystem map can improve your understanding of existing partnerships and connections that are already generating positive social impact.

What are three established practices that have been beneficial in improving your social problem? What three are considered dead ends?