[...] Valerio Melandri has published an interesting post on the real competitive advantage that would in nonprofit fundraising and to share if you [...]

Melandri said what is interesting, but in Italy I think we are really far behind on this point, in nonprofit organizations to share, excluding some rare exceptions, is pretty lontanta from being put into practice. Comparisons on direct mail, e-mailing are difficult or perhaps impossible to believe. perhaps no one still sees the benefits of sharing and therefore everyone is jealous of his "treasure"

A game that I happened to meet in groups doing training class is called "The Prisoner's Dilemma": two - or more - teams compete among themselves by playing cards that generate different scores in a sequence of ten exchanges. The goal of the game is "saved" and to reach it we must score a total score greater than zero. The bets are interdependent. This brings the two teams to choose a strategy game "collaborative" or "aggressive". Experience shows that in the second case - almost always adopted by adults - both teams fail to reach the goal.
Sounds like a good photograph of the nonprofit world. Not all, fortunately, but probably a good part.
Maybe it depends on what level of horizon there arises: if the goal is to grow the culture of the nonprofit then you must share, if the horizon is that of your organization then you will tend to defend their identity and their own knowhow with great energy.
What seems strange is that now more and further more the institutions that govern development policies (eg social) are pushing for the creation of networks, partnerships, etc ..., calls for funding for certain foundations (eg in Lombardia) pose as a binding submission of online projects. So it seems to me a way that, like it or not - but I like it and convinces - can no longer be avoided.

Hello Andrea, I like what you say even if everything is in flux because they are too many nonprofits in the same city that maybe, maybe not large do exactly the same thing but only differ in ideology or political affiliation. Things that are now meaningless now that it is necessary to rationalize resources, create networks and fences of political

Most interesting discussion I would like to participate in this debate. I do not know if I'm wrong, but it could be summed up with a motto: "This is not to make the fund raiser, but to live as a fundraiser." This one day Valerio Melandri said when he presented his book at Padua (fundraiser: professional or missionary?). Fund raising is a lifestyle, a way to approciare this strange experience that we all live for the first time (and also the only one, at least in this dimension).
I remember also a lesson about the prof. Zamagni, in that of Forli, when he told us how much of the knowledge and knowledge is given, mind you, not given, donated in full the principle of reciprocity. It's up to us, when we receive this gift, reciprocate, to those who have it donated or anyone else, but woe to hold it in so doing betray the expectations of those we gave him. On the other hand, this was also one of the factors seccesso industrial districts of the 80s, the so-called spin-off, esprienze exchange of knowledge, you know, growing up together grow for everyone. The development of anything can ariivare only from the openings, by comparison, by the closures is generally not anything new. So why is it so cheap? According to me because it is an exhausting and endless task. And 'an activity that requires strong motivation endogenous great tenacity in the medium and long term, a sense of security and a bit' of unconsciousness. Risk: in every new relationship that we put in motion, or whether personal or business, to risk more, get in the game constantly and continually grow. It is definitely not a comfortable position, for it is the only way to build something that makes sense in time and beyond our time.

What a thrill to write back on this blog after so long! Nicole is, the former student who wrote the FAQ on Fund Raising now 2 years ago (argh!!)!

2 of my considerations: professionalism and sharing:

- I am personally in favor of networking, but on condition that they are the partner organizations and, above all, be prepared to do so: if not, what are called "coordination costs" would be too high and the effort to achieve The aim much higher than individual work ... Often, then, it happens that some ONP (I mean those not particularly structured, the small village of just to be clear ... those that matter most to me, because it could become a real strength, if only a little more "professional" and less improvised) will take advantage of the expertise of partners and not bring their contribution by losing, alas, more resources ...

- Another very critical point I think is represented by the syndrome "first woman" that hits a little bit all the nonprofit organizations: there is the fear of overshadowing, if you enable collaboration with other nonprofits similar to the privilege of pedere excel, fear the possible competition (but we're not talking mmmmhhh Civil Society? whose primary purpose is to improve, those who in one way or another, the lives and welfare of the local community? so why fear the competition, even if this helps achieve the goal?!?) and as the mythic Francis "everyone is jealous of its treasure" ...
Maybe we should all brush up a little bit what good essay Antonio Genovesi, guru of my university, said as early as the eighteenth century ... "... is the law of the universe that you can not do their own happiness if we do that of others"

Greetings to all!

Hello Francesco, I absolutely agree with you about the often unnecessary and wasteful overlapping of many nonprofits on projects of varying scope. I hope that there will be a greater sharing of initiatives that lead to solving problems, especially if they insist on a single community that is on the same territory. It would be interesting to perhaps find ways of working to spread a "culture of the gift economy." It seems to me - I have not participated but the return strikes me that - that the same Festival Fundraising is a way to get there. Although, as I teach the prisoner's dilemma, is not just a problem of action but of a cultural approach.

[...] Campaign was born from a collaboration between 11 U.S. nonprofit organizations (I say this because he is talking about Valeriomelandri.it of collaboration between organizations [...]