Grants For Sustained Collaboration

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Austin Together’s core purpose is to fuel long-term, high-impact collaborations between nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies. Through phased grants, we help organizations thoughtfully navigate coalition-building, shared services, and mergers, with structure and support.

Why Sustained Collaboration
Extensive national research demonstrates that strategic collaboration—when supported by dedicated resources—significantly improves organizational effectiveness and community outcomes.

A 2024 national study of nearly 60 collaborative efforts found that 73% produced quantifiable positive results, including:

  • Greater innovation and program growth

  • New and diversified funding streams

  • Improved efficiency and reduced duplication

  • Policy achievements at state and local levels

  • Measurable improvements in service quality

Another study, Building Capacity for Sustained Collaboration (Open Impact & Sea Change, 2020), emphasizes the need for neutral, patient, and confidential funding to make collaboration viable. These are precisely the conditions Austin Together provides — helping nonprofits take calculated, supported steps toward deeper and more effective partnerships.

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Alliances & Networks

Coalitions

Collaboratives

Movements

Collective Impact Efforts

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Shared Service Agreements

Co-Location

Shared Staffing

Back Office

Fiscal Sponsorship

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Integrated Organizations

Joint-Venture Partnerships

Parent-Subsidiary Relationship

Asset Transfer

Merger & Acquisition

Empowering Collaborations

EXPERT GUIDANCE

Through our unique Guide model, each grantee team is paired with experienced support. To date, over 20 skilled volunteers have served as strategic Guides, helping navigate the complexities of collaborative development.

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ENGAGEMENT & ASSESSMENT

Over the past three years, we’ve met with more than 100 organizations! Our team regularly connects with organizations interested in learning more about Sustained Collaboration strategies and provides assessments to determine readiness with Austin Together’s funding and support opportunities.

CONFIDENTIAL, EARLY DEVELOPMENT

For groups not ready for a full grant, we provide early-stage thought partnership, micro-funding, and consultation to help promising projects move from concept to reality—fueling the launch of new organizations, the development of innovative cross-sector shared-service models, and the growth of collaborative initiatives.

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TOOLS & RESOURCES

We developed a comprehensive Grantee Resource Manual, filled with templates, tools, and best practices to support the exploration, planning, and implementation of all types of Sustained Collaboration—from collective impact and shared services to co-locations and mergers and acquisitions.

ACCESSIBLE APPLICATIONS

We’ve simplified grant applications and reporting to ease burdens on small and grassroots organizations and strengthened evaluation systems to better measure impact and shared learning across the sector.

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