Durham has it’s challenges, but the number of non profits doesn’t seem to be one of them. A trip to your mailbox or some basic internet research will tell you that there are hundreds of organizations in our city that are all looking to address some need as they vie for our checkbook. Most, if not all, of them are run with people with great hearts. Are they all being run with great minds, though? God tells us to love him with all of our hearts AND our minds. The Parable of the Talents talks about how a sound mind helps us to make the most of the opportunities that God has given us. This lesson seems to be missed too often, but those who try to apply it/teach it are met with understandable resistance. Criticism of folks that give their lives to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and educate our youth, of course, is never popular.

I had breakfast this morning with Barker French, a man who epitomizes active civic engagement. He clearly has a great mind and encourages those around him to use theirs. He is one of the most connected men that I have ever come across regardless of domain. He has turned his back on passive retirement and made it his mission to serve this city by alternately encouraging and challenging some of the best not for profits in the city. What impressed me though, wasn’t his prolific schedule or who he knows, but what he does and how he is using his MIND to get the most out of the minds of those with the best HEARTS in the city. You see, he understands that there are tremendous opportunities to increase the impact of not for profits in this city when they work TOGETHER.

Here’s how it works. Barker has a particular conviction to impact the 14-21 age group. He knows that there are a number of programs set up to address this situation from RIL, a summer leadership development hosted at Southern High School, to Yo Durham (a jobs program), to PROUD (an afterschool program) and several others. - The only missing piece in my view would be a faith based organization like Reality or YoungLife, but maybe that’s to come - Barker has brought them all together in what he calls a “collaborative” The collaborative brings together program managers to share best practices, information and resources. More importantly, though, they collaborate on their shared mission (serving the 14-21 age program) with the result that they now take care of these kids with programs that provide real guidance and impact over all 12 months and through a variety of disciplines…...something that they hadn’t done on their own. Rather than competing against each other for the same donor base, they can now present a shared solution that is more compelling to the donor, leading the same group to give more, and broadening out the base to new donors who are only interested in a comprehensive solution. More efficiency, more funding, more results, more kids actively enagaged in making Durham a better place versus the alternative.

Now that’s a good idea whose time has come. Here’s to more collaboratives across the non profit sectors and here’s to more Barker French’s!

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