LESSONS LEARNED FROM RURAL COLLECTIVE IMPACT EFFORTS IN MONTANA

This Collective Impact Virtual Coffee Chat features Deb Halliday of Halliday and Associates, sharing insights from Graduation Matters Montana—a statewide initiative that used a network of 58 rural “nested collective impact” efforts to dramatically improve high school graduation rates. The conversation highlights how rural communities can leverage their existing strengths, relationships, and shared ownership to drive measurable change. As with many rural initiatives, success was rooted in building trust, sustaining local leadership, and connecting small-scale efforts into a broader movement. Hosted by the Collective Impact Forum—an initiative of FSG and the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions—this work reflects principles Aspen CSG also champions: that rural prosperity depends on connecting local leadership, community capacity, and collaborative networks to achieve long-term, systemic impact.