The Mission Sustainability Initiative (MSI) at Forefront is here to help you explore a wide range of approaches to sustained collaboration and strategic partnership. This page features answers to our most common questions. If your question is not addressed, or if you'd like any additional information, please reach out to the MSI Director at [email protected].
The Mission Sustainability Initiative (MSI) at Forefront is dedicated to helping nonprofits thrive by providing the resources for leaders to regularly and thoughtfully explore collaboration and partnership strategies. Strategic partnerships and collaborations may take the form of a co-location, a back office collaborative, a joint venture, a merger or acquisition, or other long-term or permanent partnership that changes the way of doing business of the organizations involved. The MSI provides holistic support solutions to nonprofits, including confidential conversations, educational programming, community convening, vetted consultant lists, toolkits, and opportunities to apply for funding.
Long-term or permanent partnerships can sometimes be a good choice to respond to a rapidly changing external environment or to increase the effectiveness or efficiency of nonprofit work. Several other regions across the country operate similar programs dedicated to long-term or permanent strategic partnerships and collaborations, and their positive experience has helped to inform the development of the MSI. You can learn more about collaboration initiatives across the country at the Sustained Collaboration Network.
A confidential conversation with the MSI Director is like visiting a help desk where you can discuss anything on your mind related to nonprofit collaboration. Have an idea, but aren't sure if it's possible or legal or if there's a word for it? We got you. Is there an organization you're interested in working with, and you want to brainstorm what that work might look like? That's what we're here for. There is a lot of jargon in the strategic partnership space, and the confidentiality of MSI conversations helps to make this a safe space to not know what we're talking about. Are you considering options that you aren't ready to talk about with funders, board members, or staff? No one will even know you called. We can even help when and how to bring people into the conversation when you're ready.
All MSI services are available to all Illinois-based nonprofit organizations (and Illinois-based projects that are fiscally sponsored) regardless of their Forefront Membership status. Grants eligibility is determined by the committee of MSI Funders and can be found on the MSI Grants page.
The members of the Funders Committee believe that nonprofit boards, leaders, and funders should routinely consider strategic partnerships. Organizations that make the decision to undertake the hard work of exploring strategic partnerships should be acknowledged, encouraged, and supported by funders. Recognizing the sensitive nature in general of partnership negotiations, initial conversations with the MSI Director are confidential. When and if the Director recommends a grant proposal to the Funders Committee, the names of the applicant and potential partner(s) will be disclosed to the Funders Committee. Grants are made public only once the grantees announce their partnership or give the MSI permission to publicly disclose the grant.
Housed at Forefront, the MSI is a pooled fund comprised of philanthropic organizations that share the vision of a collaborative and thriving nonprofit ecosystem. Forefront and the MSI collaborate programmatically and administratively, and Forefront acts as the MSI’s fiscal sponsor. Contributions to the MSI Fund determine the program’s annual budget, which includes all programmatic activities and grantmaking.
A committee of funders contributing $10,000 or more annually collaborates with Forefront to provide guidance and support to the MSI. This Funders Committee works with the MSI Director and an Advisory Committee of nonprofit leaders, attorneys, and others with relevant partnership expertise to engage in shared learning and exploration about sustained collaboration.
The MSI is open and available to all Illinois-based nonprofits, so all you have to do is send them our way. If an organization you work with is discussing partnering with another organization, please let them know that the MSI is here to help.
The MSI also provides virtual and in-person programming for cohorts of grantees. Reach out to the MSI Director to learn more about including partnership strategy in your capacity building technical assistance offerings.
“The MSI provides resources and a safe space for organizations to explore new ways to reach their mission through strategic partnerships, back-office collaborations, or mergers. I’ve seen the work of the MSI help organizations foster greater collaboration, build internal capacity, and sustain vital community services.”
Mark Rodriguez
Executive Director, Lohengrin Foundation
“I love being able to refer my grantees to talk with the MSI Director. It can be hard to convince folks to take the time to really think through partnership options and Kate is able to listen to them and brainstorm in a really low-key, no-pressure way. She’s able to talk through what an organization is going through and reflect back. Often folks to don’t know exactly what they need until they can talk to someone who knows the options. It’s been a great asset.”
Anne Posner
Senior Program Officer and Director of Strategy & Operations, RRF Foundation for Aging
To contribute to the MSI Fund and join a collective of people and organizations excited about exploring and supporting collaboration, contact the MSI Director or Forefront's advancement team.