Patricia Gardner, Executive Director, Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits Join Patricia to learn how to create alliances in the nonprofit sector. Networks of agencies are stronger together than individually. Nonprofits together can lift their voice to impact change, and SVCN is an example of a network that worked together to increase government funding, change policies that impact their clients, and support local ballot measures like the Minimum Way in San Jose.

2. SVCN: MISSION STATEMENT
THE MISSION OF THE SILICON VALLEY COUNCIL OF NONPROFITS (SVCN)
IS TO MAGNIFY THE INFLUENCE AND CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFIT
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. SVCN WORKS
TO ENSURE THAT THE NONPROFIT SECTOR’S VOICE IS HEARD AND THAT
SOLUTIONS ARE DEVELOPED IN WAYS IN WHICH “EVERYBODY WINS”.
SVCN REPRESENTS A NETWORK OF 200 STRONG COMMUNITY
NONPROFITS

3. WE ARE:•A UNIFIED CONVENING VOICE AMONG HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE
AGENCIES ON ISSUES THAT IMPACT THEM.
•BUILDING NONPROFIT LEADERS AS VOCAL ADVOCATES AND
COLLABORATORS
•ENSURING THE NONPROFIT SECTOR'S VOICE IS HEARD AT DECISION
MAKING TABLES
•ENGAGING, ADVOCATING, EDUCATING, SPEAKING OUT AND TAKING
FORMAL POSITIONS ON ISSUES THAT MIGHT IMPACT THE FUNDING OF
HEALTH SERVICES TO CLIENTS.
•WORKING AND PARTNERING WITH FUNDERS, GOVERNMENT, AND
OTHERS TO PROMOTE THE WORK OF THE NONPROFIT SECTOR

4. RESULTS JUST IN 2014
WE BRING GROUPS OF AGENCIES TOGETHER TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR
SERVICES
• SCHOOL LINKED SERVICES TO BRING MORE SERVICES ONTO SCHOOL CAMPUSES-$1.5 MILLIONANNUALLY( PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOOLS,
GOVERNMENT AND NONPROFITS)
• D.A.C.A. LEGAL SERVICES - $570,000 ANNUALLY –IN CONVENING A PARTNERSHIP WITH 7 IMMIGRATION BASED AGENCIES
• $1.7 ANNUALLY FOR INCREASED SERVICES FOR SENIORS/DISABLED, YOUTH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, HOUSING, IMMIGRATION, EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
• $1 MILLION IN YOUTH FUNDING TO SUPPORT WORK FOR GIRLS AND GANGS AND YOUTH SERVICES- A COLLABORATION OF OVER A DOZEN AGENCIES
• OVER $1 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS FOR NONPROFIT COUNTY CONTRACTORS

5. WE BRING GROUPS TOGETHER TO CHANGE
POLICY
• STRONG SUPPORT IN A COALITION TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE IN SAN JOSE
• TO EDUCATE POLICY MAKERS ON THE IMPORTANCE IN INVESTING IN GIRLSINVOLVED IN GANGS
• TO EDUCATE POLICY AND DECISION MAKERS ON THE NEGATIVE USE OF PEPPER SPRAY WITHIN JUVENILE
INSTITUTIONS
• BRINGING GREATER RECOGNITION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEEDS FORMORE SERVICES TO
SENIORS

6. IN GOOD TIMES AND IN BAD
• ENCOURAGING EQUITABLE CUTS
• REDUCED CONTRACTS FOR ALL TO PROMOTE WE ARE A SYSTEM OF CARE-EVERYONE TOOK THEIR SHARE
• HIGHLIGHTING THE DEVASTATION OF CUTS
• SPEAKING OUT TO TRY AND REDUCE THE OVERALL CUTS AND THUS THE IMPACT TO SERVICES
• WORKING WITH AGENCIES TO COLLABORATE TOGETHER NOT TO SEPARATE AND DIVIDE

7. WE BELIEVE WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER
AND OUR RESULTS PROVE THAT
SO HOW CAN YOU DO IT AS WELL?
COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP WORK IS DIFFICULT
IT TAKES TIME TO BUILD TRUST AND CONFIDENCE
BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER ON THINGS YOU CAN AGREE ON FIRST
DETERMINE THE IMPACT YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE
GET TO THE RIGHT DECISION MAKING TABLES WITH A UNIFIED MESSAGE ( THE RULE OF 3)
WORK IT , MOVE IT , WAIT, WORK IT, MOVE IT, WAIT IT TAKES TIME

8. COLLABORATION
AND PARTNERSHIP WORK IS DIFFICULT
• BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER WITH INTENT TO BUILD PARTNERSHIP
• BRAINSTORM IDEAS AND DETERMINE YOUR GOALS
• USUAL AND UNUSUAL SUSPECTS ALLOWS FOR A STRONGER PARTNERSHIP
• THERE WILL BE ROUGH PATCHES BUT REMEMBER THE GOAL YOU WANT TO IMPACT –
• SVCN HAS MANY COALITIONS WITHIN OUR MEMBERSHIP–SOME WORK FOR YEARS LIKE JUVENILE
JUSTICE, SENIORS MET FOR 4 YEARS, EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING JUST
EMERGING

9. IT TAKES TIME TO BUILD TRUST AND
CONFIDENCE
• DETERMINE IF A SHORT TERM OR LONG TERMPARTNERSHIP- BE COMMITTED FOR YEARS NOT DAYS
• SPEND THE TIME UPFRONT GET TO KNOW PEOPLE ON A DEEPER LEVEL
• PLAN A RETREAT IN THE EARLY STAGES TO BUILD THE TEAM
• CREATE A REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE
• FOLLOW UP IS KEY- LACK OF FOLLOW UP WILL CRUSH A COALITION-YOU ARE DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER
• BE SURE YOU HAVE AN AGENDA PERSON, FACILITATOR, NOTE TAKER, FOLLOW UP SARGENT

10. BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER ON THINGS YOU CAN AGREE ON
FIRST
• BRAINSTORM A SERIES OF IDEAS TO WORK ON TOGETHER
• USE A FACILITATOR TO GET THE IDEAS ROLLING
• GET OUT LOTS OF STUFF, REALLY EXPLORE THE IMPOSSIBLEAND THE POSSIBLE-THIS IS MESSY FUN, LET IT FLOW
• DON’T LET ONE PERSON DOMINATE ( IT IS NOT ABOUT ME IT IS ABOUT WE)
• NOW NARROW IT DOWN TO 1-3 THING EVERYONE AGREES ON AND NO MORE
• DEFINE AND DETERMINE THE IMPACT YOU WANT TO MAKE ( NEXT SLIDE)
• BUILD A TIMELINE
• OFTEN A SEQUENCE NEEDS TO OCCUR TO MAKE THE CHANGE/IMPACT ETC
• BUILD LEADERSHIP AND SPOKESPERSONS FOR THE GROUP

11. DETERMINE IMPACT YOU ARE TRYING TO
MAKE
• DISCUSS HOW YOUR PARTICIPATION IN AN ISSUE WILL MAKE AN IMPACT
• WILL YOUR VOICE AND CREDIBILITY MAKES A DIFFERENCE ON AN ISSUE
• WHO WOULD BENEFIT
• WHO IS IT IMPORTANT TO
• WILL CLIENTS BENEFIT, WILL THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT, WHO CARES
• DEVELOP YOUR 3 TALKING POINTS
• WRITE THEM DOWN, CIRCULATE THEM, ENSURE THEM FOR EVERYONE
• DO NOT GO OFF POINT AS THAT WILL DILUTE YOUR MESSAGE
• IT IS NOT ABOUT ME IT IS ABOUT WE

12. GET TO THE RIGHT DECISION MAKING
TABLES WITH A UNIFIED MESSAGE
THE RULE OF 3
• THERE IS NOT ONE DECISION MAKING TABLE
• WHO ARE THE PLAYERS
• WHO HAS CONNECTIONS-THE BEST CONNECTIONS
• BUILD CONNECTIONS WHERE YOU DON’T HAVE THEM
• DO YOUR HOMEWORK- DO SOME BACKGROUND RESEARCH –DON’T JUST SHOW UP
• GO TO COFFEE-LOTS OF COFFEES
• GET THE RIGHT PERSON TO THE RIGHT PLACE
• WITH NO MORE THAN 3 TALKING POINTS

13. WORK IT , MOVE IT , WAIT, WORK IT, MOVE IT, WAIT
IT TAKES TIME…AND SO IT GOES
• COALITION AND PARTNERSHIP TAKES TIME
• IT IS NOT A QUICK FIX- ANOTHER RULE OF THREE YEARS TO CHANGE POLICY
• YEAR 1 –DETERMINE THE PROBLEM YOU WANT TO ADDRESS AND GATHER RESEARCH
• YEAR 2 –EDUCATE YOUR SELVES AND POLICY MAKERS ON THE PROBLEM AND SOLUTION
• YEAR 3- ADVOCATE AND IMPLEMENT THE CHANGE
• THE BENEFITS ARE FOR THE WHOLE- GETTING FUNDING TOGETHER CAN BE STRONGER THAN INDIVIDUALLY
• IT CREATES A STRONGER SYSTEM
• A STRONGER SERVICE SECTOR
• IT BUILDS COMMUNITY
• IT DEMONSTRATES THE SPIRIT OF OUR SECTOR
• IT IS NOT ABOUT ME IT IS ABOUT WE

14. WE
• WE THE COMMUNITY
• WE WITH OUR CLIENTS, BOARD MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF
• WE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MY SISTER AGENCIES
• WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER THAN INDIVIDUALLY
• WE HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAT SEPARATES US
• WE THE PEOPLE

15. SILICON VALLEY COUNCIL OF NONPROFITS
• SOBRATO CENTER FOR NONPROFITS –SAN JOSE
• 1400 PARKMOOR #130
• SAN JOSE, CA 95128
• WWW.SVCN.ORG