No One Can Do It All: Why Collaboration Helps Families Succeed

Collaboration isn’t about losing identity or control—it’s about multiplying impact, building trust, and creating systems that are stronger than any single organization could ever be on its own.

At a recent 100 Families Alliance Meeting in Sebastian County, two leaders from different corners of the community shared a powerful and honest conversation about collective impact, trust, and why collaboration is essential.

The discussion featured Emily Treadaway, Director of the Center for Nonprofits, and Jeff Piker, Community Success Manager with Restore Hope. Together, they offered both personal stories and practical insight into how communities can better serve families by working together rather than in silos.

For Emily Treadaway, her journey into nonprofit work began not with a job title, but with family. She and her husband had been interested in adoption when her niece and two nephews entered foster care. Overnight, their household grew from a family of four to a family of seven—bringing new challenges, new responsibilities, and a front-row seat to the realities of the child welfare system.

After being immersed in foster care, her passion grew beyond her own family. As she shared, "I became very passionate about serving the community." That passion ultimately led her to the Center for Nonprofits, where her work now focuses on helping organizations become more stable so they can serve their communities more effectively.

Jeff Piker’s perspective on collaboration was shaped long before his work with Restore Hope or the 100 Families Initiative. He grew up working in his father’s contracting business, where he learned how to look at a space and imagine what it could become.

That mindset stayed with him. As he explained, "I've always had the innate ability to look at a situation or a person and see not what is there but what could be,"—a skill that translated seamlessly into ministry and community work. For Piker, collaboration begins with imagination and hope. He enjoys helping people move past the finality of a difficult moment and ask the question, "What if we could dream?"

Piker was candid about the limits of individual effort. "It doesn't matter how good you are as an individual...you can be the very best but you cant do it by yourself." That realization, he said, is where collaboration begins. Instead of duplicating services or trying to be experts in everything, he urged organizations to recognize that "We need to learn to rest on each others strengths." He compared it to elite athletes who never achieved greatness without a strong team around them.

In the nonprofit world, limited resources can sometimes create a scarcity mindset. Donor dollars are finite, and the instinct can be to hold tightly to what feels “ours.” Piker challenged that approach, saying "we really only gain when we learn to let things go." True strength, he said, comes when we recognize that everybody has a part and that it takes all those parts working together.

Treadaway reinforced that mindset by explaining that when it comes to funding, collaboration is no longer just a best practice—it’s increasingly an expectation. As she noted, "I think people are starting to catch on that we need everyone in the room."

She shared that collaboration can open doors, especially for smaller organizations that may not otherwise have access to large-scale funding. By partnering with larger organizations or those outside their usual sphere, nonprofits can expand both their reach and their impact. She encouraged attendees to "partner with organizations that are a little outside your field," while also remaining mindful of mission creep.

At the heart of her message was the importance of relationships. Networking, she said, is the first step toward strengthening partnerships and becoming more effective in serving families. Clear communication matters. Being able to quickly and confidently articulate your mission can open the door to meaningful conversations.

Drawing from her own experience, she shared that instead of listing everything an organization does, a clear hook can be far more effective. For example, in her previous work with The CALL, she would simply say, "We are the number one recruiter for foster parents across the state." From there, the conversation naturally followed.

Piker acknowledged that collaboration and networking don’t come naturally to everyone—himself included. Even so, he emphasized the importance of putting in the work. "For me to be successful, I got to step out of my comfort zone."

Walking into rooms of unfamiliar faces, starting conversations, and asking questions can be uncomfortable—but they are necessary. Change requires effort. As Piker put it, "We're better when we learn more about each other."

As Restore Hope expands its model into other states, Piker noted that the first and biggest challenge he has encountered is mistrust. Organizations and systems have often worked independently for so long that collaboration can feel risky.

Once trust is established, however, collaboration becomes possible—and the positive results for families begin to follow. Piker has seen this firsthand in his own community and through his work across multiple regions. "Our community is better because we've worked together."

The conversation between Emily Treadaway and Jeff Piker reinforced a central truth of the 100 Families Initiative: families are best served when communities move together. Collaboration isn’t about losing identity or control—it’s about multiplying impact, building trust, and creating systems that are stronger than any single organization could ever be on its own.