Best Practices for Successful Community Collaborations: A Simulated Partner Experience

1. #AIRS2013 Best Practices for Successful Community Collaborations: A Simulated Partner Experience Katherine Delgado, CIRS, CRS

2. Objectives • Review similarities and differences between non-profits and private sector • Review meaning of partnerships and collaborations • Advantages of non-profits as community partners • The right “climate” for partnerships and collaborations • Overview of best practice resources for developing and sustaining partnerships and collaborations and an example of I&R partnership • Partner simulation to identify resources and partners within the community

3. How nonprofits are similar tothe private sector • We have products and services • We have investors • We have clients • We need to keep them both happy • We need to produce revenue to stay in business

4. How nonprofits are dissimilar tothe private sector • Our clients are often dependent on our products/services • Our products and services are usually paid for by a third party, not the client • We compete for investors, not customers • Our investors demand are a lot more from us than ROI; we also have to be good stewards of invested dollars • Revenues often do not cover costs, let alone produce a profit

5. How Non-Profits Compare in a Bad Economy

6. Well managed Nonprofits are: • cost-effectiveand • organizationally nimble enough to be • responsive to changing community needs.

7. Partnerships and Collaborations

8. Nonprofits as Partners Nonprofits as partners can often offer major advantages: • Greater responsiveness to community need • More personalized and higher quality services, better outcomes for clients • Possibility of integrating web-based tools • Creative higher level placements • Organizing around bigger goals • Community capacity building

9. Nonprofits are Highly Cost-Effective Investments

10. Organizationally Nimble Non-profits can adapt and adopt proven programs and keep meeting needs while decreasing overhead and administration • The Health Assist Story • FEC Centers

11. Responsive to Changing Needs/Demands Where is FCS going: • Crisis and Information Services • Health Navigation and the ACA • Community Based Programs • Focus looking out and looking deep to have immediate and long term goals – our funders demand it, our clients deserve it

12. Is the Organizational “Climate” Ready? • Macroclimate vs. Microclimate • Is collaboration and partnership creation encouraged? • Does the organization have enough people in place to manage roles? • What is the current level of integration in the community? • Is the goal to create a contact or enter a partnership or collaboration? • What other capacity building initiatives have you developed? • Have you begun to utilize web-based tools in ways that benefit other partners? • Have you tapped into assessments and other rubrics?

13. Types of Partnerships/Collaborations • Collaboration: greater autonomy, no permanent organizational commitment • Partnership: sharing information, coordinating efforts • Strategic Alliance:decision-making power is shared or transferred • Joint programming: management of a program of mutual interest to participating organizations’ missions • Integration: involves changes to structure and control Education and Training Capacity Building Research & Analysis • Can be precursor used to narrow focus

14. Overview of Best Practices • General Partnership Links (NSLC Links Collection) • http://servicelearning.org/resources/links_collection/index.php?li nk_set_id=1&category_id=235 • Civic Practices Network. The community section of this web site provides information on community building through "community organizing, social capital, and urban democracy." http://www.cpn.org/sections/topics/community/index.html. • The Engaged Community: Maximizing Community Impact (NSLC Fact Sheet) • Best Practices Community Partnerships, Corella& Bertram Bonner. Foundation http://www.slideshare.net/BonnerFoundation/best-practices-community-partnerships-1301755

15. Overview of Best Practices • The Ten Principles of Partnership: The Foundation for the Community-Campus Partnership • National Service Knowledge Network • “Creating, running, and sustaining campus-community service-learning partnerships” • Partnerships for Higher Education Service-Learning. (NSLC Fact Sheet) • http://servicelearning.org/lib_svcs/bibs/cb_bibs/school_cmty/index.php • The Wisdom of Community-Campus Partnerships (NSLC PowerPoint) • http://servicelearning.org/resources/online_documents/partnerships/cmt y_campus/ • Tools and Methods for Evaluating Service-Learning in Higher Education (NSLC Fact Sheet) • Community Partner: Service-Learning Toolkit (2008), Jenna Knapp (PDF)

16. Overview of Best Practices • Faculty Toolkit for Service-Learning in Higher Education (2007), Sarena D. Seiferand Kara Conners(PDF) • Strategies for Creating an Engaged Campus: An Advanced Service-Learning Toolkit for Academic Leaders (2001), Barbara Holland, Elizabeth Hollander, and Cathy Burack (PDF) • Looking In, Reaching Out: A Reflective Guide for Community Service-Learning Professionals (2010), Barbara Jacoby and Pamela Mutascio • Service-Learning Research Primer (2010), Kathryn S. Steinberg, Robert G. Bringle, and Matthew J. Williams (PDF)

18. I&R Partnership Example • Service-Learning Partnership with Volunteer State Community College • Students update I&R resources • Published on compaq.org • http://www.compact.org/program-models/the-volunteer-state-community/22380/ • Received 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll Award – the highest federal educational recognition for service-learning and volunteerism

19. I&R Partnership Example • Twenty Factors that Influence Successful Collaborations • Mattessich, Paul W. et al. Collaboration: What Makes it Work (Second Edition), St. Paul, Minnesota: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 2001. • Includes factors Related to: • Environment • Membership Characteristics • Process and Structure • Communication • Purpose • Resources

20. Table 1. Evidence of Twenty Influential Factors Supporting the Successful Collaboration between Volunteer State Community College and TN 2-1-1 Service-Learning Project. Augustino-Wilkeand Delgado, 2013

21. Table 1. Evidence of Twenty Influential Factors Supporting the Successful Collaboration between Volunteer State Community College and TN 2-1-1 Service-Learning Project. Augustino-Wilkeand Delgado, 2013

22. Table 1. Evidence of Twenty Influential Factors Supporting the Successful Collaboration between Volunteer State Community College and TN 2-1-1 Service-Learning Project. Augustino-Wilkeand Delgado, 2013

23. Table 1. Evidence of Twenty Influential Factors Supporting the Successful Collaboration between Volunteer State Community College and TN 2-1-1 Service-Learning Project. Augustino-Wilkeand Delgado, 2013

24. Table 1. Evidence of Twenty Influential Factors Supporting the Successful Collaboration between Volunteer State Community College and TN 2-1-1 Service-Learning Project. Augustino-Wilkeand Delgado, 2013

25. Table 1. Evidence of Twenty Influential Factors Supporting the Successful Collaboration between Volunteer State Community College and TN 2-1-1 Service-Learning Project. Augustino-Wilkeand Delgado, 2013

26. Partner Simulation: Does the organization need a partner? How does the organization find a partner? Then what?

27. Partnership Simulation Step 1: Determine whether your organization has unmet/underfunded needs and whether forming a partnership/collaboration to meet those needs would enhance organizational effectiveness

28. Partnership Simulation • Step 2: • Identify and research potential partners • Research local agencies or schools; look for a good fit • Empower employees to look for partnership opportunities

29. Partnership Simulation Step 3: Understand your core values and those of your potential partner

30. Partnership Simulation • Determine whether your organization has unmet/underfunded needs and whether forming a partnership/collaboration to meet those needs would enhance organizational effectiveness • Identify and research potential partners. • Research local agencies or schools; look for a good fit • Empower employees to look for partnership opportunities • Understand your core values and those of your potential partner • Draft a partnership proposal • Submit your proposal to potential partner • Coordinate a follow-up meeting or call

31. Partnership Scenario • How might you improve the effectiveness of your organization based on this scenario?

32. Reflection & Questions

33. #AIRS2013 Thank You! Katherine Delgado, CIRS, CRS 2-1-1 Call Center Supervisor Family & Children's Service 615.320.0591 ext 129 katherine.delgado@fcsnashville.org www.211tn.org