Candid Learning - Collaboration Hub
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Candid Learning - Collaboration Hub Chicago Cultural Alliance Participating Organizations ● The Field Museum, Chicago, IL ● Arab American Action Network, Chicago, IL ● Bronzeville/Black Chicagoan Historical Society, Chicago, IL ● Cambodian American Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial, Chicago, IL ● Chicago Japanese American Historical Society, Glenview, IL ● Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, Chicago, IL ● Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago, IL ● Swedish American Museum, Chicago, IL ● Indo-American Heritage Museum, Chicago , IL ● Polish Museum of America, Chicago, IL ● American Indian Center ● Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture ● Bronzeville Children’s Museum ● Casa Aztlán ● Casa Michoacan ● Changing Worlds ● Chicago History Museum ● Chicago Zoological Society—Brookfield Zoo ● Children’s Memorial Hospital ● Chinese American Museum of Chicago ● Chinese Mutual Aid Association ● DankHaus, German Cultural Center ● Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago ● Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago ● Illinois Saint Andrews Society ● Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia ● Jane Addams Hull-House Museum ● Korean American Resource and Cultural Center ● Latvian Folk Art Museum: no website ● Mitchell Museum of the American Indian ● North Park University ● Pullman State Historic Site ● Serbian Cultural and Arts Center St. Sava ● Swahili Institute of Chicago ● Swedish American Museum ● Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art ● Ukrainian National Museum ● United African Organization ● University of Chicago—Center for International Studies Please note that all data below was derived from the collaboration's nomination for the Collaboration Prize. None of the submitted data were independently verified for accuracy. Formation Type of Collaboration: ● Joint Programming to launch and manage one or more programs ● Administrative Consolidation to share, exchange, or provide back office services such as accounting, IT, human resources ● Merger by which governance, programs and administrative functions have been combined but which may or may not have included the integration into a single corporate entity. Geographic Scope: Multi-County Collaboration Focus Area: Arts and Culture Population Served: ● Children and Youth ● Immigrants ● Minorities Year Collaboration was Established: 2006 Goals Sought Through Collaboration: ● Develop a stronger / more effective "voice" ● Address unmet and/or escalating community need ● Leverage complementary strengths and/or assets Reasons Prompting Collaboration: ● High / increasing costs ● Advancement of a shared goal ● Response to a community need Who Initiated Collaboration: ● Parent organization ● Community leader(s) / organization(s) Number of Participating Organizations: >10 Nature of Funder Involvement: ● Funded initial exploration ● Funded implementation Were Partners Added or Dropped?: Yes Consultant Role: ● To conduct financial due dilligence ● To facilitate negotiations or discussions that led to the formation of the collaboration ● To advise on human resources,benefits,or compensation ● To develop a business plan or strategic plan for the collaboration The Chicago Cultural Alliance (Alliance) is a membership organization comprising Core Members (CM), small ethnic-based cultural institutions, and Partner Institutions (PI), large cultural, educational, and governmental organizations. Our mission is to effect social change and public understanding of cultural diversity through the first-voice perspectives of CMs. As a sustainable vehicle for collaboration, the Alliance maintains ongoing relationships with CMs and PIs and provides services, programs, and partnerships that strengthen CMs’ infrastructure. The Alliance grew out of The Field Museum’s Cultural Connections, a public education program that explored cultural diversity through comparative cultural events. The participating ethnic institutions recognized the significance of their relationships and the infrastructure developed by The Field Museum, and the value they create together in the marketplace. With monetary support from several funders, the original CMs embarked on the creation of the Alliance. A needs/asset survey of CMs during the development phase helped determine programmatic priorities, governance structure, and a model for sustainable, reciprocal partnerships. Since incorporating, we have grown to include 27 CMs and 11 PIs. To join the Alliance, interested organizations must apply; membership recommendations are made by our Membership Committee, after they have conducted site visits and interviews, and approved by the Board of Directors. Currently, membership is capped at 35 CMs to ensure active, engaged partnerships. Management Management Structure: One Executive Director / CEO / President From the start, the Alliance recognized the complexities of collaboration among so many diverse organizations. To ensure a fully inclusive process, the consultant met with the steering committee, which included representatives from 6 CMs and 2 PIs, twice a month for a year to discuss formation and to work through potential conflicts of interest. Together, they evaluated the governance structures of several different collaborative organizations, in order to choose an appropriate collaborative model. The evolving plan was presented regularly to CMs to solicit their input. The Alliance also developed strategies such as joint decision-making and collaborative dialogue to ensure evenly distributed leadership. Daily operations are managed by a full-time staff of 3 plus interns, while the Board is responsible for overseeing long-range goals and planning. The hiring of a full-time Executive Director (ED) in Feb. 2009 enabled the Alliance to maximize its effectiveness and stabilize operations. Her work has led directly to staff expansion, the securing of additional funding, an increase in programs and services, and the raising of the Alliance’s profile within Chicago. The Board and ED have created a 3-year strategic plan to guide operations, and each of the 6 board committees (membership, program, fundraising, education, marketing, and board development) are in the midst of creating 18-month plans. Challenges Challenges to Making the Collaboration Work: ● Defining and measuring success ● Creating a shared culture ● Internal and external communication Maintaining many first-voice perspectives through a single organization is a significant challenge. All CMs and PIs are expected to designate at least 1 representative from their organization to serve on at least 1 Alliance committee. The by-laws also stipulate that 1/3 of Board members are from CM organizations, and at least 3 are from PI organizations, assuring that first-voice is maintained in daily operations and governance. Regular meetings and surveys further define and clarify CM needs. The Leadership Council, composed of CM leaders, was convened in 2009 as a way to guide the development of programs and services through consistent CM input. The Council is consulted at biannual meetings, and the full membership meets at least twice per year for Alliance updates and to select board members. Another challenge is communication between so many stakeholders. Membership meetings attended by the full Alliance community have been an effective way to provide updates and solicit feedback; additional meetings are called throughout the year to discuss specific programs. This year, we have begun sending a weekly email about upcoming programs and deadlines to members of the Leadership Council and a similar email to all CM representatives. We have also upgraded our website in the past year to include a members-only section, where CMs and PIs can access templates, register for meetings and events, and hold discussions in the forums. As the amount and scope of programming has increased, the Alliance has improved and streamlined its procedures for developing and delivering programs. We recently instituted an application process to ensure the fair selection of program participants. Applications include important project details and also assist in our collection of important, but difficult to obtain, information about CMs, such as community demographics, that are used to improve programs and secure funding. Impact Internal Efficiencies and Effectiveness: ● Financial savings - Coordination / consolidation of programming ● Financial savings - Shared development function ● Greater ability for each partner to focus on core competency - Greater ability to allocate resources to areas of need ● Improved marketing and communications, public relations and outreach - Improved marketing and communications, public relations and outreach Community Impact: ● Increased collaboration with / among other community organizations (beyond the scope of the original collaboration) ● Stronger / more effective "voice" The Alliance provides many tangible benefits to CMs. We have implemented back-office services, including purchasing discounts, volunteer matching, and shared staff, which are managed by the Alliance and provided to CMs through a cost-sharing model. We provide CMs with program stipends, which place concrete value on their time and perspectives, and capacity-building opportunities. On their own, most CMs could not access the range and variety of professional development that the Alliance can provide; through our relationships with PIs, we can offer these trainings at no or low cost to CMs. We also establish a stronger voice for CMs and their communities. Individually, CMs may have limited capacity, but together