Ending Bad Blood Between United Ways and Community Foundations

Convergence & Competition: United Ways & Community Foundations, A National Inquiry, by Nancy Ragey, discusses how these two types of organization, which sometimes compete for donors and projects, can benefit from greater collaboration. Based on a survey of more than 300 United Ways and community foundations, the report, which was written with Jan Masaoka and Jeanne Bell Peters, says that competition for a leadership role in the community, concerns over possible duplication, and a lack of communication can strain relations between the groups. Often, the relationship between the organizations is shaped by how regularly their chief executives interact, it says. The report, produced by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and the Council of Michigan Foundations, recommends that the two types of organizations consider sharing projects and developing financial ties, for example, by identifying ways in which big donors can give to both groups at the same time. In addition, trustees who serve on the boards of both the local United Way and the community foundation can provide a good starting point for opening up dialogue between the two, the report says.

Publisher: CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, 731 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, Calif. 94103; (415) 541-9000; fax (415) 541-7708; http://www.compasspoint.org; 12 pages; available free for download on the publisher’s Web site.