applying for the colorado collaboration award
TRANSCRIPT
Applying for the
2013 Colorado Collaboration AwardPresented by Sara Raab, Manager of Special Projects, Colorado Nonprofit Association
In this webinar…
About the Award Overview, goals, additional resources
Can you apply? Eligibility requirements
How to apply What you’ll need for the application
What happens next? Timeline, selection process
Goals:
1.To recognize an outstanding collaboration each year
2.To build awareness about successful collaborative models
3.To highlight and share proven best practices
About the Award
About the Award
Initiated in 2009 by a group of Colorado funders Inspired by The Lodestar Foundation’s national
Collaboration Prize 2011: First Collaboration Award cycle
176 applications Winner: Northwest Colorado Community Health Partnership
2012: 99 applications Eligibility criteria added and clarified Winner: Boulder County IMPACT
History of the Award
About the Award
Steering committee Screening and Review committees Final Selection Panel Education committee
Colorado Nonprofit Association serves as the administrative and fiscal home of the Colorado Collaboration Award
Structure of the Award
Collaboration Resources
www.ColoradoCollaboration.org
About the Award
• Colorado Collaboration Award’s searchable database• Listings are gathered from Collaboration Award
applications (with applicants’ permission)
Find a Collaboration ColoradoCollaboration.org
• Read background information about collaborations, including details on formation, goals, results, planning, and more!
• To be included: apply for the Award. When asked in the application, agree to allow us to share your submission with the public, funders, and other nonprofits.
Find a Colorado Collaboration ColoradoCollaboration.org
A national prize created by The Lodestar Foundation and first awarded in 2009, The Collaboration Prize inspired a group of Colorado funders to create the Colorado Collaboration Award
The Collaboration Prize thecollaborationprize.org
Searchable database of collaborations nationwide, combined with lots of collaboration-related features & resources
The Foundation Center’s Collaboration Database collaboration.foundationcenter.org
Assess your collaboration based on 20 research-tested success factors.The Inventory is a helpful resource, but these factors are not specifically part of the Colorado Collaboration Award’s requirements or criteria.
Wilder Collaboration Factors InventoryAccess the Inventory from the Resources page at ColoradoCollaboration.org
Toolkit developed by the Colorado Collaboration Award
MOU Toolkit ColoradoCollaboration.org
2012 Winner & Finalists
Don’t forget! You can learn more about these and other collaborations using the database at www.ColoradoCollaboration.org
About the Award
Outstanding Collaborations & Successful Applications
2012 winner: Boulder County IMPACTBoulder County IMPACT works to reduce detention, commitment, placement and hospitalization of juveniles ages 10-17.
Highlights: The infrastructure team has 1 full time staff person who ensures that all partner
agencies are receiving the same information and training. There is a youth advisory board that plays a key role in the development and
improvement of all IMPACT programs. The partnership is committed to an ethical communication model where conflict is
resolved directly between the involved parties. If conflict cannot be resolved in this way then the next level supervisor can be involved.
IMPACT is committed to rigorous evaluation of program effectiveness….All programs submit annual operational plans, complete quarterly reports and enter data into a common database.
Results: Boulder IMPACT has maintained the lowest number of committed youth per capita in the state and has saved the State of Colorado an estimated $30 million dollars over the 12 years of the contract. The commitment rate (per 10,000 youth) for Boulder County in 2010-2011 was 6.3, compared to a 19.1 statewide rate.
Outstanding Collaborations & Successful Applications
2012 finalist: Colorado Conservation PartnershipCCP envisions a Colorado in which our finest farming and ranching lands, unique wildlife habitats, world-renown recreational landscapes, scenic vistas and open spaces are permanently protected for current and future generations.
Highlights: Each partner financially supports the collaboration equally. To measure results, the collaborative produces an annual report. The five independent nonprofit partners agreed to share resources to create a joint
marketing and development plan. In response to the economic decline of 2008, each organization agreed to commit to the
CCP work, even if it meant postponing or eliminating another initiative. Through research, CCP established 25 Priority Areas which have the highest
conservation values, and are also the most threatened. The creation of the Priority Areas allows the partners to focus their work and help direct donor support....The Priority Areas designations are being used to a great extent by Great Outdoors Colorado and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, two critical state funding sources. If CCP had not undertaken this work, these agencies would have been compelled to create their own priority areas. In view of the state’s budget challenges, it is unclear if that work would have been authorized.
Outstanding Collaborations & Successful Applications
2012 finalist: Higher Education Access AllianceHEAA’s goal is to ensure that all of Colorado’s high school graduates have access to affordable tuition rates, including our undocumented students.
Highlights: On its Steering Committee alone, HEAA houses a teacher's union, three unified Catholic
dioceses, a human rights organization, an immigrant rights group, a foundation that provides scholarships for undocumented students, and a community organizing group.
The most important component of HEAA's work is the involvement of the students themselves through the Student Engagement Committee (SEC) - an organized, student-led statewide network - that has become the cornerstone of the HEAA initiative.
Conflict Resolution: HEAA has been offered the opportunity to have a bill passed, but in exchange for an agreement not to oppose other legislation that could potentially harm the interests of a Steering Committee member. Steering Committee members have had to come together to clearly define the core principles of each member. Through thoughtful and deliberate efforts by all members, the lines of communication have remained open and the Steering Committee remains strong and intact.
About the Award
Questions?
Can you apply?
Eligibility FAQ #1: Q. We don’t meet all the requirements. Can we
still apply?
A. No; it is necessary to meet all the eligibility requirements. Applications are screened for eligibility, and only applications that pass the screening stage are advanced for reading and review.
Can you apply?
Basic Requirements1.Be based in and serving Colorado.
2.Involve two or more entities (i.e. nonprofit organizations, businesses, and/or government agencies).
3.Include a lead organization (for the purposes of this application) that is a 501(c)(3).
Can you apply?
4. Have begun operations during or before September 2011.
Why?The Colorado Collaboration Award places a strong emphasis on
evaluation and results. A newer collaboration won’t be able to demonstrate the level of sustained impact the Award looks for.
Can you apply?
5. Have a collaborative structure, including:• Shared leadership and decision-making among partners
(i.e., not a contractor/contractee, fiscal agent, or parent/chapter relationship).
• Shared goals and planning among partners.• Shared contribution of resources from partners.
Can you apply?
Why?These guidelines, new in 2013, clarify characteristics of a competitive application.
Can you apply?
6. Have a structure that is evidenced by a formal written agreement (i.e., memorandum of understanding (MOU), contract, or merger agreement). • Have a written agreement (MOU, contract, or merger agreement)
dated September 2011 or earlier.
Why?The award steering committee agrees that having a written agreement is an important best practice; it helps ensure that a collaboration can survive changes in its environment or key people, and is an important tool for building long-term stability and success.
An MOU dated September 2011 or earlier is required as documentation that the collaboration began operations at least 18 months prior to the Award deadline.
Can you apply?
7. Submit the lead organization’s nondiscrimination policy; this policy must expressly include “sexual orientation” and “gender expression.”
Why?This requirement was proposed and adopted by the award’s steering committee, a diverse group of Colorado funders and capacity-builders, who agreed that this requirement is in keeping with the spirit of the Award itself.
Visit www.ColoradoNonprofits.org/gender-expression-policy/ to learn more about this requirement.
What if you don’t have the required policy in place right now?
The lead organization must adopt this wording as part of its nondiscrimination policy – and submit the new policy as part of the application – by the application deadline.
Can you apply?
More
FAQs
More
FAQs
Q. Our collaboration includes partners that are government agencies, businesses, etc. Are we eligible to apply?
A. Yes, as long as at least one partner is a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and that partner serves as the lead organization for the application.
Q. Our collaboration serves areas outside Colorado. Are we eligible?
A. Yes, as long as the collaboration’s service area includes Colorado, and the collaboration itself is based in Colorado.
Can you apply?
Questions?
How to apply
1. Go to ColoradoCollaboration.org and click Apply for the Award.
2. Take the Eligibility Self-Assessment. At the end, it will direct you to the application.
3. Start the online application. (More details on this in a moment.)
4. Finish the online application by March 15.
How to apply
How to apply
The Application
Section #1
The Application
Section #1
Contact InformationContact InformationWe’ll use this information to communicate with you about your application (request additional information, send status updates, etc.)
Your application username & password will go to the email address you provide here.
At any point, click Save and Quit to save your work and get an email with your username and login.
How to apply
How to apply
The Application
Section #2
See the full list of application questions at ColoradoCollaboration.org.
The Application
Section #2
See the full list of application questions at ColoradoCollaboration.org.
Overview QuestionsOverview QuestionsBasic information about the collaboration (lead organization, mission, list of partners, budgeted revenue & expense, etc.)
None of your responses will be directly considered during evaluation
Large-budget collaborations, larger geographic efforts, or bigger lists of partners don’t make one collaboration “better” than another.
Be accurate! (While this section isn’t specifically scored, the reviewers don’t like discrepancies between your responses here and in other sections.)
How to apply
The Application
Section #3
See the full list of application questions at ColoradoCollaboration.org.
The Application
Section #3
See the full list of application questions at ColoradoCollaboration.org.
Narrative QuestionsNarrative QuestionsFormation (5 points)
Structure (15 points)
Purpose and Goals (25 points)
Results to date (40 points)
Planning (5 points)
Anticipated Challenges and Opportunities (5 points)
Budget (5 points)
How to apply
The Application
Section #3
See the full list of application questions at ColoradoCollaboration.org.
The Application
Section #3
See the full list of application questions at ColoradoCollaboration.org.
Narrative QuestionsNarrative QuestionsReviewers use your responses in this section to evaluate the application!
Each question shows the number of points used to score this question and the character limit for your response.
Tip: To avoid losing your work, write your answers separately and then copy and paste them into the online application.
How to apply
The Application
Section #4
See the full list of application questions at ColoradoCollaboration.org.
The Application
Section #4
See the full list of application questions at ColoradoCollaboration.org.
AttachmentsAttachments501(c)(3) letter, dated 2007 or later, for the lead organizationWritten agreement (e.g., MOU or contract) dated September 2011 or earlierCurrent written agreement (e.g., MOU or contract)Nondiscrimination policy from the lead organization (including “sexual orientation” and “gender expression”)Collaboration’s 2013 budget (if applicable)Executive summaryAdditional attachments (if needed; please don’t upload any materials not requested above)
How to apply
Application AttachmentsOriginal documentation of the collaboration structure (memorandum of understanding/MOU, contract, or merger agreement), dated September 2011 or earlier.
This documentation demonstrates that the collaboration began formal operations at least 18 months before the 2013 Award deadline.
Current documentation of the collaboration structure (memorandum of understanding (MOU), contract, or merger agreement).
This documentation shows the current structure of the collaboration, as well as the roles and responsibilities of each partner.
How to apply
Application Attachments: What Is an MOU?
To qualify, all documentation/agreements submitted must: Be signed and dated by all partners. Reference all partners. Outline the collaboration’s structure. Describe the partners’ roles and responsibilities.
How to apply
Application Attachments: What Is an MOU?
Documentation that will not be accepted: Grant applications or reports Lease agreements Contracts or agreements with third parties
(organizations/entities which are not partners in the collaboration)
Samples, templates, or blank forms of agreements
How to apply
Application Attachments
Executive Summary of the collaboration (ONE page only):
Highlight what makes your collaboration unique, innovative, and a model for other collaborations to follow.
You can be more creative and focus on things the narrative questions might not have asked about.
Don’t repeat a significant amount of information covered elsewhere in the application.
The information above has been quoted and/or adapted from the Colorado Common Grant Application User’s Guide.
How to apply
Questions?
What happens next?
What happens next?
Eligible applications advanced to next round Collaborations asked to provide Participant Endorsement Forms (1 per
partner)
March 15: Application Deadline
March 28: Screening complete
April 18: Deadline for Participant Endorsement Forms
June 28: Review round #1 complete Review committee finishes reading and scoring applications Semi-finalists selected Review committee schedules site visits with semi-finalists
Collaborations are evaluated and scored based on: •Depth of collaboration•Demonstration of significant impact•Innovation in addressing a specific challenge or opportunity•Relevance as a model other nonprofit collaborations can replicate•Effectiveness of community engagement•Operation in accordance with nonprofit and collaborative best practices
Application Review
What happens next?
Site visits complete Finalists selected
July 26: Review round #2 complete
August 23: Winner selected Final Selection Panel meets in August to choose the winner
October: Award presented 2013 Colorado Collaboration Award presented at Colorado Nonprofit
Association’s Fall Conference & Exhibition Winner invited to present a session at the Fall Conference
What happens next?
Questions?
