Collaboration 'R' Us!

There is virtually NOTHING that we do at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry for which we can take complete and total credit. EVERYTHING we do is a collaboration in one way or another.

Think about it—our grantmaking program is a collaboration with both the hard-working nonprofit organizations we fund and the donors who established or contributed to the funds providing the grants. Yes, we create a knowledge base assuring intelligent decision-making about specific projects to fund, and we maintain sound investments to grow the available dollars. Yes, we provide the structure and the staff and the technology. But at its core, the work is a massive collaboration among donors, nonprofits and the Community Foundation.

Our scholarship program’s success is due to the donors with the vision, passion and resources to establish scholarship funds, the quality students who have a strong motivation to improve their lives through education, and the volunteers who serve on selection committees and make the difficult choices. Caring counselors direct student applicants to us, and parents cajole their young people to meet the deadlines. Yes, it all happens with much more ease and efficiency due to the scholarship section of our web site, our staff, and our expertise, but again, it is a collaborative effort.

Our special initiatives like the upcoming Public Art Exhibition (September 24-November 5, 2011) are also colossal collaborations. In that particular case, the Town of Hilton Head, the Hilton Head/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, the Concours d’Elegance, and many others including sponsors, donors, artists, and volunteers are our collaborators.

Likewise, the Together for Beaufort County effort which has been a major part of our work is BY DEFINITION a collaboration of government, nonprofits, education and the community-at-large, all working to create major improvements in significant community indicators. So, if anyone wonders why collaboration is one of the criteria utilized in our grantmaking process, they need simply to look at the model we value. And if anyone wants to become part of an organization which is also defined by collaboration: “building community by connecting people, resources and needs,” then please join us. There is always room for more folks who are willing to make EVERY DAY MATTER!

Denise K. Spencer