Collaborative Learning: Lessons from our Capacity Building Fund

In these days of economic turbulence, the pressure is on to collaborate, form strategic alliances and even merge. Sadly, nonprofits either are not afforded the time to evaluate all options possible or to explore in an unhurried and deliberate way the pros and cons of a potential partnership. Indeed, finding time to do some deep thinking, reflection and learning is nearly impossible when working in or running a nonprofit: How can we do what we do better? What are others doing in my field that we could learn from? How can we do what we do more efficiently? How do we build capacity in our community to advance social change?

TSNE’s Capacity Building Fund (CBF) was established to help non-profit organizations create and nurture space for collective learning. The learning not only bolsters the individual and collective capacity of organizations to do what they do better, but it also advances knowledge in their fields, as learning partners experiment with new and improved ways of delivering and integrating programs and services.

CBF Planning Grant grantee Youth In Action

While the CBF funding prioritizes nonprofits working to advance social change and expects that the learning will yield results that benefit not only the organizations participating in the network but also the community at large, it does not define the learning agenda or the composition of the network.

We also do not expect potential grantees to submit clearly conceived and fully developed proposals. We understand and appreciate the need to support a kind of research and development function that, due to lack of resources in the non-profit sector, too often is relegated to the back burner if not ignored altogether. In that sense, our CBF provides strategic financial support to nurture exploration, experimentation and learning.

What We Have Learned So Far

Since 2004, CBF has funded 25 learning networks. The variety of the learning agendas has been quite impressive and exciting. We have funded several learning networks interested in addressing structural and systemic racism in their communities or organizations. Another learning network experimented with ways to revitalize democracy in rural Massachusetts. Two others brought together several organizations working in the field of adult learners.

One learning network integrated the service delivery systems of the adult education and workforce development fields in Holyoke, Mass. Another network sought to develop more engaging curricula, based on popular education methods and philosophy, to boost the retention rates of their adult learners and increase their participation beyond the classroom to include civic life.

Still, other networks have had more practical and tangible learning agendas, coming together to figure out mechanisms to share fundraising, volunteer coordination and marketing costs.

TSNE recently completed an evaluation and there was much we learned about these learning networks. Here, we share with you some of the highlights. We think you will find these lessons applicable whether you are considering a collaboration, are part of a coalition or network, or are thinking of organizing one.

Provide Ample Time for Planning and Implementation

A network, like any other group of organizations that comes together in common purpose to accomplish what they cannot accomplish on their own, needs time and care for it to function optimally. Leadership from participating organizations needs to be on board and fully support the work of the network going forward.

CBF Planning Grant grantee Centro Presente at an immigrant rights' rally

Network members must develop trust in each other. This is particularly important because, often, the network brings together organizations that may compete for funding, donors and members. Often, there may be power issues within network members that will get in the way for true learning if they are not addressed. Building trust and shaping a shared vision and agenda takes time.

In 2004, the CBF re-structured by instituting a two-step process that now includes two distinct phases: a planning and an implementation stage. This change has greatly helped learning networks institutionalize their learning agendas because they have time during the planning phase to clarify their shared vision and goals and to work out any potential glitches that may get in the way of the group from gelling. The planning stage, lasting about six months, sets the stage for successful implementation of their learning agenda, which can last from 18 to 24 months.

Our evaluation showed that the two stage process of our CBF (planning and implementation) greatly facilitates trust-building and ownership among network members. In the words of our CBF grantees: “The planning phase helped our learning network focus on the issues we would be learning about, a process that allowed us to get right to the heart of the issues.”

Another echoed this sentiment, “The initial phase established working relationships and the principles on which the second phase will move forward on.” Finally, a third grantee stated that “The planning phase helped to build ownership among the six groups in our network – and to build trust which was essential for our ability to collaborate successfully over the life of the project.”

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