More and more initiatives are underway that bring together diverse actors or sectors in order to more effectively coordinate services or take collective action. But the inspiring individuals who are leading collaborative efforts face myriad unique challenges.


Services

Responsive Advising

The Collab Corps offers fee-for-service advising in response to collaboratives’ needs, bringing to bear the expertise and experience of Foresight, our partners, and other technical assistance providers.

For Startup Collaboratives

  • Aligning around shared vision, values and aims

  • Building a shared understanding of the system

  • Assessing the collaborative’s power

  • Selecting a relevant structure for implementation

  • Recruiting relevant stakeholders

  • Clarifying mutual expectations and commitment for collaborative members

  • Building infrastructure for ongoing learning and evaluation

  • Developing mechanisms to communicate regularly with stakeholders

For Growing Collaboratives

  • Leadership development

  • Self care and boundary setting for collaboratives’ leaders

  • Adapting implementation structures in response to continuous change

  • Revising and refining a collaborative’s systems analysis and systems change strategies

  • Deepening stakeholder trust and accountability

  • Process evaluation

For Mature Collaboratives

  • Succession and sustainability planning

  • Developing new initiatives

  • Revising and refining systems change strategies in response to new challenges and opportunities

  • Impact evaluation

For Collaboratives in Crisis

  • Diagnosing a conflict’s root causes

  • Conflict resolution

  • Realigning stakeholders around mission/vision, systems analysis, implementation structure, and mutual commitment


capacity building cohorts

Leaders of collaboratives—no matter the sectors they serve or the communities they represent—confront many of the same challenges and frustrations. Additionally, most cross-sector collaboratives are supported by a single backbone leader, limiting their capacity for ongoing learning and improvement.

Collab Corps’ Capacity Building Cohorts are a mutual support system for these leaders— so that they can effectively learn from one another—coupled with a responsive curriculum focused on their roles’ unique needs.

We are currently seeking funding for future Cohorts. Contact us for more information, and/or to indicate interest.


advocacy

Foresight and our partners continue to advocate within the philanthropic and other sectors for greater support for collaboratives as an especially impactful approach to creating meaningful change.


resources

We would be eager for your feedback and assistance piloting and improving the following tools:

Developmental Assessment Tool
To help collaboratives identify the essential elements they need for success.

Collaborative Taxonomy
To help collaboratives understand where they fit in context, with relation to other collaboratives.

“Memorandum of Understanding” Template
To ensure members understand and can commit to an undertaking’s norms and values.

Tools
For understanding and navigating power, building trust, and resolving conflict.

Evaluation Frameworks


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Every collaborative in unique. Don’t see your challenges represented? Or unsure what your needs might be?


Partnering Collaboratives

In mid-2019, Foresight convened the year-long Collaborative Leaders' Learning Circle (CLLC), composed of the six leaders that now constitute our Collab Corps partners. Together, this cohort deepened their individual skills, addressed organizational challenges, identified shared needs, and collectively advocated for collaboratives.

Calumet Collaborative

Elevated Chicago

Emerald South Community Economic Development Collaborative

Illinois Agri-Food Alliance

Marshall Square Resource Network

Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Greater Chicago