In a recent article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, collaboration was on the agenda again. This time, for a new and important reason.

After having conversations with diverse non-profits, the leading foundation consultancy give.org found something out.

The conversations yielded some interesting insights—most notably that nonprofits, large and small, are facing increased pressure to deliver on their missions in creative ways. This pressure is coming not only from government cutbacks and mounting needs, but also from technology—which participants said is pushing many nonprofits to adapt their fundraising tactics, refine their communications and marketing strategies, and confront increasing cybersecurity challenges.

 

Taken together, these forces are prompting many organizations to consider creative approaches to their work, often through collaboration with other groups. Yet their approaches to collaboration often differ from what we usually think about when we discuss nonprofit partnerships. Interestingly, many of the most successful collaborations have been between groups working on very different missions, or between nonprofits and groups outside the nonprofit field.

It’s time for the Vincentian Family to have these kinds of conversations. Read more here.