In what has been described as a shining example of collaboration, three major educational nonprofits are combining energies this summer to attempt a joint fundraiser.The America Association of University Women, the Incline Schools Academic Foundation and Project MANA will host the "Golf Fore Education" tournament scheduled for June 25."What we have in common is education," said chair of ISAF Bill Horn. "Project MANA deals with nutrition education, AAUW helps with education for women and ISEF has been raising money for tutoring as well as mini grants...."We felt that if we combined efforts we would have more opportunity for more money than we would if we each held fundraisers individually."
Organization officials admitted that to collaborate on the event requires some compromising of agendas, but focusing on the potential large-scale success of the effort helps to offset the smaller frustrations."The only thing we have to do is to look the other way and think about what a strong event we are putting together," Horn said.George LeBard, executive director of Project Mana, said he hopes to reach a fundraising goal of $20,000 with the event. According to the agreement struck by the three organizations, Project MANA will receive 20 percent of the proceeds and ISAF and AAUW will each receive 40 percent.Motivating the collaborative efforts of the group was the logic that competing tournaments don't also yield the best results.
"We have this great golf course as a resource," LeBard said. "Why tie it up for three days? Let's try for one day and see how much money we can raise that way."Kelli Cutler, manager of the Parasol Community Collaboration, said she has been impressed with the efforts of the three organizations to attempt the joint fundraiser."This is something we are trying to start educating our agencies a little more about: evaluating how successful (they) are (at fundraising) and if they might consider joining with other agencies," Cutler said.Cutler said she invited the three organization heads: Randi Moore (AAUW), Bill Horn (ISAF) and George LeBard (MANA), to be on a panel to discuss what worked and what didn't during the first part of the June retreat for PCC members.
"I think it shows an ultimate collaboration," Cutler said. "It demonstrates, ultimately, what the mission of the PCC is combining resources to better serve agencies."George LeBard echoed Cutler's sentiments."This is a perfect example of what the PCC is about," LeBard said. "Taking community resources and maximizing availability to give back to the community; the championship golf course is a valuable community resource (and) maximizing its potential is exactly the kind of thing the PCC wants to do."Horn said he gives much of the credit to the perceived success of the fundraiser to the support of the community."The businesses that are collaborating with the charities - that is a key part of the collaboration process," he said. "This is people and monetary resources coming together."
