From Al Green to The Turtles, from Luke Combs to Jack Johnson, musical artists have known one truth for eons: some things are just better when they're together.
Several training sessions and grant overviews I have attended this year have revealed a similar trend among Federal funders: the preference for collaborative applications. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) even states the desire to see interstate partnerships to secure funding for some of their programs. The 2024 State of Grantseekingâ„¢ Report, by GrantWorks quantifies this trend:
Thirty-four percent of those respondents that did submit a collaborative grant application reported winning an award.
Fifty-three percent of organizations with budgets of $25,000,000 or more participated in collaborative grantseeking in 2023, whereas 17% of organizations with budgets under $100,000 engaged in collaborative grantseeking during this period.
Larger organizations likely have the capacity to orchestrate the more complex process that is involved in a cooperative process so, for smaller firms, even the application process itself may be shared and even simplified by working in tandem with larger groups.
In addition to capacity for securing funding, great partnerships add synergies and a holistic approach to the problems the funding should solve. Mathilda Harris at the Grant Training Center further highlights these benefits:
"Growing popularity of collaborative grant programs...encourage[s] partnerships between multiple stakeholders. These initiatives recognize the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration across sectors to tackle complex challenges" (June, 2024).
Amid already intense competition for funding, and as we anticipate shifting funding priorities that regularly coincide with administration changes, now is a vital time to get together (The Youngbloods), come together (The Beatles), or stay together (Al Green).
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