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    • Collaboration Roadmap
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    • Consultant Roster
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Sustained Collaboration Fund

  • Overview

  • Grantee Partners

  • Collaboration Roadmap

  • Exploratory Grant

  • Implementation Grant

Overview

Partnerships bring new vitality to an organization. They create opportunities which can help build capacity to sustain your mission and scale your vision. Nonprofit leaders are often tasked with achieving organizational sustainability, but what if we were to relieve them of that burden and instead focus on mission sustainability? This reframing may be the difference between the status quo and innovation. This is the power of partnership, and the power of navigating moments of great organizational change from a position of strength and strategic vision.

The NSI helps nonprofits based in Los Angeles County explore and implement formal partnerships leading to greater organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Sustained collaboration agreements permanently restructure the way participating organizations do their work, ranging from jointly managed programs and back-office consolidations, to shared ventures or full-scale mergers. The goal of the NSI is to normalize sustained collaboration by establishing an environment where service providers, funders and consultants understand and regularly engage in the activity as a strategy for enhancing impact.

What are Grantee Partners telling us about the desired impact of their collaborations?

What types of organizations have received collaboration funding?

Grantee Partners

Your journey is important. The organizations below are powerful stories that represent the NSI process and each have a unique story to tell. We hope that their success, struggles and goals will inspire you to think about your own collaboration strategy and set realistic expectations on how the process may unfold.

Playlist

3 Videos

NSI Case Study: STEM Prep (merger)

3:15

NSI Case Study: Hillsides / Bienvenidos Children's Center (parent/subsidiary affiliation)

3:29

NSI Case Study: Arts for Healing and Justice Network (joint venture agreement)

2:56
  • How Art Nonprofits Came Together to Create Systemic Change (Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network)

  • A Founder’s Homegrown Tutoring Nonprofit Thrives After Merge (Asian Youth Center, Project NEO)

  • At-Risk Youth Service Nonprofits Join Forces to Strengthen Their Programming (Bienvenidos Children’s Center, Hillsides)

  • Eastside Boys & Girls Clubs Merge to Rebrand (Boys & Girls Clubs of the West San Gabriel Valley, East Valley Boys & Girls Club)

  • California Grantmakers Join Forces Through a New Initiative (Northern California Grantmakers, San Diego Grantmakers, Southern California Grantmakers)
  • Four Health Centers Unite to Take on Changes in Healthcare (Eisner Pediatric & Family Medical Center, Saban Community Clinic, Venice Family Clinic, South Bay Family Health Care)

  • How Two Nonprofits Merged to Offer Holistic Arts Education (InsideOut Community Arts, PS Arts)

  • Two Charter Schools Merge to Improve STEM-Education in South Los Angeles (Math and Science College Prep, Crown Prep Academy)

  • Small Arts Service Nonprofit Benefits From a National Nonprofit (The Dance Resource Center, Pentacle)
  • Early NSI Case Studies

Curious who has received NSI funding in the past to explore and/or implement collaborative agreements?

Here’s a list of some of NSI’s 300+ past grantee partners

Sample Roster

Sample Roster of Collaboration Nonprofit Grantees

  • Pacific Clinics
  • Child & Family Center
  • Arts for LA
  • PEN America
  • The Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor
  • Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation
  • Salastina
  • Dance Resource Center, Los Angeles
  • Breathe California of the Bay Area, Golden Gate, and Central Coast
  • Create CA
  • Stars: Illuminate, Educate, Advocate
  • Child Development Institute
  • Community Build, Inc.
  • Think Together
  • AbilityFirst
  • New Horizons: Serving Individuals with Special Needs
  • STEM Prep Schools
  • YWCA Greater Los Angeles
  • LA Promise Fund
  • The Guidance Center
  • Public Media Group of Southern California
  • RaiseAChild
  • LeadingAge California
  • THE H.E.through the ARTS INC.
  • The Center in Hollywood
  • Allies for Every Child
  • Raise A Child Inc.
  • Two Bit Circus Foundation
  • NAMI San Fernando Valley
  • The People Concern
  • UCLA TIES for Families
“Coming together in a subsidiary structure and changing our name to YWCA Glendale and Pasadena has been an incredibly positive experience - we were able to expand our programming for girls with new staff and expertise and extend our programmatic reach to survivors in Pasadena. We just completed our first Pasadena based fundraiser as YWCA Glendale and Pasadena, which reached its highest fundraising outcome in its 19 years.”
Tara PetersonCEO, YWCA Glendale & Pasadena
Tara Peterson
“Our collaboration has provided a valuable opportunity to expand services to a geographic area and a population that has been underserved and overlooked. It has allowed us to raise awareness and support from the community around foster care. The collaboration of African American faith-based organizations in So. Los Angeles of different denominations around foster care and adoption is unique, especially partnering to provide direct services to the community. We are happy to be a model of the power of the faith based community's power when collaborating.”
Nancy Harris Executive Director, 3FN Faith Foster Families Network
 Nancy Harris
"NSI gave the Arts for Healing and Justice Network (AHJN) the opportunity to explore the interest, value add, and feasibility of a collaborative model. Through the process, we discovered we could accomplish more together than alone. Since NSI's support, AHJN has grown from six founding members to 15 and growing, year-round arts programming serving approximately 1,500 youth per year, and serving as an efficient passthru for county dollars including multiple county contracts serving youth in detention and in-community settings. Beyond programming, we are able to leverage our members for systems-change work, creating more visibility for healing-informed arts practices, and establishing the collective as leaders in the arts and justice sector."
Elida Ledesma, MPHExecutive Director, Arts for Healing and Justice Network
Elida Ledesma, MPH
Previous
Next

Collaboration Roadmap

Links to tools and resources to help guide you through your process.

Starting the Conversation

31/05/2023
  • Governing a Collaborative Organization
  • A Roadmap for Effective Collaboration
  • Exploring Greater Impact Through Strategic Partnerships
  • Merger & Alliance Toolkit

Readiness & Assessment

31/05/2023
  • La Piana Group SRAT
  • Ford Foundation OMT
  • Self Assessment Considerations
  • Partnership Assessment for Health Nonprofits
  • Nonprofit Lifecycles Self-Assessment
  • Questions for Potential Partners
  • Diligence Checklist

Understanding Your Options

31/05/2023
  • Administrative Consolidations and Management Service Organizations
  • The Partnership Matrix
  • Mergers that Make a Difference: Case Study Blog Series

Identifying a Consultant

31/05/2023
  • NSI Consultant Roster
  • National Sustained Collaboration Network Consultant Roster

Board Resolution

31/05/2023
  • Sample Board Resolution – Exploration
  • Sample Board Resolution – Implementation

Requesting Funding

31/05/2023
  • Exploratory Grant
  • Implementation Grant

Exploratory Grant

The NSI exploratory grant is designed for organizations ready to move into structured discussions aimed at developing a strategic partnership. Organizations and leadership that receive NSI funds are not committing to a specific outcome, but rather to enter into good faith negotiations. The goal is to ensure that organizations have every opportunity to thoroughly explore all issues associated with a strategic partnership and to reach an informed decision that best serves their mission and how they service the community.

For grant administrative purposes, potential partners will submit a joint application. One organization will be identified as the lead applicant and the other organization(s) as the partner(s). The lead applicant organization receives a grant for the partners to collectively hire a consultant of their choice, who supports the exploration, due diligence, and negotiation of issues associated with the form of partnership being pursued.

The lead applicant organization must include a copy of a proposed consulting contract from consultant(s) identified by the participating organizations. Your selected consultant must have previous experience in facilitating strategic restructuring negotiations. You are not required to use a consultant from the NSI consultant roster (hyperlinked to consultants page), but it is intended to serve as a resource for those seeking an experienced facilitator. The contract should include:

  1. Proposed scope of work.
  2. Project work plan/timeline.
  3. Project budget/payment schedule.

Each of the applicant partners must also submit a board resolution signed by the board secretary or chair indicating that the board has agreed to enter into good faith negotiations of a strategic partnership. A sample resolution is provided with this application. Exploratory Grants typically range between $20,000 – $40,00. The funds are designated towards the cost of engaging third-party consultants to support a thoughtful exploratory process.

View a Sample Application

Required Attachments

  • Copy of a signed board resolution by the board secretary or board chair from each of the participating organizations
  • Copy of consultant proposal(s)
  • Completed project budget

To be eligible for NSI funding, the lead applicant organization must be based in and/or primarily serving Los Angeles County.

93%

of survey respondents felt hiring a third party consultant facilitator was either “important” or “essential” to their process

Key Predictors of Success:

  • Time to devote to the process
  • Internal clarity of participating organizations
  • Honest, upfront conversations among participating leaders
  • A process that builds trust
  • Previous experience working together
  • Compatible cultures and values
  • Clear understanding of what to expect from the exploratory process

Implementation Grant

Implementation Grants are available for organizations who have reached an agreement following a sustained collaboration exploratory process. Examples of costs that may be eligible for funding include: severance packages for departing CEO’s and other staff, IT integration, lease breaking, developing new marketing and communication materials, legal fees, consolidating capital assets, accountant fees, and board development. Implementation grants typically range between $20,000 – $50,000. Costs related to the ongoing operation of the organization(s) will not be considered.

Implementation grants do not typically cover the full cost of implementing an agreement.

View a Sample Application

Required Attachments

  • Copy of consultant proposal(s)
  • Completed project budget

To be eligible for NSI funding, the lead applicant organization must be based in and/or primarily serving Los Angeles County.

  • Overview

  • Grantee Partners

  • What to Expect & Funding Eligibility

  • Exploratory Grant

  • Implementation Grant

Overview

Partnerships bring new vitality to an organization. They create opportunities which can help build capacity to sustain your mission and scale your vision. Nonprofit leaders are often tasked with achieving organizational sustainability, but what if we were to relieve them of that burden and instead focus on mission sustainability? This reframing may be the difference between the status quo and innovation. This is the power of partnership, and the power of navigating moments of great organizational change from a position of strength and strategic vision.

The NSI helps nonprofits based in Los Angeles County explore and implement formal partnerships leading to greater organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Sustained collaboration agreements permanently restructure the way participating organizations do their work, ranging from jointly managed programs and back-office consolidations, to shared ventures or full-scale mergers. The goal of the NSI is to normalize sustained collaboration by establishing an environment where service providers, funders and consultants understand and regularly engage in the activity as a strategy for enhancing impact.

What are Grantee Partners telling us about the desired impact of their collaborations?

What types of organizations have received collaboration funding?

Grantee Partners

Your journey is important. The organizations below are powerful stories that represent the NSI process and each have a unique story to tell. We hope that their success, struggles and goals will inspire you to think about your own collaboration strategy and set realistic expectations on how the process may unfold.

Playlist

3 Videos

NSI Case Study: STEM Prep (merger)

3:15

NSI Case Study: Hillsides / Bienvenidos Children's Center (parent/subsidiary affiliation)

3:29

NSI Case Study: Arts for Healing and Justice Network (joint venture agreement)

2:56
  • How Art Nonprofits Came Together to Create Systemic Change (Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network)

  • A Founder’s Homegrown Tutoring Nonprofit Thrives After Merge (Asian Youth Center, Project NEO)

  • At-Risk Youth Service Nonprofits Join Forces to Strengthen Their Programming (Bienvenidos Children’s Center, Hillsides)

  • Eastside Boys & Girls Clubs Merge to Rebrand (Boys & Girls Clubs of the West San Gabriel Valley, East Valley Boys & Girls Club)

  • California Grantmakers Join Forces Through a New Initiative (Northern California Grantmakers, San Diego Grantmakers, Southern California Grantmakers)
  • Four Health Centers Unite to Take on Changes in Healthcare (Eisner Pediatric & Family Medical Center, Saban Community Clinic, Venice Family Clinic, South Bay Family Health Care)

  • How Two Nonprofits Merged to Offer Holistic Arts Education (InsideOut Community Arts, PS Arts)

  • Two Charter Schools Merge to Improve STEM-Education in South Los Angeles (Math and Science College Prep, Crown Prep Academy)

  • Small Arts Service Nonprofit Benefits From a National Nonprofit (The Dance Resource Center, Pentacle)
  • Early NSI Case Studies

Curious who has received NSI funding in the past to explore and/or implement collaborative agreements?

Here’s a list of some of NSI’s 300+ past grantee partners

Sample Roster

Sample Roster of Collaboration Nonprofit Grantees

  • Pacific Clinics
  • Child & Family Center
  • Arts for LA
  • PEN America
  • The Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor
  • Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation
  • Salastina
  • Dance Resource Center, Los Angeles
  • Breathe California of the Bay Area, Golden Gate, and Central Coast
  • Create CA
  • Stars: Illuminate, Educate, Advocate
  • Child Development Institute
  • Community Build, Inc.
  • Think Together
  • AbilityFirst
  • New Horizons: Serving Individuals with Special Needs
  • STEM Prep Schools
  • YWCA Greater Los Angeles
  • LA Promise Fund
  • The Guidance Center
  • Public Media Group of Southern California
  • RaiseAChild
  • LeadingAge California
  • THE H.E.through the ARTS INC.
  • The Center in Hollywood
  • Allies for Every Child
  • Raise A Child Inc.
  • Two Bit Circus Foundation
  • NAMI San Fernando Valley
  • The People Concern
  • UCLA TIES for Families
“Coming together in a subsidiary structure and changing our name to YWCA Glendale and Pasadena has been an incredibly positive experience - we were able to expand our programming for girls with new staff and expertise and extend our programmatic reach to survivors in Pasadena. We just completed our first Pasadena based fundraiser as YWCA Glendale and Pasadena, which reached its highest fundraising outcome in its 19 years.”
Tara PetersonCEO, YWCA Glendale & Pasadena
Tara Peterson
“Our collaboration has provided a valuable opportunity to expand services to a geographic area and a population that has been underserved and overlooked. It has allowed us to raise awareness and support from the community around foster care. The collaboration of African American faith-based organizations in So. Los Angeles of different denominations around foster care and adoption is unique, especially partnering to provide direct services to the community. We are happy to be a model of the power of the faith based community's power when collaborating.”
Nancy Harris Executive Director, 3FN Faith Foster Families Network
 Nancy Harris
"NSI gave the Arts for Healing and Justice Network (AHJN) the opportunity to explore the interest, value add, and feasibility of a collaborative model. Through the process, we discovered we could accomplish more together than alone. Since NSI's support, AHJN has grown from six founding members to 15 and growing, year-round arts programming serving approximately 1,500 youth per year, and serving as an efficient passthru for county dollars including multiple county contracts serving youth in detention and in-community settings. Beyond programming, we are able to leverage our members for systems-change work, creating more visibility for healing-informed arts practices, and establishing the collective as leaders in the arts and justice sector."
Elida Ledesma, MPHExecutive Director, Arts for Healing and Justice Network
Elida Ledesma, MPH
Previous
Next

Collaboration Roadmap

Links to tools and resources to help guide you through your process.

Starting the Conversation

31/05/2023
  • Governing a Collaborative Organization
  • A Roadmap for Effective Collaboration
  • Exploring Greater Impact Through Strategic Partnerships
  • Merger & Alliance Toolkit

Readiness & Assessment

31/05/2023
  • La Piana Group SRAT
  • Ford Foundation OMT
  • Self Assessment Considerations
  • Partnership Assessment for Health Nonprofits
  • Nonprofit Lifecycles Self-Assessment
  • Questions for Potential Partners
  • Diligence Checklist

Understanding Your Options

31/05/2023
  • Administrative Consolidations and Management Service Organizations
  • The Partnership Matrix
  • Mergers that Make a Difference: Case Study Blog Series

Identifying a Consultant

31/05/2023
  • NSI Consultant Roster
  • National Sustained Collaboration Network Consultant Roster

Board Resolution

31/05/2023
  • Sample Board Resolution – Exploration
  • Sample Board Resolution – Implementation

Requesting Funding

31/05/2023
  • Exploratory Grant
  • Implementation Grant

Exploratory Grant

The NSI exploratory grant is designed for organizations ready to move into structured discussions aimed at developing a strategic partnership. Organizations and leadership that receive NSI funds are not committing to a specific outcome, but rather to enter into good faith negotiations. The goal is to ensure that organizations have every opportunity to thoroughly explore all issues associated with a strategic partnership and to reach an informed decision that best serves their mission and how they service the community.

For grant administrative purposes, potential partners will submit a joint application. One organization will be identified as the lead applicant and the other organization(s) as the partner(s). The lead applicant organization receives a grant for the partners to collectively hire a consultant of their choice, who supports the exploration, due diligence, and negotiation of issues associated with the form of partnership being pursued.

The lead applicant organization must include a copy of a proposed consulting contract from consultant(s) identified by the participating organizations. Your selected consultant must have previous experience in facilitating strategic restructuring negotiations. You are not required to use a consultant from the NSI consultant roster (hyperlinked to consultants page), but it is intended to serve as a resource for those seeking an experienced facilitator. The contract should include:

  1. Proposed scope of work.
  2. Project work plan/timeline.
  3. Project budget/payment schedule.

Each of the applicant partners must also submit a board resolution signed by the board secretary or chair indicating that the board has agreed to enter into good faith negotiations of a strategic partnership. A sample resolution is provided with this application. Exploratory Grants typically range between $20,000 – $40,00. The funds are designated towards the cost of engaging third-party consultants to support a thoughtful exploratory process.

View a Sample Application

Required Attachments

  • Copy of a signed board resolution by the board secretary or board chair from each of the participating organizations
  • Copy of consultant proposal(s)
  • Completed project budget

To be eligible for NSI funding, the lead applicant organization must be based in and/or primarily serving Los Angeles County.

93%

of survey respondents felt hiring a third party consultant facilitator was either “important” or “essential” to their process

Key Predictors of Success:

  • Time to devote to the process
  • Internal clarity of participating organizations
  • Honest, upfront conversations among participating leaders
  • A process that builds trust
  • Previous experience working together
  • Compatible cultures and values
  • Clear understanding of what to expect from the exploratory process

Implementation Grant

Implementation Grants are available for organizations who have reached an agreement following a sustained collaboration exploratory process. Examples of costs that may be eligible for funding include: severance packages for departing CEO’s and other staff, IT integration, lease breaking, developing new marketing and communication materials, legal fees, consolidating capital assets, accountant fees, and board development. Implementation grants typically range between $20,000 – $50,000. Costs related to the ongoing operation of the organization(s) will not be considered.

Implementation grants do not typically cover the full cost of implementing an agreement.

View a Sample Application

Required Attachments

  • Copy of consultant proposal(s)
  • Completed project budget

To be eligible for NSI funding, the lead applicant organization must be based in and/or primarily serving Los Angeles County.

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The Sustained Collaboration Fund is open for applications all year round. Organizations may submit applications for an Exploratory Grant or Implementation Grant through the California Community Foundation NonprofitConnect portal.

The Executive Transition Fund does not currently have an open application.

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