Development of Trust in Rural Nonprofit Collaborations

Development of trust among organization leaders and staff is important to the formation of successful organizational collaborations. Nonprofit leaders in two rural regions of southern Illinois and the Mississippi Delta demonstrate an awareness of the importance of trust among participants in the collaborations they engage in. Several environmental factors both encourage and constrain the ability of nonprofits in the two regions to form collaborations and build trust among partners. One of these, rural location, is largely considered a positive influence, making it easier for nonprofit leaders to get to know each other and work cooperatively. In addition, other factors such as race relations, government policies and mandates, nonprofit leadership, and organization financial and political resources have powerful effects on creation of collaborations and development of trust.