Sustained Collaboration Fund
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?
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.
- 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
Collaboration Roadmap
Links to tools and resources to help guide you through your process.
Understanding Your Options
Identifying a Consultant
Board Resolution
Requesting Funding
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:
- Proposed scope of work.
- Project work plan/timeline.
- 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.
To be eligible for NSI funding, the lead applicant organization must be based in and/or primarily serving Los Angeles County.
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?
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.
- 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
Collaboration Roadmap
Links to tools and resources to help guide you through your process.
Understanding Your Options
Identifying a Consultant
Board Resolution
Requesting Funding
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:
- Proposed scope of work.
- Project work plan/timeline.
- 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.
To be eligible for NSI funding, the lead applicant organization must be based in and/or primarily serving Los Angeles County.