Welcome to the latest installment of Intention 2 Impact’s Heart-2-Heart — our monthly newsletter where we share what’s on our mind, in our hearts, and up our sleeves.
This month, we can’t stop yapping about why impact is a verb, share some sweet memories from I2I’s 2nd annual collective summer break, and introduce you to our newest team member!
ON OUR MINDS
IMPACT IS A VERB (yes, it is technically a noun, too… but let’s talk about it) 🤓
Nouns are people, places, and things, and verbs describe actions. We know, it’s been a while since you had Schoolhouse Rock stuck in your head… but buried in that distinction is something the social sector has been sleeping on for a very long time.
Too often, impact is considered a noun. We achieved impact. We demonstrated impact. We have an impact on communities…
Somewhere along the way of measuring and communicating impact for foundations doing complex systems change, our team realized that “impact” is a verb as much as it is a noun. This means the choices, strategies, and power dynamics shaping decisions are impacting people, places, and things…
When you treat impact as a verb, the sentence structure changes entirely. A verb demands an actor: who is actually doing this? It demands a tense: is it happening now, or did it happen, and what comes next? It demands an object: impacting whom, toward what? Verbs force the relationship into the sentence.
And then there’s the progressive form: we are impacting. We are measuring. We are learning. We are adapting. The “-ing” resists closure and keeps the work open.
This is why we can’t stop yapping about how impact is a verb! We’re not just saying that impact should be active and ongoing as a nice metaphor. This reframe reveals the relationship we have with the work.
At the end of the day, it is a methodological argument, not just a philosophical one. If impact is something you practice — something that requires a subject, lives in time, and never fully closes — then the question for MEL practitioners isn’t did it happen? It’s: how is it moving, who’s doing it, and what do we do differently because of what we’re learning?
That’s the provocation behind Impact Is a Verb™: I2I’s new initiative exploring what it actually looks like to put this into practice across our client work. This week, we are taking over the AEA365 blog for seven straight days, each post written by a different team member to share real project examples of how treating impact as a verb changed how we built frameworks, asked the questions, and used what we found.
1️⃣Start with the 90-second explainer video
2️⃣Then, dig into the blog series and follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with the conversation online.
3️⃣Don’t just sit on the sidelines, reach out and let us know what you think when you hear “impact is a verb.”
We hope you’ll leave with some questions and ideas worth bringing back to your own work. 💡
IN OUR HEARTS
Team I2I just wrapped our second annual collective summer break (July 3–12), a full team-wide pause, no calls, no client work, no “just circling back real quick.” Just rest. ☀️
We asked everyone to share one photo + one sentence that sums up their break. No context needed, just vibes.
ADD IMAGE CAROSEL (see slack message thread in the marketing channel)
NINA: I2I summer break gave me the chance to beat the east coast humidity and spend time on the California coast! Traveling with a toddler is not relaxing, but it sure is cup filling.
KATHLEEN: I2I summer break allowed me to experience the Rocky Mountains in 2 ways! First up was hiking in Banff National Park in Canada with friends, and then family time in the Colorado Rockies! Can confirm: beautiful from both sides!
ASHLEY: I2I summer break gave me that sweet reminder that time is better spent outdoors when you can lose track of time and soak up some sun. ☀️
EMMA: I2I summer break gave me (and Nori) some “off leash” time, to roam, explore, reflect, reconnect, and disconnect in the Colorado mountains. 💕
VICTORIA: I2I summer break gave me a chance for quality time with family and loved ones in Atlanta, at home, and at the beach! It also gave me a chance to adventure with my 2 year old and see how exciting the world can be through her eyes
NISHAT: This summer I wanted to start doing some of my favorite activities which I couldn’t make time for due to life. So I joined dance classes. Loving that I am finding myself back.
ALYSSA: My summer break was all about analog, getting off the grid and shifting my full attention to the things, places, and people that I love.
How’d you spend your break? Hit reply, we want to see it. 📸
And if you haven’t taken one yet… take this as your sign!
UP OUR SLEEVES
The I2I Team is thrilled to be welcoming another member to Team I2I. Meet Alyssa Reynolds, M.Ed! As of July 13, she’s officially I2I’s newest Consultant]. Based in Nashville, the core I2I team now spans 5 states and all 4 timezones in the continental USA!
Enjoy a preview into Alyssa’s world, via the Q&A below. You’ll be hearing a lot more from her in the months to come.
What drew you to the field of evaluation & what keeps you in it?
ALYSSA: Research and evaluation found me because I’ve always been a curious person who wants things to mean something. Turns out, you can make a career out of knowing how to ask really good questions! The relationships formed and the transformative co-learning keeps me in it! I love getting to sit alongside individuals, groups, and communities, understanding what they actually need and want, and dreaming up better futures together.
What’s a hot take you stand firmly behind — professionally or otherwise?
ALYSSA: No gatekeeping! Knowledge is meant to be shared, not hoarded. Learning from each other is what builds trust, grows community, and sparks real change.
What is one thing your true friends know about you?
ALYSSA: That I’m happiest outside! Whether I’m puttering around my own garden or off exploring some wilderness, that’s where I find my peace. Caring for nature (and just appreciating it) is genuinely one of my favorite ways to spend time.
