INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – The Indian River Community Foundation is accepting applications on an ongoing basis for the Quail Valley Charities Nonprofit Collaboration Fund to support nonprofit organizations in forming a wide range of alliances in the areas of children and education.
Kevin Given, vice president of Quail Valley Charities and a member of the Indian River Community Foundation Board of Directors, said he has witnessed numerous opportunities for nonprofits organizations to work more closely together.
“We thought this funding opportunity might encourage nonprofits to think more creatively about collaboration,” Given said. “We can’t tell them what to do, but we can offer support to help them explore opportunities to forge effective relationships for the health and well-being of our community.”
Grants from the Nonprofit Collaboration Fund are restricted to covering the one-time costs of exploring, evaluating and implementing a collaboration.
These costs may include: joint programming, consulting services, real estate transitions and integration of technology or other functions. The Fund defines collaboration as a long-term relationship between two or more nonprofit organizations that will meaningfully change the way the organizations do business.
“We are looking for sustainable efforts that require a high-level of strategy and innovation on the part of the organizations,” Given said. “This kind of partnership doesn’t happen overnight. It requires considerable planning by all of the organizations involved in the partnership.”
Given also recognizes that other individuals and funding organizations may be interested in seeing nonprofits collaborate more effectively. He said others are welcome to contribute to the Nonprofit Collaboration Fund.
“We established this as a field of interest fund at the Community Foundation so that other funding organizations could also have a vehicle to support nonprofit collaboration,” Given said. “We would love to set an example by expanding this effort to include funders beyond Quail Valley Charities.”
Kerry Bartlett, executive director of the Indian River Community Foundation is responsible for working with nonprofit organizations interested in applying for a grant from the Collaboration Fund. Bartlett said she has worked with several organizations interested in the opportunity, but it takes time and patience to develop the ideas.
“It is especially important to have Board members engaged in discussions about collaboration as these are strategic decisions that need to be embraced at all levels of the organization to be effective,” Bartlett said. “That is why we are accepting applications on a rolling basis, rather than establishing a set deadline for applying. We want to be as responsive as possible to our nonprofit community.”
The Indian River Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Indian River County through donor-driven philanthropy. Founded in 2005, the organization began operating formally in 2008 and, in partnership with its donors, has since facilitated over $16 million in charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations, with an average of more than 80 percent of those funds staying within Indian River County.
Since its inception in 2001, Quail Valley Charities has awarded $3.35 million to nonprofit organizations and programs in Indian River County that focus on children and their education. Funds are raised through the annual week-long Quail Valley Charities Cup, which has traditionally included a golf tournament, 5-K race and a Gourmet Wine and Guest Chef Dinner among other activities.
To learn more about the Quail Valley Charities Nonprofit Collaboration Fund visit www.ircommunityfoundation.com or schedule an appointment with Kerry Bartlett by calling (772) 492-1407.