Collaboration can be a powerful force for change.
In the social sector, no single organization has all the ideas, skills and resources to tackle the big, complex challenges we face. This is particularly true given how quickly change happens today. All by ourselves, none of us can learn or adapt fast enough. But together, in collaboration, when two or more organizations work jointly toward shared goals, we can build trust and social capital that benefits our collective and individual work over the long haul. And we can learn to navigate conflict productively so that we don’t undermine each other’s work even when we disagree.
We have to work together if we’re going to effectively address Oregon’s issues.
That’s why collaboration is one of Meyer’s core values and why we support collaboration in our grantmaking. Last November, we announced a number of collaborative grants. This year, we will again accept collaborative proposals, and we’ve put together some new information on what we mean by “collaborative grants” so you’ll know if the application you are planning fits into this category. Check out the cardstack above for examples of grants awarded in 2016 to support collaborative work.
Once again, an organization may submit one request to support its own organizational priority and also submit a second request to support a collaborative. We know it’s equally important to keep your own house healthy, which is why we continue to support the needs and priorities of organizations that line up with our portfolio goals and outcomes. In addition, we will fund collaboratives that have a clear purpose and an inclusive and equitable approach to sharing responsibilities and resources to advance their goals. You’ll find a few extra questions about these details in the inquiry application if you decide to apply for a collaborative grant.
Strong collaborative requests demonstrate clear alignment with a portfolio goal and one or two outcomes. We look for policy and systems change and/or movement building strategy that is grounded in the perspective of the communities and constituencies they represent and seek to empower. Like all other requests, we will assess collaborative requests based on our values and equity lens.
Although the cap for project grants is $175,000, we recognize that the costs of collaborative projects may run higher because they involve multiple organizations. Meyer will consider requests of up to $250,000 for up to three years to support collaborative projects. In most cases, the largest grants we will make to support a collaborative will be where multiple organizations receive portions of a Meyer grant. We can only fund a few large grants each year, so we recommend that you talk with portfolio staff about whether your collaborative project is a good fit for a large request and to receive guidance on the amount to request before submitting.
What’s not a collaborative request?
There are numerous ways that organizations work together that fall outside what qualifies as a “collaborative grant” through this annual funding opportunity. One example: when you are applying for funding to support only your organization’s work in a collaborative effort. We view this as your organization’s priority for a Meyer grant request. Another example is when your organization hires another nonprofit as a subcontractor to carry out a particular scope of work, such as hiring a nonprofit that provides technical assistance services or hiring a nonprofit to do outreach for your organization’s project. Our collaborative grants support a cooperative arrangement among organizations working jointly under a governance structure they jointly created to serve a common vision.
What if your collaborative is just forming?
For a collaborative grant, we expect you and your partners to work out many of the details about how your collaborative partnership works before you apply; things such as how decisions are made, how resources are shared, and what the role and responsibilities of differents partners are. We understand that the process of figuring out these things often takes a lot of conversation, time and energy. So we also support planning grants of between $10,000 and $35,000 for emerging collaboratives. Emerging collaboratives can use these resources for things such as hiring a consultant to facilitate partner discussions and helping develop shared goals and working agreements. They can also help fund some staff time to engage in this work.
Collaboration is an important driver of effective community change, particularly at a scale large enough to improve social and environmental conditions. That helps us deliver on our mission of a flourishing and equitable Oregon. And that’s why we are committed to supporting your efforts to work together, as well as the work organizations do on their own.
Please contact us at grants [at] mmt.org (grants[at]mmt[dot]org) or 503-228-5512 if you have any questions about collaborative grants and the current application process.
— Jill