Welcome to Wednesday, Washingtonians!

“Are There Limits to Collaborations?” — this post over at Deep Social Impact definitely caught my eye. First, I wrote a quick post on the resurgence of an ethic of collaboration among disparate organizations. Second, on an intra-organization level, “collaboration” has certainly become a buzzword in recent years. But is collaboration always in the best interest of our mission and operations? As Cynthia Gibson writes, “What I — and others — are starting to see, however, is that there can be a tendency for organizations to see collaboration as an end unto itself, rather than a process, management style, or approach that’s a means to an end.”

“Funder Collaboratives” – For another element of this discussion, check out PhilanTopic, which offers a “a closer look at some of the foundation literature on funder collaboratives range from information exchange, co-learning, and informal and formal strategic alignments to pooled funding, joint ventures, and hybrid networks.” The post also points to some literature on the positives and pitfalls as well as feedback from grantees. What’s your take?

“5 Non-Profit Trends to Watch in 2011″ — Head over to Social Velocity Blog to read all five predictions of what is (hopefully) to come in the new year. However, number #3 definitely caught my attention: “Greater Investment in Organizations – Nonprofit boards, staff and donors will increasingly recognize that ‘overhead,’ or administrative costs, are absolutely necessary to successful program execution.” Well put, I say. When funds are tight, administrative costs are admittedly a tough sell; but a great administrative staff leads to great programming and outreach. Anything you would add to the list?

“Budget Plan Approved by DC Council” – DCist reported yesterday afternoon that “the DC Council voted 11-2 … to approve a plan to close a $188 million budget gap in the current fiscal year … which calls for significant cuts to social services and four days of furloughs for city employees — but keeps tax rates at current levels.” What do you think? Was it the right choice to balance the budget however possible or do cuts to those services lead to further costs down the road?

“Michelle Rhee Named to Florida Gov.-Elect’s Transition Team” — I’m tracking back to last week on this one: among numerous others, Education Week reported that “Incoming Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday named 18 members of his transition team on education, and one name jumps off the page: Michelle Rhee … Rhee, the hard-charging former chancellor of the District of Columbia school system, was selected by the Republican governor-in-waiting to join a transition team that Scott says will help him ‘find innovative ways to create a new education system for a new economy.’” Any thoughts, either on the appointment itself or on the incoming governor’s description of the job?