Our Approach | Building Inclusive Innovation Ecosystems

What is Collaborative Systems Change?

Collaborative Systems Change is an approach to transparently mobilise a diverse set of actors to collectively imagine and create positive, systemic change. This change can occur in existing systems, or it can be used to create new, more inclusive systems where they do not exist otherwise.

Collaborative Systems Change seeks to counteract the dominant paradigm for development, which focuses on top-down solutions implemented through hierarchical institutions. Rather, collaborative systems change recognises that there is no one big answer to complex problems, but instead a plethora of smaller efforts working in harmony that culminate the widespread adoption of new ways of thinking and doing.

Collaborative Systems Change organisations are "honest brokers" who build networks of invested players that, with integrity, move forward a common agenda to tackle persistent, large-scale social problems.

The concept of collaborative systems change is derived from the experience of Child & Youth Finance International (CYFI), an organisation that concluded its role in December 2019 after succeeding to ensure full economic citizenship for children and youth in 175 countries, reaching more than 40 million children and youth and collaborating with 63 000 organisations.

Please read their case study on systems change.

the circle of change model

Introducing: The Circle of Change

At the core of our work is a simple but powerful framework. We bring together three essential players who, when connected, create meaningful, scalable change:

The Community

The Community - Empowering Local Voices

Local leaders who understand the real problems and can shape relevant solutions.

In traditional development models, communities are often seen as passive recipients of services, with little say in identifying their own needs or priorities. The Distributed Development Platform aims to flip this dynamic by using advanced AI technology to facilitate collaborative development. This platform gives communities the tools to actively participate in identifying and solving their own challenges, ensuring that development is driven by actual needs rather than external agendas. By reducing development costs and focusing on need-based solutions, the platform makes sustainable development more accessible and cost-effective.

Initial feedback from our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) launched in India has been overwhelmingly positive. Based on this success, we plan to expand and initiate dialogue in Africa in June 2025 together with our partners. This will be a key step in broadening the platform’s reach and impact across the Global South.

We’re Not the Heroes. You Are.

One Family Foundation doesn’t chase recognition. Our role is to serve as an honest broker — a trusted facilitator that creates safe space for collaboration, mediates interests, and helps change-makers navigate complexity.

We don’t take center stage. We work behind the scenes to ensure:

Voices from the Global South are centered
Collaboration is authentic and inclusive
Systems are co-created, not imposed

What Systems Change Looks Like

It’s Not One Big Fix; It’s Many Small Shifts That Add Up

We help build ecosystems that allow local solutions to thrive, not just survive.  Systems change means:

Shifting power and funding to local actors
Changing how governments write policy
Aligning development tools with lived realities
Strengthening voices often excluded

A Shared Future

What’s in it for all of us?

We’re here to shift the question. From “what’s in it for me?” to “what’s in it for all of us, and the planet?”
That’s the essence of systems change.  And it’s the heart of everything we do.

See What We Do

Meet the Team