AMPLIFY INFLUENCE
Measuring Collective Narrative Change for Housing Advocacy
Location: California
Duration: 2021-Present
THE CHALLENGE
Housing affordability is one of the most pressing social issues in California, yet shifting public perception and policy requires more than traditional advocacy—it demands a powerful, unified narrative. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) launched a cohort of housing advocates to strengthen storytelling and narrative power, but needed an impact measurement approach to assess progress and effectiveness.
THE IMPACT
🚀 Created a shared measurement system for tracking narrative shifts across the cohort
📊 Strengthened grantee capacity, equipping advocates with tools to measure their influence
💡 Enhanced strategic learning, helping CZI refine its narrative change investments
🔄 Catalyzed policy conversations, linking data insights to legislative efforts
🎯 What Makes This Different?
Measuring narrative change is complex. I2I helped bridge the gap between storytelling and data, ensuring that impact measurement was actionable, accessible, and directly useful to advocates on the ground.
Check out a case study about measuring collective narrative change here.
OUR APPROACH
I2I served as the MEL partner for CZI’s housing narrative cohort, leading efforts to:
✔ Co-create a measurement framework for narrative change strategies
✔ Build grantee capacity in impact measurement and storytelling
✔ Facilitate annual convenings to foster collaboration and shared learning
✔ Develop a real-time data dashboard to track advocacy impact
See what CZI’s Housing Affordability Manager has to say about working with I2I:
“I2I brings a winning combination of curiosity, rigor, and heart to their work of demystifying all things ‘MEL.’ They took the time to deeply listen to our partners, weaving together various theories of change to co-develop an overarching framework—a Theory of Transformation—that provides our narrative program and individual grantees with a critical tool to measure public and political will for housing reform in California.”
— Robert Avruch, Manager, Housing Affordability, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative