OTF requires that groups applying as a collaborative create a written agreement that spells out how

they intend to work together. Be prepared to provide this documentation if/when requested by OTF.

To apply for an OTF grant, the Lead Applicant must be registered as an eligible organization with OTF. Refer
to the Collaborative Applicants Policy for more information.

A collaborative is made up of two or more organizations that wish to achieve a common goal, and are prepared
to work towards a mutual benefit, and share decision-making and accountability.*

Good working partnerships require thoughtful planning. It may take just a single discussion amongst your
members or you may need a few meetings to iron out the details of your working relationship.

Your groups collaborative agreement should be simple and no more than a few pages. It should set out a clear
plan for:

The roles each member will play

How decisions will be made; how will conflicts be resolved
How you will communicate with all members of the collaborative
How money will be spent and accounted for
How reports will be prepared

Include the following areas in your Collaborative Agreement:

Purpose - Write a brief explanation of why the collaborative has formed, who will benefit from your work
together, and how you intend work to achieve the projects outcomes.

Time frame - Set out the term of this agreement. Indicate the start and projected end dates. You may plan for
your partnership to begin with your application and end at the completion of your Ontario Trillium Foundation
grant. Or it may be that your OTF-funded project is simply one part of your collaborative work in the
community.

Names, roles and responsibilities of member groups - Set out who will play the role of the Lead Applicant
and take responsibility in the OTF Grant Contract for the accountability and management of your project.

List the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the key representatives of all the groups that make up
your collaborative and the roles each group will play in the project. Identify which collaborative member will be
responsible for each task involved in planning, doing or evaluating the initiative.

Decision-making process - Set out how the decisions will be made. New collaboratives must create
structures and outline processes for making decisions. Existing collaboratives may need only document what
they currently do. However, sometimes in having the discussion about how your group makes decisions, new
issues, ideas and arrangements can emerge.

*As OTF policy does not allow flow-through funding to organizations, a collaborative cannot be used for the purpose of flowing funds to
member organizations.

August 2015
Shared decision-making, responsibility and accountability, both between members and with the larger
community, are important components in collaborative work. Most groups use a process of discussion followed
by a formal decision-making process (such as a vote with a majority decision or consensus).

There are many decision-making processes available; the key is that you know that the chosen decision-
making method suits the style and requirements of the group.

Collaboratives with a straightforward project may have a simple agreement that details each
organizations roles and responsibilities. Larger and more complex projects may require a collaborative
committee or separate board with a formal decision-making process spelled out.

Decision-making within a collaborative group may be a process with a majority of members carrying the
decision or an arrangement that permits representational decision-making on behalf of collaborative
members. Some groups choose a majority-vote decision-making process. Others prefer to work in a
consensus process, where the group deals with all raised objections until every member agrees that
the decision is one with which they can live. Both methods require the group to decide in advance on a
clear process so that each member of the collaborative will know when a decision has been reached.

Regardless of the decision-making process selected, collaborative members need to think through what kinds
of decisions will need to be made, who will make them, and how the decisions will be recorded, tracked and
reported/communicated to the whole group.

What will be the process for various decisions that will need to be made? Here are some examples of the kinds
of day-to-day decisions the collaborative will need to work out:
Authority to spend money on behalf of the collaborative
Hiring decisions
Decisions about policy or the direction that your program will take
Decisions about applying for grants
Planning decisions

Members wont agree all of the time. How will conflict be resolved? If your decision-making process breaks
down, or if your group is in conflict, what is the process you will use for resolution? Plan ahead and include a
simple process for how conflict will be resolved.

Communication amongst members - Think about how your collaborative will keep all members informed.
When will you communicate, to whom and by what means (regular meetings, email, newsletter, conference
calls, website, etc.)?

Management of funds - The Lead Applicant is designated by the collaborative to sign and be responsible for
the Grant Contract signed with OTF, accepting the funds and assuming responsibility for fiscal accountability
and all other required reporting.

All members of the collaborative must know how the grant money is managed. This section should include:

Who the collaborative authorizes to make decisions to spend grant money

How invoices are paid
How expenditures and revenues are recorded
Who prepares the financial reports for the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the collaborative and when
What assets are contributed by member groups at the projects outset and how they will be disbtributed
at the end of the project

Once you have an agreement, ensure an authorized person from each group in the collaborative signs and
receives a copy of the collaborative agreement.

August 2015