collaborating with partners on joint grants: do's and don'ts
Post on 12-May-2015
1.191 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Sponsored by:A Service
Of:
Collaborating with Partners on Joint Grants: Do’s And Don'ts
Dalya Massachi
March 21, 2012
Sponsored by:A Service
Of:
Advising nonprofits in:
• Strategy
• Planning
• Organizational Development
www.synthesispartnership.com
(617) 969-1881
info@synthesispartnership.com
INTEGRATED PLANNING
Sponsored by:A Service
Of:
Affordable collaborative data
management in the cloud.
Sponsored by:A Service
Of:
Today’s Speaker
Dalya MassachiFounder
Writing for Community Success
Hosting:
Sam Frank, Synthesis PartnershipAssisting with chat questions: April Hunt, Nonprofit Webinars
COLLABORATING WITH
PARTNERS ON JOINT GRANTS:
DO’S AND DON’TS
Presented by:
Dalya F. Massachi
OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE
6Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi
www.dfmassachi.net
“A tapestry woven of promises, obligations,
self-interests, multiple agendas, assumptions, communication styles, and leadership styles of every
stripe and hue, the collaboration is a work
of abstract art with tremendous concrete results.”
- Vince Hyman, Fieldstone Alliance
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
7
QUESTION
Have you been involved in a collaborative project like this?
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
8
BEYOND FUNDING FOR “ISOLATED IMPACT”
Today’s world is interdependent! No single org can solve any major social problem
(e.g., climate change)
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
9
SESSION OBJECTIVES
Today, you’ll be able to identify:
• Reasons to collaborate
• Essentials in selecting collaborators
• How to streamline joint proposals
• Pitfalls to avoid: showstoppers
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
10
MANY TYPES OF COLLABORATIONS
• Vary by intensity and commitment
• Today’s focus:
specific programmatic collaborations
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
11
COLLABORATING 2 X
1) To design and implement the program
(e.g. service delivery, advocacy, etc.)
2) To apply for and manage the joint grant
12Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi
www.dfmassachi.net
“HOW COME YOU ALL DON’T JUST COMBINE FORCES?”
• We’re so passionate, concerned about our own sub-issues that we can neglect the potential allies out there
• Often allow narrow org interests to take precedence over larger community interests
13Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi
www.dfmassachi.net
GOOD REASONS TO COLLABORATE
14Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi
www.dfmassachi.net
• 2+ heads are often better than 1!• Make a bigger difference than alone• Require more than just 1 org has• Maximize resources; Save $• Show you are well-integrated• Build on strengths/complement weaknesses• Avoid duplicating services • Learn from others’ experiences • Reap benefits of economy of scale• Establish a strong collective voice/presence
NOT just to answer an RFP
TAKE A HINT FROM THE CORP WORLD
• Number of marketing partnerships
of airline frequent flyer programs
• Customers can earn miles or get discounts with many credit cards, hotels, car rental companies, restaurants, and even retail stores. In turn, the businesses involved reap the benefits of expanding their market share.
15Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi
www.dfmassachi.net
EXAMPLE:
Tenderloin Technology Lab
Partners: San Francisco Network Ministries &
St. Anthony Foundation
• Collaboration for 4 years and counting
• Tripled their program capacity
• Reduced program costs by 50%
• Attracted more media, web presence, requests for partnerships, community buy-in
16Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi
www.dfmassachi.net
NYC EXAMPLE
Henry Street Settlement, Recycle-a-Bicycle,
local public schools, after-school programs:
•New York City youth and young adults from
low-income neighborhoods repair donated bicycles
• Sell or donate them back to the community
• Participants learn about the environmental benefits of
bicycling and conservation
• Since opening its doors in 1995, they’ve recovered or
spared 109 tons from the city's waste stream
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
17
2011 COLLABORATION PRIZE:
Adoption Coalition of Texas
• 5 nonprofit child-placing agencies,
TX Department of Child Protective Services
• Austin Community Foundation : financial accounting, grants management, HR, other back-office support
• Shared mission : finding “forever families” for kids languishing in the foster care system
• Result: Annual adoptions increased from 370 to well over 700
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
18
19Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi
www.dfmassachi.net
Take a few moments to jot down how your work fits into the larger picture of your community’s well-being:
• Are you picking up where other orgs leave off ?
• Are you breaking new ground or starting a trend that will create possibilities for your field or industry?
• Do you serve a crucial intermediary function that other important systems need to work well?
WRITING WORKOUT
CHOOSE YOUR PARTNERS WISELY!• Provide similar/complementary services or programs
• Have self-interest(s) that will be met by project
• Enthusiastic re: working together
• Play well with others (organized, flexible,
dependable, transparent)
• Offer a diversity of viewpoints
• Have some of the required expertise and resources
• Are credible, respected in community, with funders
• Want accountability from everyone (including funders), even if leadership shifts over time
• Ideal size: 2-8
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
20
TO DISCUSS DURING PLANNING
• Buy-in from org leaders, key
stakeholders: joint ownership
• Why each is engaging, how much
• Agree on project’s mission, scope, purpose: must have shared goals and vision
• Agree on way of defining, measuring success
• Each partner carves out a specialty for leadership
• Process for dealing with conflict, informed failure
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
21
COLLABORATIVE WRITING
• Encourages and models debate,
discussion of best practices, current thinking
• Offers excellent opportunity to mentor the less experienced writers
• Team can develop more proposals, initiate more programs – based on template
22Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi
www.dfmassachi.net
PROPOSAL WRITING ROLES • Team Leader
• Reviewers
• Budget Developer
• Researcher/Lit Reviewer (for background)
• Needs Assessment Coordinator
• Outside Experts (on evaluation, etc.)
• Only 1 Final Editor!
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
23
SET SOME EXPECTATIONS
• How available will each person be
at critical points in the writing?
• How open is everyone to
constructive criticism?
• How will you handle areas of disagreement or different interpretations?
24Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi
www.dfmassachi.net
HOW TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS
• Start writing AFTER the planning starts
• Divide up the writing tasks accordingto content, formatting expertise
• Agree on how to share overall and specific edits
• Set due dates and meeting times (live/conf call)
• Meet to come to consensus on questionable areas
• Celebrate proposal teamwork
25Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi
www.dfmassachi.net
EXAMPLE: Gooden College Connection
• Met to read RFP together, ID central points/questions/concerns
• Brainstormed idea, outlined• Created a joint Logic Model• Appointed a grant administrator• Each partner provided bios/org descriptions,
program plans, background data, budgets• Appointed 1 proposal editor; set deadlines for
submission to her; drafts circulated for comment• Administrator approved, submitted final draft
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
26
LETTERS OF SUPPORT
• On org letterhead• Signed by highest authority• Time commitment to planning process • Acknowledgement of other partners, their
contributions• Commitment to the agreed-upon vision, focus,
intended results, strategies• Statement of what they expect to get in return• Listing of resources to be contributed• Confirmation that the individual has authority to
devote resources from own org
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
27
MOU: LIVING CONTRACT
• List of stakeholders: interests, roles• Shared assumptions• Program: vision, mission, strategies • Timelines, milestones• Resource needs for project• Norms: participation, conflict management,
decision-making, communication• Payment schedule once grant is made
Periodic reviews: add agreements over new issues
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
28
PROPOSAL CHECKLIST
1. Justify the existence of the collaborative
2. History of collaboration: including this proposal
3. List lead administrator/fiscal agent (history here?)
4. List partners, background
5. How you fit together: what each will contribute
6. Ongoing evaluation plan: project and collaboration
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
29
TYPES OF FUNDER SUPPORT
• Lead Investor: gets collaborative up and running and intends to attract future funds
• Funder of initial exploration: needs, feasibility
• Funder of implementation/continuation
• Funder through a challenge grant
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
30
PITFALLS TO AVOID• Power imbalances divide you• Irreconcilable org culture clashes • Individual egos/intellectual ownership• Territorialism• Not planning for a supporting infrastructure
(staff time for coordination, facilitation)• Unrealistic expectations (deadlines, maxed out
staff, don’t know/trust each other well yet)• Partners don’t have long-term vision/commitment• Not enough shared recognition/rewards
Copyright 2012 Dalya F. Massachi www.dfmassachi.net
31
Sponsored by:A Service
Of:
Find listings for our current season of webinars and register at:
NonprofitWebinars.com
top related