Non-profit organizations increasingly encounter opportunities and pressures to work together. Many nonprofits are small and targeted; the problems of the world are demanding and can benefit from well-conceived, coordinated efforts. Consequently, whether any organization succeeds in its efforts, and ultimately whether it endures, is increasingly dependent upon its ability to collaborate effectively. Educational non-profits are no exception: financial needs and opportunities, complex problems, synergistic goals, and complementary resources bring individuals from complex and diverse organizations into alliance with one another.

Although many collaborative ventures are successful, many apparently promising partnerships fail despite the good intentions, skills, effort, and commitment of those involved. The Collaboration Study seeks to understand factors that contribute to successful collaborations and those which compromise collaborative work.