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When collaboration sizzles vs. fizzles
What is at stake when collaboration sizzles vs. fizzles? I asked this question of the people I interviewed for my book , Collabor(h)ate , and of colleagues online. Here are the themes that emerge about the benefits of collaboration. You benefit when collaboration sizzles: You acquire new abilities, resources, and perspectives Your network expands and you deepen relationships Professional opportunities become available to you Your reputation receives a boost You have more fun

Deb Mashek
Mar 142 min read


Community Foundations as Catalysts for Nonprofit Collaboration
Across the country, community foundations are seeing opportunities for nonprofits to amplify their reach, stability, and efficiency by joining forces—whether through shared programs, back-office consolidation, co-location, joint ventures, or full mergers. Yet the path from idea to implementation is rarely linear. Differences in mission, culture, identity, mindsets, operational capacity, and stakeholder expectations can all complicate collaborative efforts. The emotional attac

Deb Mashek
Jan 291 min read


Missed the Roundtable?
Roundtable topic Community Foundations as Catalysts for Nonprofit Collaboration Across the country, community foundations are seeing opportunities for nonprofits to amplify their reach, stability, and efficiency by joining forces—whether through shared programs, back-office consolidation, co-location, joint ventures, or full mergers. Yet the path from idea to implementation is rarely linear. Differences in mission, culture, identity, mindsets, operational capacity, and sta

Deb Mashek
Jan 281 min read


Collaboration that Works: Phase 5 - How’d We Do?
Series Note: This is Part 5 of a five-part series exploring the phases of the Collaborative Action Model—a framework I developed to help mission-driven leaders move from possibility to impact through purposeful collaboration. If you missed any of the earlier phases, reply to this email and I’ll send them your way. Phase 5: How'd We Do? By now, the shared vision is clear, the collaboration has launched, and the joint work is underway. But here’s the hard truth: just because so

Deb Mashek
Nov 12, 20252 min read

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