Networks for Informing and Engaging Communities

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The Knight Foundation and the Monitor Institute are exploring the emerging potential of network practices for informing and engaging communities. We’re looking at how social networks – loose connections of people—are and will be organized to make a difference in communities. We’re looking at how people are co-producing and co-curating content. We’re looking at the role of social technologies in nurturing engaged communities and how people and communities are connecting on-line and in-person -- to name a few of the cut-in points.

In the end, we want to answer the question: What will be the most effective network-centric practices for informing and engaging communities over the next 5 years? And, what are the implications for grantmakers that want to fuel citizen-led change in communities?

It’s a big topic. So we’re looking to the future, making connections across a range of trends in order to surface how strengthening, expanding and activating networks may –or may not—lead to more engaged and more informed communities.

A powerful way to explore the future is to tell stories – or scenarios—about what’s next. Scenarios are provocative and plausible stories about diverse ways in which issues relevant to our communities might evolve and interact in the coming years. Scenarios are created by combining important trends—or driving forces—and exploring how these forces might come together to create a range of future possibilities: good and bad, expected and surprising.

The following brief survey is intended crowdsource insight about driving forces. We have aggregated and synthesized input from thought leaders and Knight Foundation staff in order to develop a short list of driving focuses that could shape how networks and network practices will help inform and engage communities. We are reaching out to you for your opinions on which of these drivers of change are most important and what you think is certain about this space over the next 5 years.

Your input will help us frame a powerful set of future scenarios. We’ll use the scenarios to stretch our thinking about the opportunities and threats that the future might hold and thereby arrive at a deeper understanding of philanthropic investment case for networks for community engagement. Our learning along the way and the final report will be openly shared. Stay tuned.

The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for your participation!