What process can a coalition of 30 homeless services providers use to guide their overall funding strategy and guide their grants writer?

Alison's Contribution:

Interesting challenge. You've had two good responses thus far. I hope this helps.

My suggestion is to get all the service providers together without the grant writer. Here's my action plan for that meeting - please help the participants prepare for it by telling them what to bring with them.

Brief introductions (30 second sound bite)
Brainstorm the Single most pressing challenge from each (1 minute headline) - Scribe (write exactly) and Tally at the end
Identify synergies.
Make a Critical Path - eg what needs to happen first in order to make it easier for the next thing to happen
Decide which are the most pressing priorities and which are the easiest to obtain funding.
Wrap up with session review - a one good thing, one thing to improve (again scribe exactly what happened)
Agree and write down actions with the WHO and WHEN
Praise efforts and agree date for the next meeting

I believe this workshop will help you achieve all of your objectives. Use a good facilitator if you can. Perhaps someone could donate their services to you in exchange for a recommendation.

Hope this helps.

Alison