We acknowledge the Traditional Owners/Custodians of the lands and waters on which we work and live on across Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We are committed to collaboration that furthers self-determination and creates a better future for all.

White paper: Building networks for systemic impact

We’ve written a white paper focused on building networks for systemic impact, because we believe that if you bring together diverse people to have deep, authentic connections, over time you can shift situations that would otherwise remain stuck.

We live in a time of intense connection, and yet we are also increasingly disconnected.

We have no shortage of channels on which to reach people or to follow what they are doing – yet the quality of connections between us is in decline. 

That decline includes people who share the same social mission; we regularly see how collaboration in the Australian for-purpose sector is constrained by the design of the markets that they operate in.

All this disconnection puts us in a tough place when it comes to making progress on complex challenges that require collaboration between organisations, and between people with seemingly conflicting perspectives.

In response to this, practitioners around the world have been exploring alternative ways to organise people to advance large-scale systemic impact.

Their work designing and running what have come to be called impact networks proves that if you bring together diverse people and hold those conversations in a certain way, over time you can shift situations that would otherwise remain stuck.


What this paper explores

This paper explores the promising practice of impact networks, including examples of impact networks from around the world and how these networks work. It also shares insights from the Good Death Impact Network (GDIN), a network TACSI have been involved in convening since 2018, and the four network practices that our GDIN work has helped us put into practice: togetherness, in-betweenness, emergence, and wellbeing. 

These practices create a fertile ground for shifting systems by cultivating deep, authentic connections, a shared understanding of systems and collective intelligence.

Our hope is that this paper helps you consider if an impact network could help you make better progress on the systemic challenges you’re facing. 

Download the white paper

Download the whitepaper

Fill in the form below to download the whitepaper. A download link will appear on submission.

We'll also send you an email containing the link for future reference.

 
 
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Who this white paper is for

  • You’re a leader looking to address a complex and dynamic systemic challenge

  • You’re a funder or decision maker looking to shift behaviours across a field, industry or sector

  • You already run a network and you’re looking to increase its impact

  • You’re a facilitator looking to learn more about TACSI’s approach to impact networks

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Adelaide SA 5000

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Redfern NSW 2016

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© 2025 TACSI
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and Owners of the lands in which we work and live on across Australia. We pay our respects to Elders of the past, present and emerging. We are committed to collaboration that furthers self-determination and creates a better future for all. Please note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or printed material.
At TACSI, diversity and inclusion is more than a statement; equality and accessibility are guiding principles embedded in everything we do. We strongly believe that it’s the collective sum of all our communities differences, life experiences, and knowledge that enables both ourselves and our partners to come together to tackle complex social issues. That’s why we’re committed to having a diverse team made up of people with diverse skills from all backgrounds, including First Nations peoples, LGBTIQ+, mature-age people, and people with visible and non-visible disabilities, regardless of sex, sexuality or gender identity.