Several weeks ago South Pointe Commons celebrated its grand opening. Margaret Bernstein, a Plain Dealer reporter captured the essence of the event in an article she wrote in the October 8 edition of the paper. If you don’t know, South Point is the newest addition in the Housing First initiative – a supportive housing facility located near Metro Health Hospital. What’s interesting is that the article focused more on the process for opening and operating the facility than the actual purpose of the facility (“New South Pointe Commons housing project shows benefits of nonprofits collaboration” Plain Dealer, October 8, 2009).

South Point Commons is a cooperative venture between three key partners: Cleveland Housing Network, EDEN, Inc. and Mental Health Services. The project is being presented as a model of the non-profit buzz word – Collaboration. Collaboration simply defined is when two or more groups work together to accomplish a common goal or objective. In today’s non-profit world, collaboration is almost synonymous with survival. The article in the Plain Dealer ends with this statement: “John Begala of the Center for Community Solutions said nonprofits that collaborate have the best chance of weathering the economic storm. “To the extent we can collaborate, we help one another,” he said. And, he added those who go it alone risk failure.”

Since its inception, The City Mission has understood the values and benefits of cooperating and collaborating with ministry partners. In fact, we have record of over 300 ministry relationships that we are presently maintaining. Effective collaboration is an endeavor that requires significant commitment and effort from the cooperating agencies.

The Collaboration Learning Project, a Milwaukee based effort, reported on the benefits and obstacles of nonprofit partnerships (“Nonprofit Collaboration & Mergers: Finding the Right Fit”, Collaboration Learning Project, 2004). They discovered the following characteristics of successful partnerships:

1. Committed Leadership – leaders who are committed and actively involved in the process.
2. Unambiguous Goals – clear, realistic goals and objectives for the collaborative effort.
3. Clearly Defined Roles – specific plans for each of the collaborating nonprofits.
4. Commitment at Multiple Levels of the Organization – both management staff and direct service staff must be on board.
5. Dedicated Staff Time – day to day staff time and agency resources will be required.
6. Sustainability in the Midst of Change – many collaborative efforts fail when a key leader leaves – others in the agency must be oriented to the collaboration to ensure continuity.

Those who have faced the challenge and worked through the details of crafting a cooperative arrangement that will both survive and thrive agree that the benefits are worth the effort. If for no other reason than to reduce costs, improve programs and eliminate redundant services, the value of collaboration is more fact than fancy!