What is Collective Narrative Infrastructure and Why Does it Matter

Philanthropy underfunds movement infrastructure and often ignores the storytelling and solidarity work movements need. Narrative infrastructure (story-building and distribution) plus solidarity infrastructure (relationships and healing) help movements align, endure, and shift culture. Funders should invest long-term, center culture and Black and Indigenous-led groups, and measure relational and cultural impact.

Narrative Infrastructure

This refers to story-building and story-distribution capacity that enables actors across movements, communities, and cultural spaces to coalesce, build power, and popularize their liberatory ideas.

Solidarity Infrastructure

This refers to the building of bonds of connection and belonging that enable actors to link across organizations, cultures, and ecosystems to invest in kinship-making, movement building, and collaboration.

(maps to our ‘Spreading’ and ‘Relating’ infrastructure types in our Programme)