The Re-Action Collective - 2025 collective action report review
The Re-Action Collective are genuinely awe inspiring – they have achieved a HUGE amount through passion and energy and with so little resource. I loved reviewing their first Collective Action Report and joining the vide call where they shared it and fuelled a thought-provoking discussion.
👍🏻 Three things I like:
1. IT ENABLES ACTION
The Re-Action team made a conscious decision to call this a Collective Action Report rather than an impact report. Taking action is what they are all about. I love that they included links and action buttons throughout the report, enabling readers to take action.
I especially like the “4 actions you can take right now as an individual” on p42; and the specific asks and actions on p65-7, welcoming collaboration as they move forward.
2. BRING THE COLLECTIVE TO LIFE THROUGH SHOWCASING MEMBERS
They explain the different types of membership and why they matter, showcasing lots of their member organisations. This helps bring everything to life and demonstate what Re-Action is all about.
I also liked all the quotes from members.
3. I LEARNT SOMETHING
I always say that I learn something from the best impact reports – in particular about the problem they are solving and their specific solutions.
I learnt a lot from this report – e.g. the idea of debranding and rebranding (through patches).
❓Three questions it raises:
1. WHAT ABOUT FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY?
I spent many years working in the charity sector with organisations that are full of passion but have a hand-to-mouth existence. It suppresses the impact they have.
What Re-Action is doing (collectively and each individual member) is bold, innovative and sorely needed. How might all these organisations become more financially sustainable so they can survive and scale their impact?
They are clearly delivering huge value – how can they capture some of this financially in order to provide fuel that would help them grow?
2. HOW DO MEMBERS COMPETE WITH BETTER KNOWN BRANDS?
I loved learned about niche resale members and will definitely be checking some of these out as I try to buy any outdoor gear and sports clothing second hand. But it made me wonder – how do these niche resale organisations compete with the more well known and commercial businesses like Vinted and eBay?
3. HOW MIGHT THE CONCEPT OF ACTIONISM EXTEND TO BUSINESSES?
Re-Action has created the idea of ‘actionism’, “a type of civic engagement that goes beyond volunteering (helping) and activism (protesting against), it’s about building towards”.
I work with businesses, many of which have volunteering programmes and shy away from the idea of activism. I wondered how the concept of actionism could apply to them. Something which contributes through co-creation and participation.
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You can read the Collective Action Report for yourself here. Let me know what you think!
If you’re preparing to write your own impact report, you might find my FREE Impact Reporting Roadmap helpful: