In this day and age, leaders and organizations are recognizing that even their best individual and team efforts can’t stack up against today’s complex and analogous challenges. Organizations are putting aside the idea of superiority and collaborating to build a new civic foundation to further their shared objectives. They’re recognizing that it’s time to stop climbing the ladder and tearing down others to build themselves up – It’s time to connect and collaborate, to support and strive for better relationships in life and in the community.
While the idea of collaboration is surely not a foreign idea, nonprofits have traditionally shunned away from working with each other to focus on their own objectives and/or mission. At Nine13sports, we embrace the concept of collaboration and are frequently interacting and engaging with our numerous partners. Our willingness to adopt new ways of working together with our partners has fostered stimulating and lifelong relationships. Furthermore, instead of concentrating on how we can promote and advance our brand, we’re reaching out to our partners for ways that we can work together to further our collective values.
Collaboration over competition encourages creativity within our organization. Two brains are better than one and once we start brainstorming and sharing ideas with like-minded individuals and organizations, the sky is the limit in terms of creative use. For instance, during the Brackets for Good fundraising tournament this past March, we received a portion of the sales from the ‘Ride Indiana’ shirt that was released by one of our partners, United State of Indiana. This demand for this shirt made it a win-win for the both of us. This collaboration for social entrepreneurship was made by two organizations that started their stomping grounds at the same location (the Speak Easy) and have a mutual passion for improving Indianapolis in a way that is visible to everyone.
Collaboration is an experience that integrates people, technology and business through which extraordinary things can happen. With these relationships, we’re able to approach our objectives, as well as our mission and vision statements, with a more increased focus and openness regarding innovation.
In succession, without these relationships, we wouldn’t be where we’re at now or making the impact on Central Indiana and Portland that we do on a daily basis. We would not be here today without our amazing partners: Franciscan Alliance, Arbor Homes, Bicycle Garage Indy, BGI Fitness, United State of Indiana, Lids Foundation, Finish Line Youth Foundation, Regions Bank, Candidio, St. Vincent Hospital, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, Major Hospital, the Speak Easy and many more.