everybody owns the great ideas
*"Everybody owns the great ideas" lyric by Elbow, New York Morning
knowledge wants to be free
Charities, social enterprises and community groups exist to serve others through their missions. Their knowledge and insight is the foundation of their work, and a powerful asset.
But most of that knowledge is locked in people's heads, in forgotten reports and pdfs, and in dusty filing systems.
What if we could open up that knowledge for the good of all?
What if we worked to build shared knowledge in the Commons?
What if we could work towards common purpose through working openly and sharing more?
What is open knowledge?
Community insight
Communities - of place, purpose and people - are the heart of civil society
Charities, social enterprises and community groups exist to serve communities - but what insight do they themselves hold? What are their priorities? What gaps and opportunities do they see?
Open knowledge is community insight shared openly to connect with others around common purpose, drive decisions and create meaningful accountability
Charity insight & learning
Organisations are the senses, brain and body of civil society
Practitioners are out there in communities every day seeing, responding and learning about what's needed and what's working.
Open knowledge is charity insight shared to collaborate towards common purpose, and working openly to sense, learn and respond together
Funder insight & learning
Funders have a privileged position to encourage openness
Funders are uniquely positioned to encourage openness - through their strategies & programme design, applications, evaluation and learning. Funders have knowledge flowing through their work to open up, and can support and resource those they fund to work openly and share.
Open knowledge is funders working towards collective intelligence, shared landscape maps, shared learning and action. And equipping those they fund to build power together by sharing their insight.
Open For All - open knowledge for the good of all
Explore open knowledge
Why should knowledge and insight be shared across civil society?
How are people and organisations exploring working openly and building the Commons?
What's stopping us from sharing more?
What are we learning?
Helping you to open up
If you're ready to explore working more openly and sharing your knowledge and insight, we can help you take practical steps towards greater openness
Open community
If you're working on openness in civil society - building knowledge, tools, standards or approaches - join a community of like-minded folk working practically towards a more open sector
Open For All programme
A collaboration between NPC, IVAR, Third Sector Lab and Open For All Ltd.
Supporting funders to explore open knowledge and sharing more
Supporting a community of open practitioners