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HOW TO: Tips on Collaboration
Benefiting From Collaboration
Collaboration is the hallmark of the IPO California Grants Partnership.
In fact, a key goal of the program is to better meet the needs of under-served youth by forging strategic partnerships between grassroots and regional and national organizations. The assets of the smaller groups normally include a wide local reach, a reservoir of community trust, hands-on experience and access to loyal volunteers. The strengths of the national organizations often include a solid infrastructure, a broad network of contacts, professional expertise in the field and widespread public recognition.
We advocate collaboration because it brings ideas from diverse perspectives and offers additional resources for the development of new ventures. Collaboration speeds up the sharing of tools, best practices and creativity. And it also ensures wider distribution of needed educational materials—teaching and training models and other resources.
Varied factors contribute to successful collaboration. Indeed, every collaboration is unique. Each partner brings different perspectives, experiences and strengths to the table. As a result, partners have to discover their own way to work together and blend their complementary skills to deliver optimum results.
Merrill Lynch Giving thinks you’ll find the following guidelines—the Seven C’s—very helpful as you strive to make the most of your collaboration. The guidelines are excerpted from James E. Austin’s The Collaboration Challenge: How Nonprofits and Business Succeed Through Strategic Alliances (Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, 2000):
Connection
Be sure all the people involved in the collaboration are personally and emotionally connected to the partnership.
Clarity
Develop a shared collective vision for the collaboration by jointly preparing a written statement that defines both the venture’s mission and the results you intend to generate.
Congruency
Partner with organizations that share a common vision for the future and whose mission, values and strategies align with yours.
Create Value
Capitalize on each partner’s capabilities, expertise and resources to create new assets.
Communication
Build a communication process that is open, candid and accessible to all partners.
Continual Learning
Design a process that enables all partners to routinely identify and assess what they’re learning from the collaboration.
Commitment
Demonstrate your commitment to the collaboration through personal and organizational contributions of time, energy and resources.
For Further Information
In addition to The Collaboration Challenge, there are other books that can help you enhance the collaborations your organization participates in. You’ll find a sampling of excellent books at The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation website at www.wilder.org/pubs
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