They are going to announce competitions and make awards earlier in the year to assist institutions in planning ahead. They will drop the formal rulemaking process and establish selection criteria based on statutory provisions. In increasing numbers, funders are asking nonprofits to work together to meet community needs. They note that organizations aren't accustomed to being buddies around a funder's collaborative table. Successful collaboration requires that participants move from confrontation to conversation, putting the common goal above individual missions.
Mutual respect is imperative to rise above individual agendas.
They advise organizations not to let irreconcilable disagreements get in the way and to get hidden agendas out in the open early on. It is important to be clear about what each partner expects to gain. They note that as the table gets bigger and bigger, the issues become more diverse and the turf issues expand. Ken's review says this is a great book of do's and don'ts. You may be able to help it along with pictures or sounds if you're marketing on the Web, but words do the real selling.