Here lies the critical challenge: systems change projects operate on longer timeframes and by nature cannot offer conventional measurement. They may challenge long-held paradigms or threaten vested interests. Traditional funders hesitate when outcomes like “shifting power structures” or “changing cultural norms” cannot be evidenced quickly or quantified easily. The work that holds the greatest potential for transformation is precisely the work that struggles most to secure resources.

But the tides are shifting. Visionary funders are beginning to recognize that investing in systems change infrastructure offers exceptional leverage for lasting impact. Research on “field catalyst” organizations – groups coordinating change across entire sectors – found they “consistently punch far above their weight,” with 87% confident they could achieve their goals within two decades if given sufficient resources and support [bridgespan.org].

These are precisely the efforts that, if successful, can produce outsized long-term impact – much like a highway or internet backbone that is expensive to build but unlocks incredible future value.

To conclude, when all four types of systems change infrastructure – physical, social, digital and financial – are addressed, they become the scaffolding that holds together all the pieces needed for a big change: it funds and supports gatherings and collaborations, seeds experimental projects, and builds the skills and leadership among participants so that a movement can reach critical mass.

Just as an economy cannot function well without roads, power, and communication networks, a social change ecosystem cannot achieve scale without a connective tissue.