1. Collaboration for Innovation and Impact: A Strategic Opportunity for OTF June 2, 2010

2. OTF is a leading funder of collaboration in Ontario’s not-for-profit sector
Since 2005, OTF has invested $136M in funding to collaboratives across Ontario.
During this time, support to collaboratives has increased from 20% to 25% of OTF granting.
This includes 200 grants valued at $32M to facilitate new forms of collaboration in the sector.
A collaborative of two or more organizations that are working together to achieve a common goal is eligible for OTF funding, as long as one member of the collaborative is eligible.
On average, OTF receives over 3000 applications a year and approves approximately 1500 applications each year as grants.
Over the last six fiscal years OTF awarded more than $136M in funding to collaborative initiatives across the Province. On average that represents one-fifth (22%) of the total amount granted by OTF within the period.
$10M for innovative collaboratives -- emerging governance platforms, social finance, partnerships with business, shared facilities
$8M for sectoral developing and refining sector standards -- Strengthening the role of capacity building organizations, training, evaluation frameworks, etc.
$7M for cross-sectoral collaboration and network expansion -- Creation and expansion of networks, alliances, etc
$6M for collaboration within sectors -- Development of strategic alliances, task forces, umbrella organizations, hubs
$2M for community-centred collaboration -- Community consultations, planning forums, local consortiums, networks and hubs.

3. Challenging Times research suggests a growing appetite for collaboration
Over 72% reported collaboration was increasing.
Many organizations spoke about partnering with ‘non-traditional’ organizations outside their sector…
…and that the recession may have accelerated this trend.
CT research suggested collaboration is increasing in the sector, and there is an appetite for more
(local business groups, health and educational institutions)
CR initiative demonstrated that communities want to find new ways of working together to address challenges and seize opportunities locally

4. Community convening demonstrates a growing appetite for collaboration, and the need to support it

5. Support for new forms of collaboration: a strategic opportunity for OTF
Endorsed as a strategic opportunity by our Board of Directors.
Focus on OTF as a catalyst to foster greater collaboration, to support innovation, and to build greater resilience in the sector.

6. There’s more to learn about collaboration, innovation and impact
The extent and nature of collaboration in Ontario’s Not-for-profit sector today.
Patterns and emerging trends in the types of collaboration.
Opportunities for enhancing OTF’s role in supporting effective collaboration – including among funders.
, particularly innovations in collaborative ventures, evident in the sector – for both collaborations among grantees, and collaborations among funders.

7. A favourite story of collaboration: Community Care Haliburton meets CANOE-FM
In Haliburton, a community radio station and a local volunteer agency met for the first time at an OTF workshop. They subsequently partnered to produce a regular radio show that promotes volunteer opportunities in the community. The experience and partnership has enhanced the impact of both organizations.
In August 2002, Community Care Haliburton County received $23,200 over one year to increase organizational capacity by recruiting and training volunteer ambassadors who will support fundraising efforts and increase the organization's profile in the community. Ten months later, the Haliburton County Community Radio Association (a.k.a. CANOE FM) received $25,000 over one year to purchase equipment that will enable volunteers to produce and broadcast quality community radio programming and increase the level of broadcast training for volunteers. Collaboration between these two OTF grantees caused a significant ripple effect in Haliburton County:
“We funded Community Care to be able to increase their volunteerism through increased marketing and promotion, and we funded CANOE FM, which was a brand-new, community-based radio station, just trying to start up. We funded them for equipment for one of their studios. About eight months down the road from both of them getting funding, I was driving up to Haliburton and I thought: “I’m going to put on CANOE FM and see what’s happening on the radio station.” I tuned into Donna Pasey’s show, from Community Care, they had joined in partnership and she was hosting a show every week, and maybe even more than once a week, on volunteerism in Haliburton County. So she’d partnered with the radio station using the equipment that [OTF] had provided, they had partnered with her, providing that opportunity so they could further their aims in terms of increasing the number of volunteers they had for their services. I thought that was a really great connection that happened as a result of two separate and distinct grants in Haliburton County.”