Creative Discovery Museum, Hunter Museum of American Art, and Tennessee Aquarium Named Finalists for Nonprofit Collaboration Prize

A unique partnership between Creative Discovery Museum, the Hunter Museum of American Art and the Tennessee Aquarium has been named one of eight finalists for The Collaboration Prize, a national cash award of $250,000 presented to an outstanding model of nonprofit collaboration.

CONTACT:  Katrina Craven
(423) 752-2070

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Creative Discovery Museum, Hunter Museum of American Art and the Tennessee Aquarium Named Finalists for $250,000 Nonprofit Collaboration Prize


CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Jan. 14, 2009)–A unique partnership between Creative Discovery Museum, the Hunter Museum of American Art and the Tennessee Aquarium has been named one of eight finalists for The Collaboration Prize, a national cash award of $250,000 presented to an outstanding model of nonprofit collaboration.


The Lodestar Foundation, in association with the Arizona-Indiana-Michigan (AIM) Alliance, created The Collaboration Prize in an effort to demonstrate how nonprofit resources can be used more effectively to create greater impact. The Chattanooga Museums Collaboration, which includes CDM, Hunter Museum and the Aquarium, is an administrative and programmatic collaboration and was selected from a highly competitive pool of more than 644 U.S.-based nominations.
“Successful non-profits must maximize resources,” said Rob Kret, director of the Hunter Museum. “The Chattanooga Museums Collaboration has not only strengthened our individual organizations, but it has created a stronger cultural community in Chattanooga.”
The three partners share resources in several key areas including human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, marketing and retail. This resource sharing allows the organizations to maximize resources and reduce operating expenses significantly. It has also led to collaborative programmatic efforts.


“The best thing about this partnership is that each of the involved institutions gets more time and money to spend on its mission,” notes Charlie Arant, CEO of the Aquarium.  “I believe that many institutions could benefit from this type of partnership. It really is true that a rising tide lifts all boats.” 

Henry Schulson, executive director of CDM, agrees.

“Our partnership represents a great example of the collaborative and cooperative spirit which has been so vital to Chattanooga’s revitalization,” Schulson said. “It can serve as a national model for resource sharing.”


The Collaboration Prize winner will be announced on March 5, 2009 at a seminar in Scottsdale, Arizona on nonprofit effectiveness hosted by Lodestar and the Association of Small Foundations. The winner – chosen by a Final Selection Panel of leaders from the nonprofit and business worlds – will provide the most successful model of collaboration meeting the prize’s criteria (as described on the award’s Web site, www.thecollaborationprize.org). All eight finalists will be invited to attend the seminar and to participate in panel discussions to share their experiences.


The announcement of the winner will come at a time when many nonprofits are desperately seeking ways to remain viable in an increasingly harsh fundraising environment.


“The economic crisis has decreased charitable giving and that has dramatically increased interest in collaborations and mergers among nonprofits, particularly with respect to eliminating duplication and sharing resources,” says Lodestar board chairman, Jerry Hirsch. “Though such strategies can be an imperative during this economic crisis, collaborations and mergers are best practices that should be considered even in the best of economic times.”


For more information or to set up interviews with the collaboration partners, please contact:

To speak with someone from The Lodestar Foundation, the AIM Alliance or any of the other finalists, contact Claudia Gunter at cgunter@fenton.com or (212) 584-5000 x 226. For more information on The Collaboration Prize or for more details on the finalists, please visit www.thecollaborationprize.org.


The other seven Collaboration Prize Finalists are:
(in alphabetical order)

  • Cancer Vaccine Collaborative, New York, New York, Cancer research collaboration promoting learning over competition
  • Crittenton Women’s Union, Boston, Massachusetts, Merger of two organizations serving low-income women
  • Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, Texas, Merger among the Dallas Children’s Museum, The Science Place, and Dallas Museum of Natural History
  • New York LawHelp Consortium, New York, New York, Collaboration among legal services organizations providing on-line resources
  • Ready, Set, Parent, Buffalo and Lackawanna, New York, Collaboration between organizations supporting at-risk new parents
  • Shorebank Enterprise Cascadia, Ilwaco, Washington, Merger of two community development financial institutions
  • YMCA/JCC Integration, Sylvania, Ohio (Greater Toledo), Merger of Jewish Community Center and Young Men’s Christian Association in Greater Toledo

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