Why Collective Impact Is More Than Collaboration—It’s a Shared Vision
Three Bricklayers, Three Perspectives
At our recent Alliance meeting, I shared a story that has stayed with me for years.
A traveler came upon three workers laying bricks. Curious, he asked the first man, “What are you doing?”
The man replied, “I’m laying bricks.”
He asked the second worker the same question.
“I’m building a wall,” he answered.
Finally, the traveler approached the third worker. When asked what he was doing, the man smiled and said,
“I’m building a cathedral.”
Although all three men were doing the same work, they saw it differently. The difference wasn’t in the task—it was in the vision.
Every Brick Has a Purpose
That story perfectly captures what the 100 Families Initiative is all about.
Every assessment completed.
Every phone call made.
Every housing application submitted.
Every meal served.
Every counseling session.
Every job interview.
Every prayer offered.
Every transportation ride provided.
Each one may seem like a single brick. But together, they become something far greater.
They build lives.
They restore hope.
They move families from crisis to stability.
No One Builds a Cathedral Alone
No cathedral has ever been built by one person.
It takes architects, masons, carpenters, artists, laborers, donors, and countless others working toward a shared vision.
The same is true in our community.
No single church, nonprofit, school, business, government agency, or healthcare provider can solve poverty alone. But when we unite our strengths through collective impact, each organization brings its own brick to the project.
Together, we build what none of us could build alone.
Why the Alliance Exists
This is why our Alliance exists.
We don’t gather simply to exchange business cards.
We don’t meet just to share updates.
We come together because we share a common vision: to build a stronger community where every family has the opportunity to thrive.
Every partner has a role.
Every organization has something valuable to contribute.
Every brick matters.
The Cathedral We Are Building
As we continue this journey, I invite each of us to ask one simple question:
Am I simply laying bricks, or am I helping build a cathedral?
At the 100 Families Initiative, we choose the cathedral.
Together, we are building dreams.
Together, we are restoring hope.
Together, we are healing families.
One brick at a time.
