craigdailypress.com

In recent months, the Craig Daily Press editorial board has called for local non-profit organizations to combine their efforts, thus saving money and providing more effective and efficient services.

This summer, four groups did just that.

Recreational After-school Doorway and the Boys & Girls Club of Craig have decided to combine their crusades to give area youths something productive and educational to do between the time when school gets out and when mom and dad get off work.

Grand Futures Prevention Coalition has taken over the roles previously filled by the now dissolved Moffat County Partners, a program that matched at-risk youth with adult mentors.

We couldn't be more pleased.

Collaborations like this are great for the community, and the youths they serve. Duplication of services is wasteful and unnecessary. Partnerships like the ones these non-profits have formed allow youths to be involved in more activities and not force generous community members to decide between similar organizations to donate to.

The groups can conserve money by avoiding paying two directors' salaries or two leases for office space. Combining efforts is financially responsible.

Sure, we live in a community brimming with residents willing to serve on committees and boards. We're fortunate to have so many people, who are eager to donate their time. But if we take advantage of that, those who are involved may need to start choosing between groups, leaving others to struggle for leaders.

Community members can do good for their town without dedicating all their spare time to non-profit organizations.

We hope other organizations and agencies in Moffat County see the work of these four groups as a template for what their own groups could do.

Sometimes necessity leads us to better situations. We understand that some groups, including those mentioned above, struggle to even keep their doors open. So, forming partnerships is essential.

But other groups, even those thriving on their own, should consider the beneficial work being done by other -- often quite similar -- organizations. By combining leadership, fundraising activities and programming options, just imagine the community-strengthening work that could be accomplished.