Sunday, March 16, 2008

March 12th Program Feedback

What are some major trends effecting all of us?

  • State budget
  • Energy costs
  • Multiculturalism/demographics
  • Workforce
  • Health care coverage
  • Border/visa issues
  • Competition for money (not enough)
  • Growing needs (do more with less)
  • Board member profile
  • Volunteer base
  • Cost of visibility
  • Recruiting board
  • Technology needs
  • Multitasking
  • Focus on projects (money is more about projects than mission)
  • Cusp on change
  • Priority to collaborate
  • Still have hope and positive outlook

What are obstacles to collaborations and partnerships?

  • Think we need to compete (going after the same $ and clients)
  • Time commitment
  • Focus on self preservation (not community need)
  • Trust
  • Politics (backroom deals)
  • Ignorance of other organizations (finding the right partner)
  • Lack of networking/personal connections
  • Opposing different organizational philosophies/policies and procedures (different missions and different priorities and funding streams)
  • Geographical distances
  • Identify overriding (catalysts/challenges) that unite complimentary services
  • Knowledge how to make collaboration work
  • Media awareness
  • Rhythm of the year (finding the right time)
  • Transition and habit
  • Self-serving
  • Access to CEO’s
  • Less response from corporate America ($, programs)

What are the resource benefits to partnering?

  • A joint training or shared space
  • Shared training- each agency open in-services to others
  • Eliminate duplication of services
  • Technology shared resources
  • Nonprofit resource center (online/directory)
  • Expertise in serving specific populations (ex- help agency x better serve at risk kids, refugees, mentally ill)
  • Together we accomplish more
  • Save $
  • Combine staff and volunteer efforts
  • Highlight nonprofit contribution to community
  • Group purchase (discounts)
  • Alliance of nonprofits
  • Nonprofit resource center
  • Strength in numbers (improve visibility)
  • Synergies with complimentary programs
  • Specialty bank (human resources)
  • Homegrown resources
  • Shared financial expertise
  • Grant writing
  • Data sharing

What is our biggest benefit to the community?

  • Willingness to work with City to improve/solve problems (impact quality of life)
  • Common good- serving people
  • Economic impact, i.e. workforce, save the economy $$ (we are an economic benefit to the community)
  • Collaboration
  • Help nonprofits strategize efforts, planning and get outside view from each other to help us improve (better SWOTs)
  • Model of cooperation
  • Awareness of who is who
  • Sharing knowledge- best practices
  • Add quality of life
  • Maximize funding and all resources (shared)
  • Proactive voice for the area
  • Together we can serve more people
  • Better meet needs of community
  • Lots of different nonprofits filling niche needs
  • Info sharing= better collaboration and ED’s

What is a big idea for us to do together?

  • Resource pool for one another (directory of services/calendar of events)
  • Leadership development
  • Leadership succession
  • Staff development
  • Promote nonprofits’ benefit to the community (what if we didn’t exist?)
  • Get $$ together
  • Centralized menu of support services
  • 211 system (referrals to meet needs and provide info)
  • Pool of talent for boards
  • Resource to one another at Exec level
  • Annual Day of Nations
  • PR collaboration
  • Center for mediation
  • Volunteer pool- centralized volunteer screening, recruiting, opportunities
  • We have a promising future ahead working together
  • Structured partnerships
  • Build a training center

What are obstacles we all share?

  • Money
  • Lack of political influence
  • Lack of trust (personal agendas)
  • Human resources issues (small or large org- people wearing too many hats)
  • Too many 501c3s (there is disagreement on this)
  • Negative community self image
  • Talk-little action or spinning wheels
  • Fear
  • Loss of identity
  • Competition
  • Changing mission
  • Behind closed doors same faces
  • Complexity of serving people (the people have complex issues)
  • Pay/compensation equity
  • Competition for employees (small employee pool)
  • Hard to find qualified people
  • Changing workforce demographics
  • Knowing how to effectively collaborate
  • Lack of visibility in community
  • Understanding each other
  • Monolithic media (locally- 1 newspaper, 1 tv station)
  • Industry based-employment opps. (need more corporate support and need more volunteers)
  • Aging population is a plus and minus

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