For those looking for ACTUAL examples of nonprofit collaboration, rather than treatises or foundation edicts on how they should work, the Foundation Center now offers a helpful database of nonprofit collaboration projects, drawn from the applicants to the Collaboration Prize (data drawn from The Lodestar Foundation).
The database isn’t exclusive to arts and culture, although there are many arts organizations in the mix (just search for “arts” to find them). But there’s plenty to be learned regardless of the industry represented in the specific initiative.
Collaborations are categorized in lots of useful ways — from shared purchasing to shared staff training to full-on mergers — and each record includes a range of details about geography, organizations involved, challenges, and outcomes.
Actual insights from actual collaborations, organized in a searchable way. Pretty cool.
Welcome back. It’s been a long dry spell without your insights.
Thanks Ben!
Thank you for mentioning the Foundation Center’s Nonprofit Collaboration Database. I am thrilled to hear that you find it useful!
Best,
Cynthia Bailie
Director
The Foundation Center