Non-profit Collaboration: Wall-less Organizations – A Case Study cont'd

Part Three: Administrative Alliance/Back Office

The Housing Network already does most of the administration for Housing Action Coalition. These two groups and the Community Housing Land Trusts group are in the process of having a strategic restructuring discussion to further deepen organizational efficiencies to “meet the collective missions of the groups – efficiently and sustainably.”

This may end with at least one group being fiscally sponsored by another, and this case study will be updated as any of these groups evolve their already impressive strategic alliances with each other. TSNE’s Organizational Transitions Program is helping these groups explore their next level of alliance.

Lessons Learned

For collaboration to succeed among non-profit organizations:

Relationships and trust are key. If you do not have them, it is critically important to take the time to build before entering into shared staff or co-location agreements.

While each of these groups has distinct missions within the affordable housing world, they all saw the value in the one issue of supportive housing. Having a shared value(s) and vision, even if it is only around one strategy, is enough for groups to find common ground and to begin to work together.

But it must be shared, and groups must be engaged as equals, for collaboration at the level of shared work to succeed.

Vision and strategies can lead to funding – and funding partners are critical. The United Way Rhode Island, Rhode Island Housing and the Rhode Island Foundation all supported various parts of the collaborative strategy. They accepted joint applications for the supportive housing initiative while also funding the groups for their individual work. It is key that the strategies make sense and lead to community benefits or impact.

The 4 groups pictured their path to collaboration this way:

Image: Logic model for the Wall-less organizations case study

Even with trust and shared values, being aware of what your organizational culture is and articulating it clearly to co-work or co-location partners will help limit inevitable issues around style and values. Knowledge is power in this case. Go into these arrangements knowing there will be some kinks to iron out, usually around communication – similar to the first year of marriage – and remember that it is part of the work, not personal.

While the supportive housing initiative was initially championed by RICH and CSH, subsequently no one had to be the leader or in control. These are all highly capable people in their mid- to late career, who are able to share the best of themselves and their organizations. they are able to lead together and follow a colleague with more expertise when necessary.

This enabled them to honestly and quickly assess which group should take the lead on what aspects of either the programmatic or administrative work they share.

Facilitative and adaptive leadership skills are necessary for the future of nonprofits. The organizations are also fortunate to have a great group of younger staff who see this kind of shared work and distributed leadership as normal. So the shift for making this work has to happen with baby boomer staff who are more used to hierarchy and rigidity of role and responsibility.

Steward Resources on Behalf of the Community

None of these nonprofits has a budget over a million. In fact, they are mostly $500,000 or under. Yes, each could use more staff, and their current staff is stretched thin. However, by coming together in the ways that they have, they are doing substantive work in one of the states hardest hit by the recession – with one of the country’s worst affordable housing situations. They are efficient, lean and have focused resources as they should be: on getting meaningful results and benefits for their constituents.

Next Steps

Case Studies on Collaboration

To learn more about opportunities for collaboration, visit TSNE's Organizational Transitions Program and the Capacity Building Fund.

After just a few months into co-housing, the organizations are seeing the potential to brand their location as 1070 Main Street – Where Housing Happens. They are also learning that they need to spend time building relationships among all the staff of all the organizations. As a result, they are taking the time to regularly have staff working in the various programs to come together – usually over food – to forge relationships.

At a recent restructuring meeting, a staff member of one of the groups said “so much of this is happening organically just because we are co-located.” True, but this smart set of nonprofits has also been very intentional about creating efficiencies and shared strategies to more effectively serve their missions.

A recent example of the success of this wall-less organization model has been the efforts of the 4 groups in a major campaign to save the state’s most critical homeless prevention and affordable housing production program, NOP (Neighborhood Opportunities Program). In the current legislative session, the governor eliminated NOP from the budget, and the groups are working seamlessly and tirelessly to restore funding to this critical program.

TSNE has staff who are experts in co-location and shared services. Please contact our consulting department for more information.

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