Better Together: Serving Seniors Through Shared Services in Arizona

Expanding the Story: East Valley Senior Home Sharing (EVSHS) Program Leverages the Special Sauce of Three Nonprofits

When Aster Aging Inc, AZCEND, and Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA) joined forces to serve seniors at risk of homelessness in the East Valley area south and east of Phoenix, their partnership was rooted in a shared commitment to this vulnerable population, but also in harnessing collective expertise, fostering innovation, and creating sustainable support systems for those in need. Their agile, problem-solving approach led them on a journey that has many learnings for those interested in collaborative solutions that don’t involve mergers.

Current Operations and How They Got There

With support from AZ Together, the partners worked with La Piana Consulting early in their process to design EVSHS. All options were on the table, and the partners found a facilitated, structured process useful to consider the pros and cons of each. This included a review of all necessary functional areas and how various structures would impact program implementation.

The planning process helped frame staffing needs and the partners decided a design thinking approach would help them iterate on what the structure should ultimately look like. They contracted with a local consultant to get the program up and running, during which time they experimented with various approaches to supervision.

Ultimately, they landed on a solution that includes:

• A shared staff person employed by one of the partners (AZCEND) who coordinates all aspects of the program for all three organizations. The advantage being that a current staff person was already very familiar with at least one organization’s programs. Part of the shared staff person’s responsibilities is to represent the Home Sharing Program and draw from all resources from all three organizations to best serve clients. This individual enables cross-organizational learning and helps navigate the complexities of multi-agency efforts.
• A shared website for the Home Sharing Program serves as a unified gateway for clients and donors, providing clear information about resources and engagement opportunities. TCAA has responsibility for managing the website.
• Regular communications include meetings among the three CEO’s with and without the shared staff person, as well as meetings with all staff connected to the program from the three organizations to coordinate and make sure communication is clear to those they serve. This is crucial in guiding strategy, monitoring quality, and troubleshooting challenges.
• Grant writing and funding goes through one organization (Aster) and is allocated to the others on a reimbursement basis according to the grant agreements. Aster acts as the fiscal sponsor.
• Shared ownership of tasks has worked well. AZCEND supervises the staff person. Aster is responsible for grant writing and reporting. All three organizations share responsibilities around outreach and marketing including a social media calendar to rotate who is promoting the program each month
• Goals laid out in EVSHS funding agreements provide the framework for the collaborative. The shared staff person uses these goals to guide their work. Quarterly grant reporting helps the team focus on effective planning and decision-making. Although they considered forming a new nonprofit or using an MOU to govern the program, they have found the simplicity of building their work around collaborative grants sufficient to achieve their goals. The current approach fosters transparency, accountability, and a culture of continuous improvement, with decision-making informed by a broad range of perspectives.

What Was Learned

• Roll with the punches. The partners learned there are limitations to the Home Sharing program. In the beginning they researched other Home Sharing programs around the country and suspected they could grow the program in the East Valley more than others had elsewhere given the demographics. However, they discovered there are some limitations to home sharing programs. In the words of Deborah Schaus, CEO of Aster Aging, “not everyone is cut out to be a roommate”. There would always be interest in the program, but they discovered it was unlikely to scale at the pace they had expected. The collaborative recognized this and pivoted to more broadly serve older adults at risk of homelessness. EVSHS is now the entry point for many vulnerable older adults to receive a wider range of services. The signature program became the core of something more far-reaching.
• Plan in order to be lucky. EVSHS underwent countless rounds of planning. Ultimately being planful and intentional positioned it well for “opportunities to be lucky”. At times over the last few years EVSHS wasn’t sure it could be financially viable, but the focus on a specific target client/need, the accumulated build-up of “collaborative muscle,” and the ability to leverage each organization’s strengths resulted in readiness at each funding juncture and ultimately success in fundraising.
• Teamwork makes the dream work. The partners have a high level of trust in each other and are in constant dialogue on learning from each other on best practices. This has allowed them to keep the partnership evolving to the next level. They were not concerned with ego or the financial benefits to their organizations, as Trinity Donovan of AZCEND stated, this is “a true collaboration for the community’s sake.”
• Address challenges head on. One of the three CEO’s left their position recently and there were concerns about the loss of institutional knowledge and whether the collaboration would hold. The other two partners brought the new CEO into the fold quickly. Collaboratives should anticipate on-boarding and off-boarding. EVSHS considers it a success that the collaborative isn’t based on personal connections, but that as a group, they share a common goal to do what it takes to serve older adults at risk of homelessness. They withstood this leadership transition and the collaboration is still strong.
• Flexibility comes from trust. Funders of collaboratives are willing to take leaps of faith when they trust the organizations involved in a collaborative. It was critical that each of the three partners in EVSHS had goodwill with the funders and others in the community. Those who funded EVSHS have been patient and flexible as it has grown in unanticipated directions.
• Bold strategic moves beget success. Other benefits accrued to the partners individually in terms of heightened awareness of their organizations among funders, in some cases leading to additional funding for other programs. And by raising the visibility of the needs of older adults, the partners have experienced increased rates of volunteerism. Recognition of the program has also led other communities to reach out wanting to replicate from the lessons learned.

Tips for Nonprofits Considering a Shared Services Collaborative

• Focus on a shared goal: At the heart of the partnership is an unwavering commitment to support older adults at risk of homelessness in the East Valley. By combining efforts, the organizations can address the complex factors contributing to housing instability, ensuring that those most vulnerable are prioritized in outreach and program design.
• Recognize collaboration is its own journey. It is best to accept that from the beginning. Control freaks may fight it, but the key is to let the collaboration take whatever path it will take. Let it emerge within reasonable boundaries you set as a group. The old African proverb applies: “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”
• Find space for experimentation: Take advantage when that rare opportunity comes along that gives you the time and space to test out new ideas. Having room for iteration is key. When you can test what is right for your community you can come up with great solutions.
• Know and trust your collaborators well. True collaboration may be eased along by financial support, but pulling together those with deep expertise to solve a community problem is priceless. When there is deep trust and respect, the most amazing solutions manage to bubble to the top. You may even have unrelated “wins” you didn’t expect. Let the magic happen.

Conclusion

The collaboration between Aster, AZCEND, and TCAA on the Home Sharing Program highlights the power of shared purpose in the nonprofit sector. By leveraging each organization’s strengths and embracing a collective approach to service delivery, the partnership has made significant strides in supporting older adults at risk of homelessness in the East Valley near Phoenix. Their experience demonstrates that while collaboration requires patience, openness, and flexibility, the rewards—in greater impact, sustainable change, and stronger community bonds—are well worth the effort. As other nonprofits consider similar alliances, the lessons from this collaboration demonstrate that there are no simple shortcuts to building effective partnerships but that the investment in strong organizations with expertise in meeting community needs, who trust one another, and are creative problem-solvers yields great outcomes.