Hiring a Staff Intermediary

Many funders believe that collaboratives work best when they have staff or a managing director to keep the trains running and coordinate communication among members. “Having that kind of mini-infrastructure,” said one foundation president, is very helpful for managing “the logistics and relationships among a diverse group of grantees and funders.” Another grantmaker encouraged collaboratives to hire a coordinator who is a good manager and able to facilitate difficult discussions, such as those that are needed when a project isn’t progressing well or a decision has to be made about ending support to a particular grantee. “When you choose a coordinator,” she urged, “don’t just choose someone who’s good at driving paperwork. Look for someone who’s also skilled in driving consensus among people.”