Introduction
Collaborations among non-profit organizations and other entities provide an opportunity to share information and resources. It is imperative because it enhances information and resources to reach larger communities, expand developmental programs and services. Additionally, it leverages the comparative strengths of partners hence creating change more effectively. However, collaboration is effective during the times when there is an increase in the needs and decrease in the available resources. This implies that collaboration can act as an innovative approach used to build programs with limited resources because it gets support from funders. However, for collaboration to turn out successfully there must be a common goal, trusting relationship and structure for the shared decisions. Furthermore, there must be a process for exploring differences between partners. This is so because lack of identified factors hinders effective action in collaboration and deters the involved participants from pursuing future collaborations (Galbraith, 2000). The intent of this paper is to assess the critical issues that may affect collaboration in non-profit organizations.
Critical issues affecting collaboration in non-profit organizations
Non-profit organizations have been facing difficulties while pursuing constructive alliances, partnership and mergers. The issues affect these organizations in different areas including developing a collaborative partnership with public sector agencies like the government. Non-profit organizations also encounter issues in forging collaborative partnership with the private sectors as well as in pursuing mergers with overlapping services and agencies. Government highly depends on the inter-organizational relationship such as collaboration, partnership and alliances to act as an element of funding projects while dealing with the non-profit organizations. However, governments have inadequate information regarding factors that support effective negotiation and integration of partnership. This is so because many non-profit organizations utilize a large amount of organizational energy while pursuing inter-organizational partnership in order to enhance questionable returns. During collaborations, non-profit organizations encounter dissimilar barriers such as autonomy issues, conflicting organizational cultures as well as building trust among organizations (Winer & Ray, 2005).
Non-profit organizations face difficulties while pursuing constructive alliances, partnership and mergers with public agencies, private sectors as well as overlapping agencies because of the following factors. Initially, non-profit organizations lack encouraging environments to conduct collaboration. This makes it difficult for organizations to pursue collaboration. This is because an environment without a history of collaboration and cooperation does not offer the potential collaborative partners an understanding of the roles and expectations that collaboration requires. As a result, it makes the partners lack trust in the entire collaboration process. However, some of the collaboration environment lacks a reliable and competent collaborative group hence making it difficult for organizations to identify the activities and goals they intend to achieve. Non-profit organizations encounter problems in the social and political environment surrounding collaboration as they turn out to be unfavorable. Consequently, this makes the political leaders, opinion makers and persons in control of the resources failing to support the vision and mission of the collaborative group (Winer & Ray, 2005).
Secondly, non-profit organizations encounter issues in pursuing constructive alliances, partnership and mergers with the government sectors and private agencies because of the characteristics of the involved members. It results from lack of mutual respect, understanding and trust among members of the collaborative group and respective organizations. They also fail to understand how they operate, their cultural norms, values, limitation and expectations. In addition, the collaborations encounter issues of inappropriate cross-section among members. This occurs because the collaborative groups lack to include representatives from each segment of the community that will encounter the effects of the activities. However, collaboration among non-profit organizations and other agencies face difficulties because the partnership members do not consider it to benefit them. The issues also come in because the collaborating partners fail to compromise and since there are many decisions in the collaborative effort, it becomes hard to fit the preference of each member. As a result, they fail to put full commitment to the collaboration hence affecting how non-profit organizations pursue constructive alliances, partnership and mergers (Mattessich, 2001).
Notably, non-profit organizations encounter difficulties while pursuing constructive alliances, partnership and mergers with other organizations because of the poor process and structure involved. For example, there are collaborations, which do not allow members to share a stake in the process and outcome of the collaboration. As a result, members feel rejected from the collaboration hence failing to work hard and improve the performances. These organizations fail to encompass multiple layers of participation in the collaboration process. This entails failing to involve the upper and middle management and other operations in the collaborative initiative. This makes the neglected members feel unappreciated hence not fully participating in the initiative, which lowers the successfulness of collaboration among non-profit organizations. Moreover, the issue occurs due to lack of flexibility among the collaborative groups hence restricting the ways in which the groups conduct their works. The cost-to-earned income ration affects the non-profit organization while collaborating with other organizations as it reduces their earned profits (Austin, 2000).
Furthermore, non-profit organizations encounter issues in collaboration because they lack clear roles and policy guidelines. This is so because most collaborative partners do not clearly understand their roles, rights and responsibilities hence not knowing how to conduct their errands, which affects their successfulness. The organizations encounter issues while trying to adapt to the collaborative partners. This hinders the group from sustaining itself during significant organizational changes. The inappropriate pace in the development process affects the organizational structures, resources and activities hence failing to meet the aim of the initiatives. Communication is also a significant factor that contributes to the difficulties that non-profit organization encounter while merging, forming a partnership and collaborating with other organizations. This is so because there is no open and frequent communication among collaborations in most non-profit organizations. Therefore, this makes the collaborative groups not to interact often and update each other on the proceedings. Additionally, they fail to discuss issues affecting the organizations openly as well as not conveying all the necessary information to each other and other imperative people outside the group. Furthermore, the organizations lack established informal association and communication links. As a result, it becomes a barrier for members to establish personal relationships. This discourages the production of a better, more informed and cohesive group that works together towards the achievement of a common project (Gilbert, 2005).
Collaboration between non-profit organizations and other agencies encounter difficulties because the collaborative groups fail to identify the foremost purpose of collaborating. This makes the goals and objectives of the collaborative groups to contradict. However, collaborations in non-profit organizations have conflicting visions hence making it difficult for partners to develop a common vision as they work together. Sometimes the issues come in when the involved organizations have insufficient funds, staff, material and time. Therefore, this does not offer them sufficient time to attain its goals as well as time the needed to nurture the collaboration (Galbraith, 2000).
Conclusion
Non-profit organizations collaborate with other organizations in order to realize their vision and fulfill their mission in communities. Therefore, when the partnership works well, they can be able to leverage unique strength and resources of every partner hence coming up with a creative solution that can positively benefit communities. This is critical because when they have unclear expectations and goals, they will encounter confused roles and responsibilities. This will result into divergent business cultures and practices hence creating problems in trust. As a result, it will affect the general performance of the collaborating organizations (Austin, 2000).
Reference list
Austin, E. (2000). The Collaboration Challenge: How Nonprofits and Businesses
Succeed Through Strategic Alliances. New York: Jossey-Bass.
Galbraith, J.R. (2000). Designing the global organization. San Francisco: Jossey
Gilbert, C. (2005). A Practical Approach to Collaboration. Nonprofit Online
News Journal. Retrieved July 11, 2006, from http://news.gilbert.org/PracticalCollaboration
Mattessich, P. (2001). Collaboration: What Makes It Work (2nd ed.). St. Paul:
Wilder Publishing Center.
Winer, M & Ray, K. (2005). Collaboration Handbook: Creating, Sustaining, and
Enjoying the Journey. Saint Paul: Fieldstone Alliance.
