In 2001, a number of community based organizations formed the Collaborative with the purpose of improving tobacco prevention and cessation services for ethnically diverse cultural and socio-economic minority communities. Today, the Collaborative consists of 15 multicultural community based organizations. Our past funding includes the American Legacy Foundation, the State of Washington, and Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, who also serves as our fiscal agent.

How We Work: Keeping Community in a Leadership Role

We have created a unique approach to keep community in the leadership role and maximize community autonomy over both process and services. The three organizational layers of the Collaborative include:

1. Community Planning Groups (CPGs) representing six individual populations, as shown below. The groups are responsible for determining the scope of work and allocation of resources in a noncompetitive environment.
2. The Cross Cultural Steering Committee (CCSC) is composed of representatives from all the members of the Collaborative. The committee shares information and resources, become more conscious of shared ‘common ground’, learn ways to advocate for key health concerns, and uncover and better understand diverse community differences.
3. The Leadership Forum brings together staff from each community based organization and/or member of the Collaborative to determine future direction, discuss funding possibilities, advocate for the Collaborative, and strategize about needed services.

The Collaborative Schematic Model:

Each organization or independent community member has one equal vote in decisions. All resource allocation decisions are made at the CPG Level.