No organization can achieve mission alone.
No organization can achieve mission alone.
Collaboration is a major element of the Foraker Nonprofit Sustainability Model. We are dedicated to the idea that no organization can achieve its mission alone. Working in partnership is not just a good idea, it is essential to success.
Collaborations come in many forms, but all of them are deeply rooted in common understanding. We are committed to creating space for people and missions to come together to tackle complex challenges, strengthen communities, and achieve greater results.
Think of collaboration as a continuum – it can mean everything from working on a single project with a single partner at one end, to merging with another organization at the other. It can involve several organizations or public/private partnerships. Collaboration means many things to many people. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that communities get what they need, and whoever is doing the work is effective and efficient in using resources and delivering service. We are committed to working beyond single missions to achieving lasting community results. We believe that no single nonprofit can achieve the greater good of mission alone.
If you are already an established nonprofit organization, then it requires you to engage with thought and intent, understanding the risks, and developing trust as you move toward more formal partnerships and beyond to merger, if that’s appropriate. If you have not yet formed a nonprofit, then this is your first chance to work better together with another group.
Maybe you are ready to explore a fiscal sponsorship as an incubator or to bring your idea into another organization’s program or structure in a joint venture. Or maybe you just lost your current leader and your board, through its succession plan, is ready to explore collaboration in the form of shared leadership or back office consolidation. Or maybe you are a community leader who is ready to become part of an existing coalition or find a new path to serve to your community.
Ultimately, there are many reasons to collaborate. For example:
Beyond the legal structure, when we work with you on a collaboration project our focus will be first to establish the reason for it, and then work to build trust among the partners. Each set of relationships and opportunities is unique. We have worked with organizations that have gone through government mandated mergers, as well as those that knew their impact could be radically multiplied if they worked together. We have facilitated, served as a catalyst, and supported collaborations of all kinds. Every path is an option to explore. Each will take its own process and each will likely need an outside neutral facilitator. We can serve in that role.
For more information on how we can help, use our contact form or call us at 907-743-1200.