Pull up a chair and

collaborate

connect

communicate

A turquoise wooden chair with a ladder back on a white background.

impact collaborations:

project co-create

A group of people are sitting around a table in a room.

ACF is promoting participatory change making as a productive system that will leverage the county’s strengths. We are committed to investing in it and working with partners to advance it. But first, we need to define what “it” actually is. 


Through Project Co-Create, we will define and activate a participatory change-making model so that Athens County can collaboratively develop solutions to address challenges and pursue opportunities with greater efficiency, speed, reach, and impact.


This model can become a system that harnesses the strengths of the county, open to everyone, to pursue shared goals.

ACF has formulated a Co-Creation Model for testing, greatly informed by our last decade of work, other models, and projects around the country. This model begins with connections, builds to cooperation, and finally ascends to a collaboration. These represent how individuals, organizations, businesses, and institutions work together, each engaged, each providing input, each accountable for the outcome.

  • The individuals involved should include those who are directly impacted by the work. Community members deserve a say in the decisions that will affect their lives.
  • Everyone should be proximate to the problems and opportunities, meaning they have an obligation to seek out perspectives and information from others.
  • While this is a continuum, not every project will ultimately become a Collaboration and this is not a linear process. Some projects may cycle as conditions change, some may achieve the goal without becoming a Collaboration.
  • Anyone can be a champion for Co-Creation. A project can be initiated by anyone in the county who wants to bring people and parties together to work towards a shared goal or objective.

The Co-Creation Model

A logo that says connect coordinate collaborate.

Forming connections

A common problem or opportunity

Complimentary information

Willingness to align activities

Voluntary participation


Trust begins

Fostering cooperations

A shared focus or goal

Integral knowledge and insights

Willingness to work together

Defined roles with responsibilities


Trust builds

Formalizing collaborations

A common, aligned agenda

Assigned roles with accountability (information, insights, representation)

Willingness to function as one entity


Trust is strong

See this model in Action.

ACF recognizes that a critical condition for co-creation to function is to have a high-level of engagement. Everyone in the county must have the opportunity to fully participate in their communities and be part of the decision-making processes that impact their lives.


While we advance the co-creation model, we’ll also focus our grantmaking and programs to invest in our county’s strengths to enable participation, elevate leaders, expand capacity, and enrich initiatives.


You + ACF = Collaborators

A group of people sitting at a table with their hands in the air
Two women are hugging each other in a room.

Let’s get to work.


If we’re working towards the same goal, with the same level of commitment, we will move forward. Thank you for being part of this incredible opportunity to build on the strengths of Athens County.

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