Business Name (DBA):   Interaction Institute for Social Change
Business Address:            625 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
Business Phone:              617-234-2764
Email Address:               soaklander@interactioninstitute.org
Website:                       www.interactioninstitute.org
Contact:                        Sara Oaklander

Categories of service:

Consultants
Facilitators
Leadership development
Multi-agency collaboration
Nonprofit resources
Organizational development
Organizations serving nonprofits
Strategic planning, trainers

Description of Services:

The Interaction Institute for Social Change (IISC) is a nonprofit organization that partners with individuals, organizations, and communities to achieve greater social impact.  Our multicultural team of seasoned consultants provides network building, consulting, facilitation, leadership development, and training services to networks, collaboratives, and coalitions; nonprofit organizations of all sizes; schools and school systems; foundations; public sector agencies; and international NGOs. 

Our services can be combined and tailored to meet your needs – from individual leadership development to large-scale social change.

Network Building: Our network building services apply network theory and mapping: to the design and facilitation of multi-stakeholder, small- and large-scale social change initiatives.

Consulting: Our consulting services guide you in developing organizational and community change initiatives, strategic and operational plans, inter-agency collaborations, field-building initiatives, and cross-sectoral partnerships.

Facilitation: Our facilitators design and facilitate retreats and learning experiences, problem solving sessions, high stakes meetings, and public dialogues around issues of social concern.

Leadership Development: Our leadership development programs offer a more expansive learning experience that is grounded in our core leadership and collaborative methodology and the power of network theory.  These learning experiences are rooted in the philosophy of servant leadership and the “love that does justice,” and enhanced by a deeper analysis and understanding of the role race, class and power play in social transformation.

Training: Our workshops transfer a broad range of skills including facilitative leadership, designing and facilitating change initiatives, facilitation and collaborative problem-solving, and strategic thinking and planning.

We are particularly committed to building the leadership and collaborative capacity of grassroots leaders to engage, speak out, and participate fully in determining the policies and decisions that affect their lives and their communities.

At the core of IISC’s work is collaboration.  IISC defines collaboration through its collaborative methodology, an approach to designing and facilitating processes that maximize stakeholder involvement to move a group from shared vision to collective action.  Our collaborative methodology is rooted in the belief that sustainable success is balanced across three dimensions – results, process, and relationship and has a strong network-building effect.  Working together, people build connections, create shared meaning, and build the necessary agreements to achieve their common goals.

Network building is a process that fosters, cultivates, and develops the connections and relationships that maximize the potential for people to actualize a shared intention.  IISC works with groups to identify what kinds of networks will help them achieve their purpose and what kinds of tools, processes and partnerships will build and strengthen their network.  We have a particular expertise and provide specific processes for the development of alignment and production of networks.  We bring our deep experience in the design and facilitation of collaborative and innovative learning spaces to the complex work of fostering emergent networks.  These kinds of networks tend to become decentralized, self-sustaining, and self-organizing in ways that often defy the planning logic that has defined the social sector while producing powerful results in movement building.

Background on you and/or your business:

IISC was founded in 1993 by Interaction Associates (IA) as an expression of its commitment to social change and as a way of bringing its collaborative methodologies into the social sector. Since that time, IISC has grown from a staff of two to an organization with over twenty staff members and a cadre of affiliates who have worked with thousands of change agents across the globe and social sector. In support of these efforts, IISC has adapted the collaborative and leadership methodologies inherited from IA and created new and innovative approaches to working with and meeting the needs of social change leaders.

Our work is informed by our theory of social change, mission, and values. At our core, we practice and teach facilitative leadership – a model rooted in shared power and decision making, consensus building, collaborative skill, and servant leadership. We continually strive to deepen our capacity to address issues of power, privilege, and oppression related to various dimensions of diversity and to design culturally appropriate processes and services that consciously address power dynamics.

Testimonials and/or references:

“IISC was able to take a vague vision of trying to expand a field beyond its usual suspects and turn it into a powerful fun, enriching experience for the hundreds of people involved. Their capacity to create learning environments is unparalleled, in large part because of the nurturing attitude and professional skills amongst the staff. We always look forward to projects that involve IISC as we know they will be challenging and rewarding.” - Lisa Jordan, Deputy Director of Governance and Civil Society, Ford Foundation

“Our strategic planning process with IISC was successful beyond our wildest dreams. Not only have we crystallized our vision for our work and for our role in social change in Boston, we have learned so much about how to work together well. The IISC process and commitment to careful preparation for each phase of the planning process meant that we literally did not waste a moment of our planning time. One of our key stakeholders told me after a meeting that the thoughtful and careful design of that process reaffirmed that UEI is an effective and visionary partner. We owe that sort of positive feedback to IISC.” - Charlie Lord, Executive Director, Urban Ecology Institute

“IISC brought really excellent tools to use for developing leaders. The tools they offer give people a framework and provide flexibility – this is important because it empowers people to be successful in their own way. . . . All of the IISC consultants were well grounded and authentic people. They embody the material and the concepts.” - Michael McCormack, former Program Director, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation

“Without being overly dramatic, the practical, usable, simple tools were life changing.  I’ve been through lots of trainings and leadership courses in my career and this one is so different.  It is complete, fun, tangible, focused and you get to practice using the tools in a “safe” environment.  This makes them immediately usable when you leave.  I’ve not run a meeting the same since and I’ve not managed my staff the same since.  Thanks for providing these powerful experiences to make me a better leader.” - Amy Smith, Regional Vice President, Hands On Network

Service area by country, state or zip code:

IISC works throughout the United States and in various countries around the world. We have offices in Cambridge, MA and Belfast, Northern Ireland