Duplication of Services or Too Many Nonprofits?

We often talk about the need to eliminate the duplication of services that we see in our communities. And so focus is directed toward encouraging the organizations to come together in various ways. The problem is, each nonprofit thinks they are a “forever organization” and they don’t want to lose identity.

Think about various ways you can encourage your nonprofits without being seen as the “heavy handed funder pulling their strings.” There is a progression of relationships that might help you achieve a goal over time and with patience build a stronger nonprofit sector in your community.

* Collaboration – bring them together to talk and share practices and ideas. In many cases this leads to a natural sharing of costs, services and recognition that there may in fact be some duplication.

* Alliance – this step moves on from a collaboration and involves some commitment to continue to work together. It often involves some shared decision-making and it is generally confirmed with a written agreement.

* Integration – a final step that involves changes to a corporate structure and operations. This often includes creation of dissolution of one or more of the organizations.

By starting the process in a friendly and information-gathering atmosphere you invite participation and joint solutions. In some instances it will go no further than a friendly discussion. In others it may result in integration and mergers as well as operational efficiency and hopefully effectiveness.

I’ve always said you can get anything done you want as long as you keep providing coffee and donuts and get people talking to each other.

Helen Monroe