Collaboration is often used as a catch-all term to describe any working relationship between individuals, departments, or organizations. But, true collaboration isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept—it exists on a continuum of inter-institutional models, each with distinct attributes, required capacities, and necessary inter-organizational supports. As we move along this continuum, we increase our potential to accomplish together that which cannot be achieved alone. And, importan

Leaders have a fundamental choice to make when building and launching big organizational initiatives.   They can take the directive approach, providing top-down guidance on everything from vision, function, structure, and implementation. While the directive approach can get you out of the gate quickly, you’ll run into some predictable walls in short order: Others will feel confused about what you’re doing and why, causing resistance. They’ll feel shut out from the process, as

Philanthropists often dream of fostering greater collaboration among the organizations they support. Why? Because they know collaboration can be a force multiplier for creating durable change on the big issues they care about. But there’s a problem—just because we may want people to collaborate doesn’t mean they’ll be well-equipped or motivated to do so. The truth is, effective collaboration requires capacity: leaders need the skills, organizations need the structures, and ne

Do the funders in your community work together in ways that go beyond co-funding organizations and initiatives to include work like sharing insights, streamlining processes, or even aligning on vision? Taking these extra steps can ease the workload on nonprofits, allowing them to focus where it counts most—delivering on their missions. Here are four impactful ways funders can deepen their partnerships to amplify their collective impact in the community: Streamlined Processes