The Social Change Grid is a framework developed by the Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) through its Social Power research, a year-long inquiry into how change happens in civil society. It maps the full repertoire of methods people and organisations use to create social change, helping campaigners and funders see past a narrow set of familiar tactics and recognise the many complementary routes to change.
The grid is built from two intersecting axes: one runs from formal to informal, the other from the individual to the societal. Together they open four quadrants, each a distinct arena of changemaking power.
The four quadrants
- Community (informal, individual): grassroots organising where people unite around shared experience, through local groups, networks, faith organisations and social enterprises.
- Public Space (informal, societal): the arena of public debate, social norms and culture, shaped by media, the arts, marketing and celebrity.
- Service Provision (formal, individual): the delivery of support through a mixed economy of charities, businesses, social enterprises and mutual aid.
- Institutional Power (formal, societal): the seat of formal authority, from government and the law to large corporations and well-resourced organisations.
SMK found that the most effective campaigns “pinball” between quadrants rather than staying in one, exploiting events to embed change across the social fabric. Campaigners map their activity to spot gaps, funders check whether their grants cluster too tightly, and coalitions seek allies in under-represented quadrants.
Also see Movement Ecology Framework and Change Ecology