When people talk about “collective impact” in early childhood systems—the network of programs, policies, and services that support young children and their families from before birth through early childhood—the phrase can feel aspirational. At its core, collective impact simply means organizations working together toward shared goals instead of operating in isolation.
For the New Hampshire Alliance of Early Childhood Coalitions (“the Alliance”), this collaboration is deeply practical. It shows up in relationships built across communities, shared language and frameworks that help partners align their work, coordinated advocacy education to help amplify local voices, and the quiet but powerful act of connecting people who might otherwise never sit at the same table.
For the Alliance’s Executive Director Sarah Fox, collective impact means honoring what is already happening in communities across the state and creating the connective tissue that allows those local efforts to inform, influence, and strengthen systems at a statewide level.
Turning Collaboration into Influence
The Alliance was founded by early childhood coalitions: collaborative groups of organizations, providers, families, and community partners that work together to improve the well-being, learning, and development of young children (typically prenatal through age 5). What began as a convening structure has evolved into something more dynamic: a supporter, translator, and bridge between grassroots realities and state-level decision-making.
“The goal was to bring the coalitions together and really recognize the power they have collectively,” Fox explains. “Even though they’re doing work at the local level, when they come together, they can influence more policy and more efforts within the state.”
At its core, the Alliance exists to address what Fox describes as a missing feedback loop in New Hampshire’s early childhood ecosystem.
“What’s often missing is the connection between what state-level organizations are doing and what people are dealing with on a day-to-day basis at the grassroots level,” she says.
At the community level, early childhood coalitions bring together professionals from across sectors including mental health, pediatrics, childcare, recreation, public health, family support, and more to assess what families need and how systems are working (or not working) in real time. The Alliance then elevates those insights, ensuring that local voices inform statewide conversations, policies, and funding priorities.
“I see the Alliance’s role as an elevator and a cheerleader for the good work happening locally,” Fox says. “And also, as someone who can turn around and share with coalition leaders, ‘Here’s what’s coming down the pike.’”
That flow of information is especially important in New Hampshire, a state that Fox describes as “small and yet very siloed,” not unlike many state early childhood systems. Each organization, funding stream, and system operates under its own metrics and mandates, so partners focused on early learning, health, or family support may be accountable to different goals and timelines—even when they serve the same children and families. Bridging those gaps makes alignment both challenging and essential.
Creating Space for Relationship-Building
One of the Alliance’s most visible tools for collective impact is its statewide convenings. These gatherings intentionally blur traditional boundaries: attendees do not need a specific title or role to participate, only an interest in early childhood and a willingness to engage.
“It’s not childcare only. It’s not behavioral health only,” Fox explains. “It’s about bringing together all the people who have an interest in early childhood and creating space for them to talk to one another.”
Unlike conferences focused solely on information delivery, the Alliance’s convenings emphasize relationship-building. Participants regularly leave with new connections, shared resources, and fresh perspectives.
“The most common thing I hear is, ‘I had no idea this organization existed,’ or ‘I didn’t know this service was available,’” Fox says. “Those eureka moments are everything!”
In a state where leadership turnover has been significant—Fox notes more than 20 changes among coalition leaders during her tenure—these relationships provide continuity and resilience.
“That connective tissue matters,” she says. “Especially when funding ebbs and flows, or programs suddenly disappear. The Alliance helps people keep going, even when participation fluctuates or things feel uncertain.”
Seeding Innovation: The Power of Shared Frameworks
Sometimes, collective impact begins with a single shared idea. Fox points to the HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) Framework, developed at Tufts University, as a powerful example. The framework reframes early childhood work by emphasizing positive childhood experiences, not just the mitigation of adverse ones. After the Alliance introduced HOPE during a convening, the Greater Nashua Smart Start Coalition ran with it.
“It’s now a pillar of their work,” Fox shares. “They’re aligning programs, family engagement efforts, and partnerships around a shared language and shared goals.”
What began as a single conversation at an Alliance gathering became a unifying framework across an entire region. These ripples show up in both big and small ways: shared contractors, website referrals, and replicated programs that travel across regions.
Fox says, “That’s how I see our work: planting seeds.”
Advocacy Through Education and Information-Sharing
While direct policy advocacy varies across coalitions, education plays a central role in building advocacy capacity statewide.
“Advocacy looks different depending on the coalition,” Fox explains. “But education, that’s something the Alliance really leans into.”
The Alliance regularly elevates advocacy training, legislative learning opportunities, and community events hosted by partner organizations. Rather than duplicating efforts, it acts as an amplifier, ensuring coalitions know what’s available and how to engage. This approach acknowledges capacity realities while still building long-term momentum.
Equity, Access, and Community Context
Equity work in New Hampshire takes many forms. Even in a state with limited racial and ethnic diversity outside of major urban areas, coalitions are deeply attuned to issues of income, access, and geography.
“For example, transportation is a huge barrier here,” Fox notes. “Families can’t get to food pantries, diaper banks, or services. That impacts everything.”
Coalitions in more diverse areas like Nashua are also prioritizing culturally responsive engagement, building family networks that reflect the communities they serve.
At the Alliance level, Fox is intentionally cultivating partnerships with organizations like the New Hampshire Center for Justice and Equity, a statewide racial justice organization focused on fostering connections, changing systems, and meeting community needs; and community leaders working on inclusion and racial equity.
“I’m always looking for ways to bring these conversations into coalition spaces in a thoughtful, partnership-driven way,” she says.
Cross-Sector Collaboration
Some partnerships take persistence. Fox recalls working to connect newly formed perinatal coalitions, created through a federal HRSA grant, with existing early childhood coalitions across the state.
“They were building 13 new coalitions,” she says. “And I kept thinking… there’s already infrastructure here. Let’s figure out how to collaborate.”
Eventually, through relationship-building and shared champions, those connections took hold. Perinatal coalition leaders began attending Alliance convenings, joining planning teams, and elevating each other’s work. A quiet persistence paired with an unwavering belief in collaboration over competition defines the Alliance’s approach.
Sustaining Momentum in a Capacity-Constrained World
Collective impact work is energizing but sustaining it requires realism. With coalition leaders juggling multiple roles and participating in numerous communities of practice, the Alliance has had to adapt its structures over time.
“Sometimes you have to sunset things,” Fox says. “Not because they aren’t valuable but because people don’t have the bandwidth.”
Rather than forcing participation, the Alliance focuses on flexibility, responsiveness, and ongoing communication: spotlighting coalition successes, sharing timely information, and checking in often. In an intentional shift, the Alliance now co-plans and co-facilitates a community of practice with two partners, the Parent Information Center and the Education Alliance which is open to anyone interested in family engagement in early childhood, family resource centers, and schools.
Strengthened by Fiscal Sponsorship
Fox credits the Alliance’s fiscal sponsorship with TSNE as a major stabilizing force.
“I feel like there’s a team behind me now,” she says. “The support around financials, logistics, and professionalism—it’s been a game changer.”
That support allows Fox to focus on what matters most: relationships, strategy, and systems-building.
Advice for Emerging Coalitions
For communities looking to build or strengthen early childhood coalitions, Fox offers simple but powerful guidance.
“Start with passion and vision,” she says. “It’s okay to start small. You don’t need every organization at the table on day one.”
Collective impact, she emphasizes, is not about perfection; it’s about persistence.
“When people show up in good faith and try to make connections, the system starts to work better.”
In New Hampshire, that belief continues to shape a growing network of coalitions—stronger together than they could ever be alone.
Learn more about the Alliance’s work at nhaecc.org.
Learn more about TSNE’s Fiscal Sponsorship services at tsne.org/fiscal-sponsorship.