Project History
How the Project Began
Beginning in 1999, the initial project activities
focused on gathering data about relationships between
local governments and nonprofit organizations throughout
North Carolina.
- Surveys: Through statewide surveys
of county and municipal governments, we gauged the
extent of local governments’ relationships
with nonprofit organizations. We describe these
patterns of interaction, including levels of funding,
in the Popular Government article, “How
Local Governments Work with Nonprofits in North
Carolina.”
- Interviews: Through interviews
with nonprofit and local government agency leaders,
our research team identified existing barriers to
effective relationships and developed guidance for
overcoming them. We report our findings and suggest
practices to improve relationships in the Popular
Government article, “Strengthening
Relationships Between Local Governments and Nonprofits.
Working in Communities
During 2000-2001, our major initiative was “Counties
as Catalysts for Strengthening Families,” a
project sponsored by the North Carolina Association
of County Commissioners. In collaboration with UNC’s
Jordan Institute for Families, and with the support
of North Carolina’s Division of Social Services,
we assisted 15 communities in 19 counties across the
state in becoming effective catalysts for community-wide
efforts to strengthen families and Close the Achievement
Gap.
“Tipping the Scale” in Nonprofit-Government
Relationships
Continuing support from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund
supported our work with the N.C. Center for Nonprofits
to help government and nonprofit leaders in North
Carolina begin to think of each other as potential
partners and seek ways to work together. From 2000
to 2003 we conducted over 22 training sessions or
workshops for government officials and staff, as well
as 14 sessions for nonprofit employees and volunteers.
We published training materials, including Twenty
Questions Nonprofits Often Ask about Working with
Local Government. We also consulted with state
and local government agencies and with nonprofits
on ways to communicate more effectively across organizational
lines.
Closing the Achievement Gap
During 2002-2003, with support from the Z. Smith
Reynolds Foundation, and in collaboration with the
Jordan Institute for Families, we continued our work
to help community partnerships strengthen families
and improve the academic achievement of children from
minority or economically deprived backgrounds. Six
partnerships in North Carolina participated in three
different workshops we held across the state. We also
provided those partnerships technical assistance to
help them build their local visions to close the achievement
gap.
The Public Intersection Project
Our work across the state demonstrated to us that
neither nonprofits, nor governments, or even the two
working together, have all the power, resources, or
authority it takes to solve complex community problems.
However, we did see more progress being made in communities
where governments, nonprofits, businesses, philanthropies,
and faith-based organizations worked together, across
the boundaries of their organizations. In 2003, the
School of Government received a grant from the Jessie
Ball duPont Fund to assist and encourage similar cross-organizational
collaborations. To learn more about this project,
visit our Public Intersection
Project page.
Sexual and Domestic Violence
During 2005/2006, we conducted a research project and worked in communities to inform and support efforts to both respond to and prevent sexual and domestic violence. Both projects were supported by the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission through the Violence Against Women Act:
- Our research project surveyed rape crisis programs housed in stand-alone and combined sexual and domestic violence programs to assess whether organizational structure affected ways in which services were provided or reported.
- We held seven workshops across the state and provided technical assistance in communities for the purpose of “Building Community Capacity to Stop Sexual and Domestic Violence.”
As reports describing these projects are published, they will be made available through this website.
The Work Continues
We are open to opportunities for new work that encourages the following:
- Cross-organizational problem-solving, especially at the community level
- Research, writing, and teaching
- Consulting with individual community organizations and collaborations
- Exploration of new partnerships to take this work to other states
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