Hundreds of Resources at Your Fingertips

October 5, 2016

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Interested in solutions to our world's most complex problems?

You're in the right place.

in•ter•sec•tor |in,tersektor|
noun
1. a space where government, business, and non-profit sectors share expertise, resources, and authority to address problems that cannot be solved by one sector alone

NEW AT THE INTERSECTOR PROJECT

A Resource Library for Cross-sector Collaboration

At The Intersector Project, we recently began to think about the possibility of creating a resource hub for those interested in cross-sector collaboration — a section of our website where practitioners, researchers, and anyone exploring the field of cross-sector collaboration could search and filter through hundreds of quality resources (coming from research organizations, advisory groups, training organizations, academic centers and journals, and more) to discover findings, thoughtful commentary, examples, and tools to improve their cross-sector collaboration thinking and practice.

Several piles of books, articles, reports, and toolkits later, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve created exactly that. Read more.

Explore the Resource Library

Leveraging startup culture to improve local government

By Christopher Cabaldon, Mayor, City of West Sacramento, and Mark Johannessen, Council Member, City of West Sacramento

As advancements in technology revolutionize customer experiences in every aspect of our residents’ lives, local governments are under evolutionary pressure to adapt or risk losing the support and trust of the communities they serve. However, by design, governmental entities are organized to be risk-averse and slow to change — exactly the opposite of the nimble qualities that drive the rapid technological advancements shaping the world around us.

How can local governments bridge this gap? Read more.

What We're Reading and Following This Week

D.C.’s Metro and the power of a P3
This short piece in Governing on the problems facing D.C.'s Metro system brings up a benefit of P3s that is not often discussed. "The strongest argument for a P3 is that it forces a more honest appraisal of life-cycle costs, better aligning the incentives of the public and private partners," the author writes. He argues that P3s force policymakers to "confront the true life-cycle cost of a project," including maintenance, before committing to a project.

United for Charity: How Americans trust and value the charitable sector
This report from Independent Sector looks at public opinion of the charitable sector, touching on the role of the sector in solving public problems: "A strong majority of voters (78 percent) support a bigger role for the charitable sector in working with the federal government to produce more effective and efficient solutions to problems."

Navigator Award finalists: Government Allies and Cross-Sector Partners category
Check out the impressive finalists for Route Fifty's Navigator Awards in the "Government Allies and Cross-sector Partners" category.

Collaboration, not just money, is what's needed to fight cancer
This piece in The Hill comes from two participants from a session on collaboration in cancer research at the Concordia Summit. They note that no one at the panel argued for more funding for cancer research. Participants instead focused on the importance of aligning efforts across sectors to improve research and its impact on patient care.

Want to keep up with the newest insights and commentary on cross-sector collaboration? Check out the Friday Weekly Briefing on our blog.

LeadBoston is accepting applications for the 2017 cohort
LeadBoston, a program of YW Boston, is an 11-month, experiential executive education program focused on the inner workings of Boston, trends and issues that impact the city’s social and economic vitality, and socially responsible leadership. The program unites leaders from the non-profit, public, and corporate sectors. Applications for the 2017 cohort are due on November 4. For more information about the program or to apply, please see the LeadBoston webpage, contact Sheera Bornstein, or RSVP for an info session on October 6.

Building a Neighborhood of Economic Opportunity in Atlanta

In 1995, in the East Lake Meadows public housing complex located four miles from downtown Atlanta, only four percent of residents earned incomes above the poverty line. The unemployment rate was 86.5 percent, and the neighborhood was home to a multi-million dollar drug trade. In 1993, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) a $35 million grant to renovate the crumbling housing stock of East Lake Meadows. Renee Glover, who had recently joined AHA as President, realized that merely renovating housing would not create a safer, more prosperous community. Read more.

Resources for Practitioners

Created for practitioners from every sector, our Toolkit simply and clearly articulates the essential ingredients of collaboration — an ideal resource for partners to establish a shared understanding of their process and a common language for their work.

One of the leading libraries on cross-sector collaborations in the United States, our case studies were created specifically for a practitioner audience. They are brief and focus on illuminating the key contributions and collaborative tactics of partners from successful intersector collaborations across the United States in a variety of issue areas.