ACTivate is a collaborative planning tool that helps creatives, funders, and other leaders use stories to fuel social impact.

ACTivate includes three intertwined exercises: Ecosystem of Change, Beyond the Choir, and Megaphone. Together, these exercises are designed to raise questions, spark ideas, generate evidence, and deepen impact over time. Above all, ACTivate always features a great story. Want to deepen your planning with customized guidance from Active Voice Lab? Talk to us.

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    Who’s working on the issue? Which sectors, groups, creatives, and innovative leaders are concerned about this, too? Who seems to be well aligned with your approach? Are any of these groups reaching Beyond the Choir? This exercise helps you think creatively about collaboration. ECOSYSTEM OF CHANGE>

    How do “people” feel about the issue? Who shares your perspective (the Choir)? Who might reexamine their perspective (Just Beyond)? Who is unlikely to change their perspective, even if the story is spectacular (Way Beyond)? This exercise will help you envision, fill gaps, and then plan viable collaborations. BEYOND THE CHOIR >

    How and when will you roll out the story to help animate the issue? How can the story help address the problem and contribute to sustained impact? What platforms—or means of distribution and engagement—should you take advantage of, in what sequence, and why? How will each platform build momentum for the next, and over time? This timetable demonstrates the long-term possibilities that emerge when powerful stories reach ever wider audiences. MEGAPHONE >

Hungry for impact measurements? See StoryLogic, a tool so multileveled it defies a simple summary.

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  • *To keep things simple, we’ll use the word film for any story-based video, drama, documentary, digital experience, etc.