The Value of Community and Regional Collaborative Networks
Illinois ResourceNet values the collaborative networks that some communities and regions have established. These entities typically forge ongoing planning and development relationships among local governments, business groups, and nonprofit organizations. Some are formally incorporated others are informally organized. Some focus on particular policy areas such as youth, agricultural issues, or economic development. Others address multiple policy areas. Such networks can be rural, suburban, or urban.
Collaborative networks share information about programs, services, and issues. They convene participating organizations for training events, strategic planning, and educational sessions. But beyond such sharing of information and resources, they work together as partners to strengthen their communities and regions. They make decisions jointly. And they seek grants, loans, tax credits, contracts, and income generating opportunities jointly.
Illinois ResourceNet works with strong collaborative entities because they provide certain advantages for grant seeking:
• They have developed data useful in documenting problems, assets, trends, demographic characteristics, economic conditions, and other variables.
• They bring diverse partners to the table, making it possible to respond to complex federal projects that require a combination of strategies, such as business development, food production, infrastructure development, housing, and social services.
• They have already passed through the initial stages involved in building working relationships among partners and across sectors.
• They can demonstrate how individual projects for which funds might be sought fit into local and regional planning strategies.
• They provide greater potential for leveraging matching resources, including funds and in-kind contributions.
• They have likely built ties with state and local government bodies whose support is often considered by federal agencies when assessing a proposed project’s sustainability.
Due to the above benefits of collaboration, Illinois ResourceNet reaches out to communities who have such working entities already in place. Illinois ResourceNet’s services – technical assistance, electronic funding notices, workshops, on-line courses, and its Web site can add value to community and regional efforts to secure federal funds through such working partnerships.
Thank you for a great post.