Joining Forces: The Challenges of Multi-­Organizational Collaboration

This qualitative research project studies how organizations collectively join together in order to improve services and educational opportunities for Latino students. Utilizing semi-structured interviews, surveys and observations as the basis of methodology, this study analyzes the extent to which organizations participate in a collective impact model. This research provides three themes related to collective impact and the organization of this collaboration. The first theme discusses the roles of the backbone organization and the participating organizations. The second theme discusses the importance of a common agenda and shared measurements for partner participation. The third theme discusses the communication patterns between organizations. The findings of this study suggest that collaborations will struggle if elements within these three thematic areas are not met. This study also concludes that although collective impact models do holistically meet the needs of the community, all members must be invested in the effort and valued as an equal partner in order for them to be successful and the partnership long-term.