Better Know a Network: AgeWell Pittsburgh
In the early 2000s, senior-care nonprofits in the Pittsburgh area faced one serious challenge: competing for shared resources. Recognizing this problem in 2004, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh partnered with three other organizations to apply for Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) funding. These organizations were the Jewish Association on Aging, the Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh, and Jewish Family and Community Services in Pittsburgh. Together, their partnership formed AgeWell
Why Is It So Hard to Scale up Evidence-Based Practices? And What Can You Do about It?
by: Katelyn Zilke How do leaders with a great evidence-based practice take it to scale? The challenge of getting organizational leaders across an entire field to adopt innovations remains one of the most daunting management dilemmas of our time. New research from the Network for Nonprofit and Social Impact at Northwestern University unlocks why it’s just so hard to scale up and what leaders can do about it. How does
Better Know a Network: LawHelp New York Consortium
At the turn of the century, just as the Internet was becoming mainstream in the United States, five legal services organizations in New York came together to make the law more accessible to New Yorkers. These five collaborators were the City Bar Justice Center, the Legal Aid Society, Legal Services NYC, Pro Bono Net, and Volunteers of Legal Services. Together, they recognized how low-income and other vulnerable New Yorkers often
What Is Divergent Thinking, and Why Should Nonprofits Practice It?
In the nonprofit world, where resources are often shared, limited, and sometimes even restrictive, one phrase is common in boardrooms and project meetings: let’s get creative. However, creativity sometimes seems to be a gift that some people have, and others don’t. The phrase “let’s get creative” never really answers how to get creative and practice it for what it is: a valuable skill in every workplace. At NNSI, many of
Better Know a Network: Summit Education Initiative
The Summit Education Initiative (SEI) began in 1996, when leaders of the community surrounding Akron, Ohio, came together to form the original framework of the network. In 2006, around 50 community leaders met again to discuss the direction of SEI and its role in the community. Since then, SEI has been leading the community’s commitment to supporting the success of children in Summit County. Through intervention that helps to empower
Better Know a Network: Communities That Care Coalition
The Communities That Care Coalition (CTC) was founded in 2002 in Franklin County, Massachusetts, in response to strong community concern for youth substance use, which had surpassed national averages. The initiative began with funding from Channing Bete, a publishing company in South Deerfield that initially supported the Communities That CareTM model, and a local business located in Greenfield matched their financing. Currently, much of their funding comes from federal, state