Leveraging The Power Of Community Partnership: Strategies For Shared Success 

Created By: Amanda Nelson
September 25, 2024

Last week, several of my Orr Group colleagues and I had the privilege of convening prominent nonprofit leaders throughout the Chicago area to exchange experiences, insights, and solutions to enhance post-secondary success in the region. The event gathered executives across diverse sectors with the shared vision of uplifting educational opportunities and driving positive impact in the communities that need it most.  

Across higher education institutions, youth- and family-serving nonprofits, arts and culture, medicine, and human services organizations, these leaders all expressed common challenges and opportunities for achieving sustainable success at scale. Below are several key themes that came out of the discussion.

Attending organizations included A Better Chicago, After School Matters, Braven, Chicago Architecture Center, Hope Chicago, Illinois Tech, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, LEAP Innovations, Northern Illinois University, Prevent Child Abuse America, Shedd Aquarium, The Chicago Public Education Fund, and University of Illinois Chicago.

1. Partnership among organizations is key to systemic change. 

The tone of the evening was set by our co-hosts and Orr Group’s partners, Raj Echambadi, President of Illinois Tech, and Janice Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of Hope Chicago. The pair shared the remarkable story of their organizations’ partnership together and its positive impact on the community to date. Hope Chicago, an organization that funds post-secondary scholarships and non-tuition costs for Chicago Public School graduates, has historically worked with public higher-ed institutions. Having heard about the critical work Hope Chicago was doing right in their backyard, Raj and the team at Illinois Tech endeavored to forge a partnership for its students. Illinois Tech was the first private institution to partner with Hope Chicago, and currently, the university has 24 Hope Scholars enrolled.  

This singular anecdote was a compelling representation of the power of cross-organization partnership towards shared goals. Attendees around the room expressed a similar goal of shifting focus back to those in need and collaborating within their community to achieve greater impact than they could with their resources alone. The sentiments shared spoke to the trend we’re continuing to see in the larger philanthropic sector, in which likeminded organizations are increasingly leaning into ‘community-centric fundraising’ by working together to strategically invest in the communities they serve. 

2. Donors and board members want to incentivize collaboration. 

Also in the room were board members who are significant funders of and advocates for education in the Chicago area. Their enthusiasm for engaging meaningfully with these organizations as thought partners and advisors underscored another trend we’re seeing in the sector: the increasing role that donors and board leadership are playing in key decision-making processes and organizational direction. Attending organizations recognized this passion within their own boards and among their donor bases, understanding that these investors are inspired and incentivized to give when they are brought into the conversation. Harkening back to the first theme we identified, donors are also interested in supporting those organizations that work collaboratively with one another to stand up initiatives and amplify success in furtherance of their joint missions. 

3. Innovation is the only way forward. 

Woven into each of our talking points throughout the evening was the crucial component of innovation when it comes to fundraising today. Whether that be leveraging the transformative potential of planned giving, embarking on billion-dollar fundraising efforts, or joining forces to achieve new heights of impact, fundraising as we know it is changing, and we must adapt with it. 

This gathering, which is the third of its kind that we’ve held in Chicago, was a powerful reminder of the impact of knowledge-sharing and collaboration. Bringing together a diverse group of leaders with different perspectives helped us remember that we’re all facing the same challenges, and that generating solutions is easier when we work together.

Orr Group specializes in developing fundraising strategies that are as unique and innovative as they are actionable and achievable. Get in touch to learn how we can help you develop the right strategy for your organization.

Amanda Nelson is a Managing Director at Orr Group. With 20 years of professional fundraising experience, Amanda brings extensive expertise working with large, complex organizations and developing innovative and scalable fundraising solutions.