PHOENIX, Ariz., May 11, 2010 – The Lodestar Foundation, an organization dedicated to maximizing the growth and impact of philanthropy, today launched the 2011 Collaboration Prize, a national award designed to identify and showcase models of collaboration among nonprofit organizations.
Beginning June 1, 2010, nonprofits across the country are invited to apply for the Prize, which will be announced in April 2011. The Prize will recognize eight collaborations that best exemplify the impact that can result from working together. Each of the eight finalists will receive $12,500 and the grand prize winner will receive an additional $150,000.
“Collaboration may enable organizations to more effectively leverage human and financial resources to achieve greater impact in the areas they serve,” said Jerry Hirsch, The Lodestar Foundation Chairman. “With the 2011 Collaboration Prize, we expect to receive hundreds of original and inventive collaboration case studies that showcase ways to work smarter and more efficiently and we look forward to sharing these models of success with the entire nonprofit sector.”
Application and Eligibility Details
The application process for the 2011 Prize will open June 1, 2010, and close on July 16, 2010. To be eligible, the collaboration must involve two or more nonprofit organizations. Each collaboration will be judged on the extent to which it:
- demonstrates improved effectiveness in achieving social good;
- more effectively uses human and financial resources;
- represents an innovative response to a specific challenge or opportunity;
- and exhibits characteristics that would demonstrate that the collaboration is a model for the field, sector, or community.
Please visit
www.thecollaborationprize.org for a full list of eligibility requirements, the online submission form, general information and answers to frequently asked questions.
The Prize recipient will be chosen by a Final Selection Panel, which will be chaired by Sterling Speirn, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional parties involved in the review process include the Arizona-Indiana-Michigan (AIM) Alliance, a collaboration comprising The Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation at Arizona State University, The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and The Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Grand Valley State University (Michigan); and La Piana Associates, the nation’s leading management and consulting firm dedicated to helping nonprofits and foundations become stronger and more effective through collaboration.
Nonprofit Collaboration Database
Collaborations submitted to The Collaboration Prize form the basis of the Nonprofit Collaboration Database, an interactive resource comprised of real-life examples of exceptional collaboration.
The online Database currently contains detailed information on 250 collaborations, obtained during the 2009 Collaboration Prize, and will expand to include models resulting from the 2011 Prize process. New examples of collaboration will be added regularly – ensuring that the database remains a robust and powerful tool for the nonprofit community.
The Database is housed on the website of the Foundation Center, a national nonprofit service organization that connects nonprofits and grantmakers to tools, resources and information. Learn more at
http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/collaboration/.
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The Lodestar Foundation is a grantmaking organization devoted to maximizing the growth and impact of philanthropy by efficiently and effectively leveraging philanthropic resources. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the Foundation provides funds nationally and internationally to organizations that support its mission. The Lodestar Foundation was established in 1999 as a support foundation of the Arizona Community Foundation. Please visit
www.lodestarfoundation.org for more information.