Together
we are creating lasting change
Who We Are
CoAct was manifested by three local champions to address the expanding disparity in solving complex and pressing social challenges. Recognizing a widening disconnection between problem solvers and those effected by disparities, CoAct adopted a project and methodology based approach to reduce the gap between the communities to be served, build a strong alignment to the challenge to be addressed, and design the strategic responses needed to create lasting impact.
Our Mission
CoAct is a non-profit social innovation studio that creates lasting social and economic opportunities to address today's most pressing challenges. We equip those effected by inequity with the tools, insights, and resources to address today's most pressing and complex social challenges. Through our work we create social and economic opportunities that contribute to collective impact.
To achieve this mission, we build a better understanding of the challenge we aim to address, identify systems level responses, create community centered responses, and facilitate project development. These actions allow us take on the creative risk of developing a viable solution, create resources that contribute to lasting change, and empower champions with the means to replicate our successes.
Our Vision
We imagine a creative and inclusive future built on the foundation of knowledge we build, the social and economic opportunities we create, and the people we empower.
Our Values
Work with Intention: We explore and align ourselves with the unique challenges our communities face. By better understanding the challenges we aim to solve, we can design better solutions.
Work with Confidence: We take creative risk to test new ideas and build scalable community centered solutions. The lessons we derive aid in accelerating impact.
Work Collectively: Impact is built on working openly and honestly. We share insights and build off the collective expertise of our teams. We ask questions and encourage diverse perspectives.
Theory of Change
CoAct defines social innovation as the process and byproduct of solving a social problem. Through our work, we equip communities to become effective contributors towards our most pressing social challenges. To achieve this, CoAct uses a project based approach to build self-sustaining solutions. We utilize human centered and systems design as creative problem-solving processes to turn bold insights and ideas into long term impact. These methodologies provide us the means to identify key gaps and develop the appropriate solutions needed to respond to the unique challenges our communities face. Our work is rooted in our belief that lasting social change is created through equitable engagement, empowered solutions, and enhanced capacity.
Building Collective Action
Exploration: The exploration phase is about understanding the challenge, the people it impacts, the way it impacts people, and the contributing factors. It is about building a strong understanding of the challenge.
Discovery: The discovery phase about turning insights into ideas. It is an opportunity to reflect on the research, generate ideas, and hone our approach.
Deployment: The deployment phase about turning ideas into action. It is an opportunity test viable concepts, evaluate results, and scale effective solutions.
This process is not always linear and throughout we may find ourselves revisiting items as new insights emerge and our narrative changes.
Our Objectives
Equitable Engagement: By gaining a firm understanding of the challenge, who it effects, and how it effects them, we can create more responsive, inclusive, and creative solutions. We align to the community members we serve and their unique and individual challenges.
Empowered Solutions: We work alongside our community champions to plan and implement our projects and build solutions that can reach self-sufficiency.
Enhanced Capacity: Lessons learned turn into shared knowledge. We develop learning tools to amplify local awareness and understanding on the unique and individual community challenges. We equip the communities we serve with the capacity to continue the work and replicate our successes.