Given the added societal and organizational vulnerabilities arising from the pandemic, organizations in the charitable/NFP sector have added incentive to consider operational collaboration or even organizational integration. The OCF is interested in helping organizations explore and develop new organizational partnerships.
Below are a few examples that fall at different places along a continuum from relatively modest collaborations to full organizational mergers. If you have other examples to share, please send them, along with a brief description, to grants@ocf-fco.ca.
SHARED CLIENT SERVICE PORTAL
Counselling Connect
Counselling Connect is a single online portal for individuals to access a free virtual mental health and addictions counselling session from one of over twenty independent community agencies. Clients choose the relevant type of counselling based on their need, age, and/or identity, and are booked with an appropriate counsellor the same or next day. There is bridging to other social services as needed. This service has improved access and reduced wait times and enables better coordination and efficient service delivery for participating agencies.
SHARED BACK-OFFICE SERVICES
Ottawa Shared Services Organization
OSSO was recently formed by three agencies (Ottawa-Carleton Lifeskills, Ottawa Foyers Partage, and Ottawa Rotary Home) to provide back-end administrative services such as Financial, IT, and HR management. The intent is to increase efficiency and reduce costs, and eventually scale to serving other ‘client’ agencies.
SHARED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Hopewell Eating Disorder Support Centre / Families Matter Cooperative
A single individual serves as the Executive Director for these independent and otherwise unrelated organizations. Both are relatively small organizations whose operations did not require a full-time ED.
This was not a pre-meditated arrangement, and the ED has been responsible for ensuring fair allocation of time and appropriate “firewalls” between the two organizations. The arrangement has resulted in benefits and efficiencies for both organizations including shared knowledge and leveraging of mutually relevant services and resources.
SHARED LEADERSHIP AND SERVICES
Thrive Group (Hamilton, ON)
Thrive Group was established in 2013 to provide collaborative and cost-effective corporate services to long-term care agencies. The strategic goal was to increase quality front-line care for clients and residents by recruiting a single Chief Executive Officer and consolidating each organization’s Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance, and Facilities Management functions.
Thrive Group is comprised of four member organizations. Each remains distinct, but the same individuals serve on the boards of all four organizations and of Thrive Group itself. It also delivers back-office support to 12 other social services organizations on a fee-for-service basis.
ORGANIZATIONAL MERGER
Campfire Circle (Toronto, ON)
Formerly Camp Oochigeas & Camp Trillium
Camp Oochigeas and Camp Trillium were two organizations offering summer camps and year-round programs for children and youth with cancer. The two organizations merged in 2020 and are rebranding as Campfire Circle. Throughout the merger they kept all locations open (three camps and programming in Toronto) and maintained existing services for clients.
Trellis Society (Calgary, AB)
Trellis Society is a new organization formed in June 2020, merging Aspen Family & Community Network Society and Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary.
They worked with the Institute for Community Prosperity at Mount Royal University to document the process for organizations considering amalgamation.