If you think collaboration is an option in today's world of grant development, you're a little out of date. Today, it's an absolute necessity.

The basic concept of collaboration goes by various names--cooperation, coalition, consortium, partnership, just to name a few. I like the definition of collaboration found in a book entitled The Collaboration Handbook, by Michael Winer and Karen Ray. Winer and Ray define collaboration as "a mutually beneficial and well-defined relationship entered into by two or more organizations to achieve results they are more likely to achieve together than alone."

The authors go on to explain that in a collaboration, people move from competition to consensus building, from working alone to including others from a diverse fields and sectors, from thinking mostly about activities and services to also thinking about larger results and strategies, and from focusing on short-term accomplishments to demanding long-term results.

How pervasive is collaboration in the grant seeking world today? Pick up just about any RFP (Request for Proposal) for a federal grant and for increasing numbers of state grants, and you will see collaborative partnerships either highly recommended or, in some cases, required to apply for the funds. Examples include the Technology Innovation Challenge Grants, which require a collaborative application and list suggested partners in the RFP, and the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP), which encourages partnerships among education, government, public safety, and the health professions to design community networks.

Several states also have included collaborative relationships as a component for funding in their Technology Literacy Challenge Fund grants. In Pennsylvania, for example, extra points are awarded to consortiums that apply for the funding. In addition to federal and state grants, increasing numbers of foundations and corporate programs are giving preference to projects that involve several collaborating organizations.

Why collaboration?

Collaboration forces school districts to look beyond the walls of their buildings and out into the world at large for partners to address the needs of students and teachers. It is important to begin and maintain collaborative relationships, regardless of the need to complete a grant proposal. It is extremely difficult to contact someone out of the blue four weeks before a grant deadline and convince them that it would be in their best interest to enter into a collaborative relationship with you!

You should be making a concerted effort to discuss your district's needs with local higher education institutions, libraries, museums, vendors, and social service organizations. In turn, be aware of the needs of these entities. Discussions should be ongoing, and ways to meet needs should be identified, refined, and turned into project ideas that will inspire funding.