Creating Our Future with Organizations by Design

I like to live in my bubble. It’s comfortable and familiar, surrounded by people who think and feel just like I do. It feels great to be on the same wavelength with everyone, right? But sometimes, like this week, I have to admit, living in that bubble isn’t healthy. When we’re all nestled together in our little comfort zones, we can get blindsided by what’s happening outside our circle. It’s almost like wearing blinders—we become so focused on our own views that we start to miss out on different perspectives. The result? We could find ourselves caught off guard by changes or events that others saw coming. Plus, if we only engage with like-minded folks, we might not recognize the signs of bigger issues brewing beyond our bubble. Social changes, cultural shifts, and political movements can evolve without us even realizing it. Before we know it, we’re stunned when these things rip into our reality. So, while I love the coziness of my bubble, I know it’s important to peek outside every now...

  Back in 2009, during an earlier economic challenging time, Barbara was part of a collaborative consulting practice, Common Bond LLC , which focused on best practices around Partnerships, Collaborations, and Mergers for nonprofit organizations. Given the current environment, we thought it might be worth revisiting a White Paper issued by Common Bond. Please share your thoughts. "Organizational partnerships are a powerful tool for increasing the effectiveness and impact of non-profit and public sector entities in New Jersey and beyond ... Organizational partnerships encourage a continuum of services and products; greater marketing capabilities; new business models and approaches; economies of scale; and access to new resources. Private and public sector funders can utilize innovative financing tools from challenge grants to recoverable grants/loans to purchase service agreements. The current economic and political environment offers an excellent time to expand partnership init...