Organizations tackling difficult challenges (like Forum One’s many clients) frequently realize that the challenges are too big for any one organization to solve. Allies are required. But what is the best way to get separate organizations to collaborate online?

Forum One has designed and managed networks of organizations over the years. Here are five quick tips, drawn mostly from the Online Community Research Network, a community of organizations we have managed since 2005:

1) Identity: The network of organizations needs an online home (and probably name). The web home is typically built upon a third party “workspace” product such as CentralDesktop, SharePoint or ProjectSpaces (a Forum One service). One product we like for this purpose is GroupSite – it includes the appropriate features and it’s easy to use.

2) Conversation: Most workspace products support online discussions, but require periodic supplement from a traditional web conferences. Recently we’ve been using Adobe Connect, which we find to be capable, reasonably priced and non-intimidating for newbies.

3) Activity: In order to grow and prosper, the network requires high-value activities. One tactic we use are network surveys, supported by SurveyMonkey, which are a fast and easy way to engender participation and identify best practices and resources.

4) Events: Online tools and activities are great, but they are generally not sustainable unless participants are meeting periodically in person. Increasingly, every online community needs an offline counterpart (and vice versa!).

5) Staffing: Any robust network will require dedicated staffing. It also will require governance rules and (possibly the trickiest challenge) a source of funding drawn from across the network.

We see the development of networks of organizations as a tremendously promising new opportunity for our clients. They require planning, effort and resources, but allow coordination and shared resources needed to address the most difficult societal challenges.