Scaling Social Impact

At 16 years at age Femke witnessed a Greenpeace action with the slogan: "If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem". It made her realise that you cannot be neutral in societal issues. It inspired her to become a change-maker whose main aim is to activate others to become part of the solution. 

Femke has a successful history in leading campaigns to catalyse social change. She led a global team in Greenpeace towards significant victories to stop forest destruction. As the Executive Director of Greenpeace Mexico she helped to  transform the NGO into an organisation that engaged millions of Mexicans to make their country more just and sustainable. She is now heading up THNK School for Creative Leadership to help other change-makers to amplify their reach and scale their impact. She is an advisor to the Obama Foundation and a visiting professor at UCLA.

We are facing a perfect storm. A convergence of multiple crises is happening: a global pandemic, an equity crisis, a climate crisis and a global governance crisis. These systemic challenges are beyond what a single leader or single sector can solve. 

We need a network of leaders who catalyse and guide solutions at a scale commensurate with the problems we face. 

Scaling Social Impact is a project that builds a system leadership journey that helps shift the mental models of leaders and that equips them with the network and tools to create a greater vision of the whole system. To shape the future we want. To meet the needs of all within the means of this planet. To write its story. To collectively envision it and collaboratively create it. 

The challenges of our time are complex. These issues are too often approached with piecemeal and siloed solutions, and with efforts that aren't sufficient to address the problems on the scale at which they exist. 

Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was already insufficient to deliver the change we need. Covid-19 has exacerbated inequalities and injustices, and reversed decades of progress in poverty eradication, healthcare and education.

To flip that we need more system leaders who can engage multiple stakeholders to craft solutions that are complex enough and possess the various perspectives necessary to adequately address the challenges. Research shows that only 5% of leaders have these abilities.  

We need a critical mass of leaders to evolve in a more conscious, relational and purposeful version of themselves and who support others to do the same. This is the aim of the Scaling Social Impact Program. THNK has a track record in this: 79% of participants state that THNK gives them tools to scale their vision for greater impact, and 88% says that THNK has made them more effective.

Too many leaders in the geographies and sectors that shape the fate of the 21st century are excluded from leadership support. The purpose is to address this inequity, and help these leaders to scale their impact and amplify their reach.

The Scaling Social Impact is a six month online part-time program. 

• Participants will learn how to bring new ideas to persistent challenges and rethink outmoded systems. 

• Through introspective sessions and personal coaching, the program heightens one's leadership awareness and helps build the resilience necessary to lead in times of change, uncertainty and complexity. 

• They develop different habits of mind: asking different questions, taking multiple perspectives and seeing systems. 

• Participants also learn novel approaches to assembling and leading teams for tangible impact.

• Participants receive hands-on experience in the application of system design and innovation tools for the successful introduction of social innovations and will create safe-to-fail experiments

• They will be taught methods to take successful strategies to scale, where relevant, using digital technologies.

• Graduates are part of a global network of change makers who collaborate and support each other in building a world where the needs of all are met within the boundaries of nature.

The community for this project consists of social innovators with deep knowledge of the problem solving and goal setting related to the SDGs in their context.We are looking for leaders from geographies around the world who can help determine the fate of the 21st century. They are leading organisations trying to make a change. At the moment they do not have access to leadership support, and we want to make the Scaling Social Impact Program available for them through scholarships. 

Take for instance Roshan Paul: he was frustrated with gaps he identified in traditional education systems and inspired by and helped by THNK to set up the Amani Institute, teaching young people to think differently in order to create social change. To date, the institute has enrolled more than 500 fellows in Kenya, Brazil and India. 

This year we will run a Scaling Social Impact program with Brazilian Leaders from the social sector, and we are co-creating the curriculum together with the participants and the supporting Foundations. This will be the basis on which we will build further in the future.

Leaders of today are not a reflection of the communities that they are serving. A lot of talent does not have equal access to good schools, universities, business schools and support networks that open doors for them and lead them to leadership positions. 
To help solve our societal problems we need people who think different and come up with different solutions. The Scaling Social Impact Program provides scholarships to ensure a truly diverse leadership. For instance: our first cohort in Brazil will consist of leaders from the favela and other places rife with challenges and ripe for opportunities. 

Scaling Social Impact is a typical slow hunch: it is a culmination of experiences and insights that now has found its moment. 

When I started to work as a facilitator and professor I realised that there was no school or course that people could take to become skilled at system change both from a being (leadership) as a doing (capabilities, tools and processes) perspective. 

My purpose became to support and connect those leaders, and to collectively shape a future where the needs of all are met within the means of this planet. 

There are a lot of valuable initiatives around. The idea is heavily indebted on the one hand to system thinking, Theory U and double loop learning, and on the other hand to adult development theories of Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow Lahey and the work of Bob Anderson and Jennifer Garvey Berger on leading in complexity. 

The course itself is constructed around the hero's journey of Joseph Campbell. The methodology is typically THNK: a full experiential learning experience that is deep and simple at the same time. 

All these ingredients now have come together in Scaling Social Impact.

I grew up in a region that was traumatised by severe floods, in a country that is ⅓ below sea level. Every time we visited family we passed by the Deltaworks, the largest flood protection system in the world. 

 When during my studies I was made aware of Climate Change and rising sea levels it motivated me on a deep level to try to curb emissions and prevent runaway climate change. No matter the hard work that scientists, activists, politicians and the companies that worked on solutions put in the decades following: the planet is warming, and everyone's hometown is at risk, especially in those regions that did not contribute much to the problem. 

 The failing of the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in 2009 knocked me down hard, as it did with many of my fellow change makers. Just because the science and knowledge is there, and we are deeply committed, doesn't mean that the world is listening and change is happening. I realised that the impact that we all had as individuals is limited. By empowering others who in their turn can inspire many, the speed and the depth of the change multiplies. 

As a political scientist I have gained understanding about system dynamics and how acupuncture in the system can shift dynamics and create outsized change. When joining Greenpeace I put the theory to the test, and as a practitioner gained first hand experience how to catalyse change in different parts of the world under very different conditions. 

My idea to start an emergent leaders program in Greenpeace was turned into a successful global program. Allowing people to transform instead of firefight. After having been a founding participant at THNK and going through a deep leadership journey myself, I was asked 4 years ago to lead THNK and THNK Foundation. Next to leading the organisations I design and deliver transformational programs. I have built a strong reputation in this role, leading to amongst other things an advisory role for the Obama Foundation Europe Leaders program and a visiting professorship at UCLA.

I have proven my ability to translate a big vision into concrete plans, and galvanise excitement and support to make those plans become reality.

After a successful career within the global Greenpeace Organisation I was asked to turn around the struggling offices of Greenpeace in Mexico. Greenpeace Mexico has 4 offices in different parts of the country, and had about 150 people on staff at that time. Coming in as a seasoned global campaign leader I was eager to make quick changes. After a couple of months it felt as if I was driving a car where the steering wheel was disconnected from the wheels. Everyone seemed to agree with me, but in reality they kept doing what they had always done. This forced me to really listen and observe, to empathise and understand where people were at, and meet them there. 

 After the initial rocky start we operated as a dynamic collective. We were able to create a vibrant culture in the offices and through innovation and collaboration we tripled the amount of volunteers, doubled the income and used this to win some significant campaigns in the field of environmental and social justice. 

In 2016 the then President of Mexico, Pena Nieto was hailed in the global press as a great leader. Time Magazine put him on the cover under the header "Saving Mexico'. To draw attention to the corrupted Energy Reform that was taking place at that time under his responsibility 5 Greenpeace activists mounted a big banner inspired by the Time cover, questioning if the president was really saving Mexico. When the 2 climbers came down they were arrested. This was the first time in 10 years since our volunteers got arrested in Mexico. 

After spending a long night on the pavement  in front of the police office I heard that Rosina, the 26 year old female climber was charged with breaking a light, an offense that can give a jail sentence of 10 years in Mexico. She didn't break a light but that did not seem to matter.

I was terrified what could happen to this courageous and talented woman. I gathered everyone in the organisation in Mexico and globally.. We worked relentlessly and got almost 100.000 people around the world demanding justice for Rosina. The Mexican senate asked questions, and the charges were dropped. 

The THNK Foundation, a non-profit with a Dutch charitable status, is running the Scaling Social Impact Program. Part of the program will be delivered by THNNK School of Creative Leadership. 

THNK leads at the edge of leadership development and experiential learning. Dubbed by Standford as "the future of higher education," THNK can be classified as a 'C-school,' combining the best of both design and business schools, while also drawing from systems thinking and leadership development. We are the antithesis to conventional professional programs and we offer a truly unique and transformative leadership journey. In fact, many of our participants call our program "life changing."

At THNK, we believe that our approach is unique. We know that our unconventional learning methods delivered by our experienced faculty develop creative leaders with the skills, tools, and mindsets to inspire others, create systemic change, and make a unique contribution to the issues facing our world. The outcome we envision is a critical mass of THNKers around the globe who are equipped to lead effectively in the complex and uncertain times that lie ahead.

Currently we have secured funding for 6 cohorts of 30 people for the Scaling Social Impact program in Brazil. 

We will run the first class of 30 participants in Q4 of 2020

In 2021 we are planning to run 3 cohorts in Brazil and 1 international cohort (in total 120 participants)

In 5 years we are aspiring to run 10 classes a year (300 participants in total). 

We believe that we have the right tools, people, and programs to achieve our goals. Our greatest obstacle is that we lack the necessary financial resources to establish our scholarship fund. While THNK has been delivering on our mission for over 8 years, the THNK Foundation is just starting out. 

We realise that the societal challenges faced before the crisis will only be amplified in a post-pandemic world. Many of the leaders who can benefit most from our programs do not have the financial resources to participate. This is more true now than ever before due to the financial effects of the pandemic.  

A second challenge we face is that, prior to the pandemic, our programming was almost exclusively delivered in-person. Due to the restrictions on travel and group gatherings, we have shifted many of our programs online. This shift requires time, money, and technical expertise to redesign our content and delivery methods. So far, we have been successful in delivering our content online without sacrificing the quality, but we also recognise that we can do better with the right partnerships and resources.

If we were to receive funding from The Elevate Prize, we could establish our scholarship fund and provide the initial investment to create a long-term and sustainable funding stream for the THNK Foundation. We could also invest in online learning platforms to create a more effective learning experience for those who cannot travel to us.

Funding

Our main goal at this moment is to raise funds to establish and support our scholarship fund. We have begun to activate our network of over 600+ THNK alumni to make contributions. We have received the first gifts.
We also have first stage proposals out to major funders and philanthropists, and have gotten our first funding in from the Brazilian Foundations.
However, we know that high-value grants and gifts take time to convert and we expect decisions to take at least 12 months, potentially longer. This is why we are also applying for funding from The Elevate Prize.

These big approaches are intended to create resources for long-term investment in expanding the reach of the THNK model. Our approach is to continue with the strategy and approaches to key prospects, as we think it is vital to be known by these funders in this difficult situation and for the future.

Online Programs

We have created an internal Digital Response Team at THNK who are working to redesign our programs and content to be delivered online. This group is also working to identify and test online learning platforms that might serve our participants better than Zoom. We are also seeking specific support from other organizations to help us develop and deliver our online Scaling Social Impact program. 

We are proud to have formed partnerships with globally recognised organisations including:

Stanford University: THNK runs a four-day global annual Creative Leadership Program at Standford each spring. 

World Economic Forum: we have a multi-year partnership supporting the Global Leadership Institute, Global Future Leaders and the Global Future Councils. 

Burning Man: we have a partnership to design and deliver a leadership and organization transformation program for CEO and CEO-1 level participants.

Berkley - Haas School of Business: we have a multi-year partnership to deliver programs for both Executive MBA students and custom program clients in the Middle East.

The Obama Foundation: we recently came on board as pedagogy advisors for their Emergent Leaders Europe Program. 

Too many change-makers are excluded from leadership support. The purpose of THNK Foundation is to address this inequality. 

 The THNK Foundation’s grants and scholarships will help these leaders scale their impact and amplify their reach, to build a more just and fair future for all. The Foundation attracts and maintains investments/donations by institutional funds, private persons, corporations and governmental institutions.

 Scaling Social Impact is a program directed to amplify the reach and magnify the impact of change-makers. The online format is a democratiser, and allows people from all around the world to be able to join. 

 By making use of a wide range of digital tools, combined with our unconventional curriculum we offer a unique, personalised experience that connects people deeply with themselves, each other and their purpose. They will learn to scale, where relevant, using digital tools. The live sessions are inspiring, interactive, and ensure all participants stay engaged. 

Working in complexity is a novel practice: we cannot go into the future using our rear-view mirror. Going into uncharted territory is exhilarating, but also lonely and hard at times according to our participants. Having a network of peers to support and challenge you is essential. 

In 2020, we created the THNK Foundation with one central goal: to raise funds so that creative leaders who can shape the course of the 21st century can be supported in their leadership and scale their impact. We plan to achieve this through a scholarship program for leaders to participate in the flagship Executive Program of THNK School of Creative Leadership and custom-built THNK programs for those leaders who can have an outsized impact but who cannot afford it.

Through the THNK Foundation, we have developed an ambitious fundraising plan with the goal of sustaining our scholarship program as well as other initiatives aimed at supporting and strengthening NGO leaders. We are seeking monetary contributions from our alumni network as well as major foundations and philanthropists. In addition to fundraising, we will continue to bring in revenue from tuition fees from non-scholarship participants of Executive Program.

The Foundation has received the following Grants since it's inception less than 2 months ago: 

Humanize: Grant of 200.000 USD for Scaling Social Impact

Individual donor: Unrestricted Grant of 57.000 USD

Through the THNK Foudantion, we recently started a fundraising campaign within our Alumni community. We hope to raise $540K through gifts from our Alumni community by the end of 2020. We have also begun sending out proposals for grants to various foundations. Our goal is to secure $1.125 million by the end of 2022 to support our scholarship and scaling impact programs for NGO leaders.

Below is a diagram showing our fundraising goals (in Euros) and timeline.

All activities in the THNK Foundation are currently done on an unpaid, voluntary basis. The foundation will only start incurring costs (selecting participants, design and delivery costs, platform costs) after grands come in. 

We are applying for the Elevate Prize because we believe that the world's issues are solvable. However, traditional education and ways of thinking are not going to get us to the solutions our society needs. We genuinely believe that if we can get the right  tools and skills  in the hands of the leaders who have the ability and influence to solve society's most pressing issues, we can catalyse lasting change. We know that our program works, and we must expand our reach in order to achieve our mission. 

With the help of the Elevate Prize, we can create a scholarship fund that will allow more leaders to access to our transformational programming. We can also gain more visibility to bring our unique approach to leadership development to more leaders who are want to and are capable of delivering innovative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges.

One of the areas where we could benefit the most is by receiving help with measuring, tracking, and better reporting on our impact. We know that in order to attract sustained funding for our future, we will need to better communicate our impact. We currently have strong anecdotal support for our impact from our participants, but we also need stronger impact data that we can share with potential funders.

THNK has been called a hidden gem. We would like to share our gifts with the world, and would benefit from more marketing and media exposure.  We have big dreams, and if we could spread our message to a wider audience, we can deliver our programs to more leaders who then can have an even greater impact.

We would love to partner who brings expertise in online event production, video, experiential marketing and digital experiences. We are talking to Viva Creative in the US and Canal Futura in Brazil. We bring high quality experiential learning programs, and they marry it with high quality delivery. 

It will be an honour to explore synergies with the Presencing Institute and Peter Senge. 

Last but not least, it would be great to see if there is a way we can work together with the Solve team, to incorporate challenges into our Scaling Social Impact program.