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As you confront the complexities of mission-driven community work, you’ll inevitably bump into other groups chipping away at some aspect of the issue you’re concerned about. For example, if you’re working to promote children’s academic success, you’re bound to interact with groups dealing with poverty, homelessness, mental health, and a range of other issues affecting families.
“Social concerns overlap and intersect,” said Barbara Floersch, grants expert and author of the new book You Have a Hammer: Building Grant Proposals for Social Change. “Each nonprofit’s mission is unique, and it takes the combined force of all of those missions to move the needle on complex, entrenched problems.”
Making broad community-change requires the work numerous individuals and organizations and generally involves coordinated programming as well as policy reform. “Getting everyone pulling together is complicated,” said Floersch. “It takes dedicated time and resources, and that’s where grants come in.”
Grants often support community-change efforts and while funds may be shared, the organization applying for the grant holds bottom-line responsibility. The coordinating or “backbone” role of the applicant is demanding, so before volunteering to take the lead Floersch suggests reviewing the list of sample backbone activities provided by the Collective Impact Forum.
Here’s a quick overview of lead agency responsibilities:
Broad, long-term change takes the time, passion, and perseverance of diverse people and groups. A strong backbone organization makes all the difference. “Before jumping in, educate yourself about the demands of the leadership role,” said Floersch. “It’s a big commitment and it is hard work, but the collective effort can produce results that no one organization can accomplish alone.”
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