The Cost of Community

Great people. ☑️
Awesome mission. ☑️
Visible progress. ☑️
Long-standing leadership. ☑️
Regular meeting times and rituals. ☑️
Inclusive and respectful practices. ☑️

These are just some of the criteria to look for when starting to explore online communities—particularly innovation communities developing next-generation socio-technical solutions. I looked for these. However, what keeps communities healthy and keeps me coming back are the relationships that are their lifeblood. Delivering a strong pulse. Built over time, the complex connections between the people are the foundation of the value creation and progress they make. Relationships sit at the heart of innovation. Maintaining them is the unseen labour of community cultivation.

Underfunded at best, unfunded at worst: the essential labor of community cultivation comprises labour of many kinds; administration, communications, and deep, meaningful engagement with community challenges and member issues. Despite its critical role, why does this crucial contribution to the impact communities can make remain so difficult to fund?

Its a paradox. Impact investors zealously fund ventures seeking out teams with strong visions and technical prowess. However, this focus misses a critical element: the community. The success of innovative solutions relies not just on their technical merits but on the strength and engagement of their community.

Community building is often the unsung hero behind a project's success. It involves the unglamorous yet crucial tasks of nurturing people, supporting good communication, co-ordinating and fostering relationships, being there, being there consistently. These efforts frequently fall to a small group of dedicated individuals or volunteers who lack adequate resources. Their tireless efforts lay the foundation for long-term sustainability and growth.

The oversight of community cultivation roles by impact investors and decision-makers is a significant blind spot.

A healthy community is an effective community. It is not a luxury but a necessity for achieving scalable impact. It's about more than just governance or technical processes; it's about ensuring community members feels seen, heard, and valued. This work fosters an environment where solutions can flourish.

The return on investment in community roles may not be immediately visible through traditional metrics—clicks, likes, and reposts just don't measure it. However, the benefits are profound: engaged ecosystems that foster collaboration, loyalty through discovering solutions to evolving challenges, and insights that drive innovation. Successful examples abound where strong communities have led to breakthroughs and sustained impact. They make a compelling case for changing the paradigm of support.

It's time for impact investors to broaden their vision and ask where the supporting community-focused roles are in the COG calculations. They are as crucial as any technical or executive position. It's time to not only acknowledge the value of this work but require it and actively fund it. By doing so, investors will unlock the full potential of their investments, ensuring that innovative solutions achieve their transformative promise.

For ventures aimed at systemic change, neglecting community cultivation is a costly mistake. Building an interconnected, engaged ecosystem requires skilled human labour, proper resources, and a shift in how we value the unseen work of growing healthy community relationships and support its critical role in driving sustainable, impactful change.