Community leaders, university partners, and local funders recently gathered for the second iteration of Vanderbilt’s “Power in Collaboration” series, aimed at enhancing community engagement and fostering inter-organizational collaboration. Hosted by Vanderbilt’s Community Relations team in partnership with GOAL Collective, the event focused on bridging Middle Tennessee's community-based organizations with foundations and higher education partners to encourage collaboration and explore pathways for funding opportunities.
Building on the series’ inaugural gathering in 2023 focused on trust and navigating power dynamics, this year's event, "Power in Collaboration: Catalyzing and Sustaining Community Impact," highlighted the vital role of collaboration in addressing societal challenges in both higher education and the nonprofit sector. Participants gathered to explore innovative partnership models and strategies to amplify collective efforts in nonprofit work.
Jyoti Gupta delivered a keynote highlighting successful collaborative approaches to combat socioeconomic inequalities. She stressed the importance of collective power in driving systemic change, drawing from impactful case studies. Gupta is an assistant professor of the practice at Peabody College of Education and Human Development and a faculty fellow with the Curb Center for Arts, Enterprise, and Public Policy.
A panel discussion moderated by Gupta featured community leaders including Ameshica Linsey from GOAL Collective, Lindsey Basler of Dollar General, Tom Parrish from the Scarlett Family Foundation, Daryl Curry of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and David Moore of Moore Strategic.
Panelists discussed the challenges and rewards of launching and sustaining collaborative initiatives, as well as the evolving role of funders in supporting such efforts. Linsey, who partnered in the event’s planning, talked about GOAL Collective's work as a collaborative model in Nashville convening organizations that serve adult learners. She and the panelists shared insights from their perspectives as funders and partners.
Panelists and attendees discussed building collective impact models, the importance and challenges of allocating resources to support capacity and processes over traditional outcomes, and the value of bringing organizations together to foster genuine collaboration.
The Vanderbilt Community Relations team has applied insights from the series to refine their funding practices, launching initiatives like the Community Engagement Collaboration Fund to foster joint projects between Vanderbilt and local nonprofits. The team also refined the criteria and application process for the Community Impact Fund. These efforts aim to ensure equitable support and clear pathways for community-driven initiatives.
About Vanderbilt Community Relations: The Vanderbilt Community Relations team serves as a facilitator, connector, and convener for local external partners and Vanderbilt University students, staff, faculty and resources. Community Relations supports nonprofit organizations financially and in partnership through the Community Impact Fund, convenes campus partners through the Vanderbilt University Community Engagement Collective, and facilitates collaborative programming with nonprofit partners.