Moving Towards a Decentralised, Network Approach: Enhancing Support for our Grassroots Movement with Open Collective

In a world where grassroots change is urgent and necessary, here at HCN we have always sought innovative ways to support grassroots changemakers and movements more effectively. Today, we are excited to share a significant shift in our approach—embracing a decentralised, network-based model and leveraging Open Collective to ensure greater financial transparency. This transformation not only strengthens our reach and impact but also aligns with our core values of community-led change and accountability.

HCN’s Networked Approach to Change

Grassroots movements are the heartbeat of social change, driven by the passion and dedication of local communities. When I set out to start the Humanitarian Changemakers Network, I distinctly chose to call it a ‘network,’ because I wanted our impact to transcend the boundaries of any single organisation. By the time I was 23, I had been involved with a number of large organisations, including Girl Guides Australia, Amnesty International Australia, Oxfam Australia, and the Australian Red Cross, and as a multi-passionate changemaker, I loved being able to apply my knowledge, skills, and support to each organisation in different ways. But while each organisation offered me so much, in terms of training, education, and experience, everything felt so disconnected. There was a noticeable gap in collaboration and continuity between these efforts, which often led to duplicated efforts and siloed impact, which was a significant motivation for me to ensure HCN took a networked approach to change—one that supports individuals at the grassroots level across different organisations and issue areas.

Although, I never actually set out to start my own ‘thing’ in the social change space. If you haven’t heard our origin story, the TLDR is; I was running workshops for primary and secondary students teaching them about all things social change and I would often get students ask me questions, but I didn’t have any way of directing them towards additional resources or support, so I started this blog and created an ebook called the Humanitarian/Changemakers Handbook (which has now evolved into our handbook The Changemaker in You) so that I had somewhere to direct student towards. As I kept sharing resources and tools, and started a podcast during Covid, I realised that there was a need for this. So, once I did realised I was going to create something, I knew taking a networked approach was important.

By taking a networked approach, we can empower people with the knowledge and skills that transcend organisational boundaries, enabling them to bring a holistic, well-rounded perspective to their work. Once individuals are equipped and empowered, they can carry their expertise and passion wherever they go, amplifying their impact and fostering a wider culture of continuous, interconnected progress. This vision of interconnected capacity building is at the heart of our approach here at HCN, ensuring that the collective efforts towards social change are both sustainable and far-reaching.

Embracing Decentralisation: A New Era for Grassroots Support

However, I learnt fairly quickly that taking a networked approach to movement building presents challenges in accessing resources, coordinating efforts, and maintaining transparency. I knew I didn’t want to be confined to the limitations of operating a registered charity, so instead I opted to start HCN as a social enterprise, allowing me the ability to generate profits from the freelancing work I did to cover the costs of operating and funding our impact initiatives and projects. I didn’t intend to generate any profits for HCN, let alone pay myself a wage, and since the intention was to use any funds for our impact work, this seemed like the best approach.

For a while this worked, and I even branched out selling upcycled tees, patches, and handmade bags from upcycled fabric (yes, I taught myself to sew just to do this) as the costs of running HCN grew… although there have been far too many occasions where I’ve just thrown in a few thousand of my own dollars to keep things going. But things got more complicated as we expanded and wanted to formalise some of our impact initiatives, like Fixing Food, New Humanity, and Changemaker Travel, where I didn’t want to have to set up completely new legal entities, although managing the separate finances got tricky. Things reached a tipping point when I set out to establish our mutual aid collective, Mutual Aid Australia, where I wanted to be able to use our profits to support our community and fund their impact work, without establishing a separate business and having to pay tax on money that was passing through our collective to help our members. I looked into co-operative models, and had settled on starting a non-distributing co-op, but it still didn’t quite feel like the right choice.

Recognising this, we embarked on a journey towards decentralisation. By moving away from a top-down structure, we decided we want to:

1. Enhance Local Autonomy: Decentralisation allows collective and groups in our grassroots movement to make decisions that are best suited to their unique contexts without waiting for central approval.
2. Strengthen Networks: It encourages the formation of robust, interconnected networks that can share resources, knowledge, and support.
3. Foster Innovation: With increased autonomy, grassroots groups are free to experiment and innovate, finding creative solutions to local challenges.
4. Build Resilience: Decentralised structures are inherently more resilient, as they are less susceptible to single points of failure and better able to adapt to changing circumstances.

Open Collective: Paving the Way for Financial Transparency

As part of this shift, we have adopted Open Collective, a platform that facilitates transparent and collaborative financial management. Through Open Collective, we can set HCN up as a Fiscal Host to a number of autonomous collectives (such as Mutual Aid Australia, Fixing Food, as well as the Changing Times News, and other individual projects). Any money these collective receive can be independently managed through the platform, with HCN as the umbrella under which they are operating. No pesky spreadsheets or 20 sub-bank accounts (seriously, I opened up a bank account for HCN with 20 sub-accounts to keep the money for each project or initiative separate)… each initiative can now just focus on receiving money from their work, paying anyone that needs to get paid, and doing using their money to do the impact work they set out to do.

Open Collective addresses the issue of financial transparency in supporting our movement. Here’s how it works:

1. Transparent Budgets:

Open Collective allows us to create collectives with a public budget. This transparency ensures that every dollar is accounted for, and stakeholders can see exactly how funds are being used. It builds trust within our community and our external supporters.

2. Simplified Fundraising:

The platform offers tools for grassroots movements to raise funds directly. We can receive contributions from individuals and organisations worldwide, bypassing traditional financial barriers and middlemen.

3. Collaborative Decision-Making:

Financial decisions can be made collaboratively, with inputs from all members of the collective. This democratic approach aligns with our values of inclusivity and empowerment.

4. Real-Time Reporting:

Open Collective provides real-time financial reporting, making it easier to track the impact of funds. This feature is crucial for both internal management and external reporting, ensuring accountability and fostering donor confidence.

Moving Forward: A Call to Action

Our journey towards a decentralised, network-oriented approach using Open Collective is just beginning. As we continue to refine and expand this model, we invite you to join us in this transformative journey. Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Support a Collective: Visit our Open Collective page and consider contributing to one of our grassroots movements.
2. Share the Vision: Spread the word about our new approach. The more people who know about our model, the greater our collective impact.
3. Get Involved: Whether it’s volunteering, donating, or simply sharing your expertise, there are many ways to support our network.

By embracing decentralisation and leveraging Open Collective, we are not just enhancing our support for grassroots movements—we are fundamentally transforming it. This shift aligns with our commitment to community-led change, transparency, and innovation. Together, we can build a more resilient and effective movement for social change. Thank you for being part of this journey. Let’s continue to create, innovate, and lead with purpose.