Collaborating to reduce poverty - Views from city halls and community-based organizations

The authors report on the findings of a national survey of city officials a nd executive directors of nonprofit organizations that was conducted by the National League of Cities in 1998 to gain a better understanding of the wa ys in which community-based organizations (CBOs) and city governments are w orking together to reduce poverty and revitalize neighborhoods. The finding s are mixed. Although collaboration between city governments and CBOs is fa irly widespread, in most communities, the "thin" version of collaboration r eported may not produce the beneficial outcomes suggested by some proponent s of collaboration. Although both city and CBO officials acknowledge the im portance and value of collaborative approaches to reducing poverty and revi talizing neighborhoods, investments in capacity building and community-base d strategic planning may be needed before the benefits of collaboration can be fully realized in most communities.