Capital Ideas

Some of the most profound – and oftentimes confounding – transformations of the last several decades have come through networks built on social capital. We’ve witnessed the fall of political regimes and established institutions, the reach of Al Qaeda’s terror, the rise of Facebook and just about everything in between. For good or ill, well-constructed and resourced social networks have significant potential for impact.

Networks thrive on social capital. The framework typically gains attention and spawns some variety of a gold rush. The waning influence of technologies like radio and daily newspapers teach us, however, that physical infrastructure is just that: an inert engine waiting to be sparked by the fuel that people and social connections provide.

Networks run on the high octane fuel of bonding, bridging and linking capital. We need all three. People build trust and bond with those closest to them, bridge across groups to learn from each other and collaborate on issues of common concern, and link up with emerging sources of power and investment . Do this right, and the world beats a path to their door. Do this wrong – or worse, don’t do it at all – and things tend to fall apart.

So it is with philanthropy and sustainability. Capitalism is the nonprofit sector’s larger operational context, and the traditional lenses of goods, services and investment are focused on making nonprofits more sustainable. But perhaps a closer look at social capital would be wise. Social capital has the quality of becoming more abundant the more it is tapped. The more we focus on our strengths and assets, and the more we connect with each other to leverage those assets, the greater the opportunity to achieve a common end that none of us can achieve alone.

SLHI is all about investing in social capital. Throughout this 2011 Community Report site, you will note examples of cultivating communities of practice, linking neighborhood groups with municipal and statewide resources, and continuing to nurture a web of social reciprocity encompassing shared knowledge, collaboration, leadership and advocacy.

Inform, Connect, Support. That is how we build healthy communities. Together.