The Better Together Fund seeks to drive large-scale social change by supporting nonprofits that come together in a formal collaboration, for a common purpose, as a way to maximize impact.

Where We’ve BEEN

In its first five years from inception in 2017, BTF awarded 102 grants worth over $6,000,000 to 64 unique collaborations, representing 250+ organizations. Approximately 40% of funded collaborations were mergers, and the remaining 60% of collaborations were other forms of formal collaboration such as shared serivces, shared space, or long-term joint programming or coordinated strategy.

How we define FORMAL Collaboration

We see formal collaboration as a relationship between one nonprofit and another nonprofit, corporation or governmental agency that:

• changes the way participating organizations do business for the long-term and cannot easily be undone,

• has board involvement and endorsement, and

• preserves, expands or improves efficiency or services to constituents.

Success for us looks like

1.    Big ideas. Multiple organizations create significant impact doing together what they could not have done individually.

2.    Efficiency. The region’s nonprofit sector is strengthened by aligning complementary strengths and resources.

3.    Exploration only. We’re even excited by organizations that explore coming together formally and strategically elect not to. They’ll move on with a better understanding of the landscape and their unique roles.

4.    The new norm. Conversations become more routine at the board and leadership level about considering formal collaboration as a way to solve problems and have more impact.