RCF Oct 2025 Call | The Value Proposition of Regional Collaboratives by Julia Kim

Providing grant writing assistance services to our members

2025-10-28 19:28:37 UTC

Convening organizations from multiple sectors

2025-10-28 19:29:56 UTC

Regional convener and research gap filler

2025-10-28 19:30:25 UTC

RCC MN

2025-10-28 19:30:26 UTC

Building the base, bridging, citizens, electeds, city staff, 7 county twin cities, scaling up high impact actions with 40 mpls nhoods and gradually with county clusters with 15 to 30 cities in Hennepin Co, Ramsey Co Dakota Co www.rccmn.co/minneapolis

2025-10-28 19:30:56 UTC

convening forums that give community members access to state agencies, non-profits and experts - this fosters interaction, coordination and partnerships

2025-10-28 19:31:16 UTC

Building awareness and organizing research and community roundtables, linking to local and state policymakers

Common to all collaboratives: space to build trust, relationships, and connections that bolster social resilience of practitioners

mocana11 — 2025-10-28 19:31:26 UTC

having a "consistent" newsletter and linkedin presence have helped us a lot with name recognition and expanding partners

2025-10-28 19:31:35 UTC

A place for local government staff and elected officials to connect and learn from each other, and implement regional actions

2025-10-28 19:31:39 UTC

2025-10-28 19:31:50 UTC

We have used surveys to get feedback about what our participants see as most valuable about our network

For member recruitment, being really explicit about the tangible benefits new members can expect has been effective

2025-10-28 19:31:57 UTC

Making the case

2025-10-28 19:32:12 UTC

Stories and community roundtables are more effective than data, maps, and lectures

Member surveys and space for capturing testimonials on any program/event evaluations

mocana11 — 2025-10-28 19:32:18 UTC

LARC - convening practitioners

larc7 — 2025-10-28 19:32:25 UTC

LA County is the most populous in California and covers a large amount of terrains, and thus has a huge array of climate considerations and capacity to address them. LARC brings together local governments and NGOs to share strategies and form partnerships

2025-10-28 19:32:39 UTC

our network has grown, so the chance to mix with a more diverse representation of organizations has grown

2025-10-28 19:32:39 UTC

I think different audiences see different values, but I would say our key value is being a convener for the region and creating space both virtually and in-person to celebrate wins, troubleshoot challenges, and be able to develop resources that support folks in navigating those challenges.

That it's too hard to see or measure impacts of networks. Still working on this, but trying to point them to literature and collect evidence in our own impact evaluations.

mocana11 — 2025-10-28 19:32:45 UTC

In-person meetings

2025-10-28 19:32:51 UTC

Bringing people from a large region together to discuss common challenges, and visiting sites that showcase implementation of novel solutions

Strategy Management applications

2025-10-28 19:32:59 UTC

We help provide backbone support (convening, facilitation, coordination, PM, etc) for a broad range of coalitions. Also includes many different technology supports for connecting participants, making it easier to share assets and resources.

SLRC

julianazadik — 2025-10-28 19:33:08 UTC

We are nascent, but our intent is to overcome barriers for local governments and public service entities to implement resilience solutions.

SDRCC is not for everyone, and can not possibly cover all elements of "climate action" - it's just not possible for us to be the experts in everything for everyone. This frustrates folks, but we try to be as clear as we can about "staying in our lane" and making space for all types of climate leadership

2025-10-28 19:33:09 UTC

We have solid metrics in twin cities, need more implementation

2025-10-28 19:33:16 UTC

We have solid metrics in twin cities, need more implementation we are supporting the green rehab at little earth with 220 town homes, 2 dashboards, all 80+ cities in metro required to include climate adaptation and mitgation in new 2050 comp plans metrocouncil.org imagine 2050

Evolving Value

2025-10-28 19:33:19 UTC

Connection to place, arts and interfaith involvement, justice neighborhood, democracy renewal, pilot projects and transformational steps forward

2025-10-28 19:33:46 UTC

fostering networking sounds squishy - as if it's not a real outcome or achievement. And what the networking leads to can be hard to document

2025-10-28 19:33:47 UTC

We are currently working to evolve 4C's programming to focus more on securing climate investments and supporting implementation, as these are top priorities for our members, regional partners, and funders

2025-10-28 19:33:53 UTC

NJCRC was established and is still focused on NJ's coastal regions (both Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay and River. All the members volunteer and their contribute our time for a common good. NJCRC provides a single point of contact, provde technical expertise with municipalities, serves as a clearinghouse and convener. We also try to shine a light on gaps. NJ Sea Grant provides partime staff support funding. NJCRC is also supported by NJDEP when it comes to the multi-day conference.

https://www.njcoastalresilience.org/

dana585 — 2025-10-28 19:33:55 UTC

The Southern Lowcountry Resilience Collaborative is very much newly formed and TBD but focused on supporting local governments in a 4-county region by providing/hosting training and technical assistance, coordinating on grant/funding, and collaborating on research/data needs

Annual membership surveys having been really helpful for designing our programs and create clear accountability and a value add.

2025-10-28 19:33:56 UTC

2025-10-28 19:34:09 UTC

Annual Member Surveys are helpful to understand what is working and what we should adjust

4. When doesn't land

2025-10-28 19:34:26 UTC

When alarmist about climate, talking about climate and nothing else, lecturing and not listening. It is a major pivot to learn how to engage with the public.

Proving $ impact

2025-10-28 19:34:46 UTC

Funders want to see actual jobs, products, or new funding brought to the region and it has been hard/impossible to demonstrate what has happened as a result o the collaborative/network

2025-10-28 19:34:52 UTC

Every other year NJCRC and NJDEP hosts a multi-day conference that brings a wide range of participation. We also host bi-annual membership meetings and have several working groups. All is supported on our website. Serve as a navigator for coastal communities and trusted source. Networking and convener.

Network Meetings & Resource sharing

larc7 — 2025-10-28 19:34:53 UTC

LARC's network has grown significantly in the past 5 years, which makes our bi-monthly meetings very robust with resource and opportunity sharing. We also do two monthly newsletters and supporters get to join the ARCCA Adaptation Policy Working Group

Building our collective impact muscle with Minneapolis Neighborhoods to scale up county wide and metro wide

2025-10-28 19:34:55 UTC

Building our collective impact muscle with Minneapolis Neighborhoods to scale up county wide and metro wide - home retofits, trees, www.rccmn.co/minneapolis net zero new development peer learning cohort www.rccmn.co/21st-century-communities

Impact Measurement

2025-10-28 19:35:20 UTC

We help define and implement processes for demonstrating ROI (data collection, gathering methods, storytelling, etc)

Growing Network

larc7 — 2025-10-28 19:35:48 UTC

More opportunities for folks to connect with people who are going through similar challenges or who have already done so and can provide support or suggestions

2025-10-28 19:36:34 UTC

We are at a pivot point regarding becoming more than just a "vitual network" all volunteer to taking the next steps to grow. NJDEP wants NJCRC to go statewide and expand beyond SLR and flooding.

BayCAN

cas165 — 2025-10-28 19:36:42 UTC

Community of practice, container for trust and learning, climate librarian and technical assistance navigators (connecting members, especially CBOs to the resources and TA that will support their climate adaptation initiatives thrive)

Seeking to sync up with other key TA providers

2025-10-28 19:36:59 UTC

Seeking to sync up with other key TA providers - U of MN Climate Adaptation partnership, RCC, GPI, CERTS, Center for Energy and Environment - hoping to launch a steering committee with key city and county elected leaders for a Twin Cities regional climate collab - see our presentaion from the MCRC in Milwaulkee

Lack of interest in collaboration/collab burnout

larc7 — 2025-10-28 19:37:13 UTC

Some folks who are already advanced in their climate practice don't feel the need to have a support network. There are also many other organizations in the region, so folks can get burnout from meetings and collaboration

2025-10-28 19:38:01 UTC

Our member network has grown to include more than just public agencies in recent years. More recently, we are leaning more into sponsorship and alternate funding routes, and we have decided to present our value to potential sponsors as an organization that has continued to elevate regional climate leadership regardless of funding and policy challenges at the federal level.

2025-10-28 19:39:12 UTC

We are trying to address the siloed nature of our networks by offering more cross-cutting opportunities and covering topics that multiple regions within our province are interested in

cas165 — 2025-10-28 19:39:26 UTC

This is something we are thinking through, we collect stories and member experiences, connections that have led to longer term collaborations and projects, how we have contributed to the community of practice (like out work on the 5th Climate assessment)

cas165 — 2025-10-28 19:46:26 UTC

It is currently evolving! It started at as a very science and local government focused collaborative and has expanded to focus more on a community of practice, being a trusted source of information and developing the best practices, bringing in more community based organizations and focusing on cross-sector collaboration, now we are still doing all of that but leaning more into holding the role as climate librarian and technical assistance navigators