Coalition Building Lessons from Central Iowa Nonprofit Leaders

Coalitions are often where some of the hardest community work happens. They bring together organizations with different priorities, funding structures, timelines, and approaches in pursuit of something larger than any one group could accomplish alone.

At its May gathering, Heart of Des Moines hosted a panel discussion focused on coalition building, featuring leaders working across housing, health, advocacy, and community development in Central Iowa. Moderator Peggy Huppert led a conversation with panelists Bethany Snyder, Julian D. Neely, Matt Unger, and Jackie Cale.

The discussion offered practical insight into what makes coalitions sustainable and where many groups struggle.

One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation was that structure matters. Coalitions are often formed around urgency, but panelists emphasized that long-term success depends on clearly defined systems, expectations, and decision-making processes.

Julian Neely shared lessons from developing housing-focused initiatives, including the Develop the Developer Launchpad, a program designed to help emerging builders enter the market and address housing shortages. The coalition behind the effort took roughly two and a half years to move from concept to launch. That process included extensive one-on-one conversations with developers, partners, and stakeholders before formalizing the program structure.

Neely stressed the importance of building alignment before launching publicly. Coalition partners developed formal agreements, confidentiality expectations, conflict-of-interest policies, handbooks, and clearly defined roles to create long-term sustainability and trust among participants. He also noted that guided conversations and strong bylaws help groups navigate inevitable disagreements without losing momentum.

Bethany Snyder discussed coalition work through the lens of statewide advocacy efforts, including Minnesota for Healthy Kids. She emphasized the importance of operational clarity before public rollout, including decisions around leadership, communications ownership, website management, action alerts, fundraising responsibilities, and coalition governance. Their coalition divided work intentionally between grassroots organizing, lobbying, and advocacy communications to ensure responsibilities were clear and manageable.

Jackie Cale shared lessons from policy coalitions at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, including the value of having candid “dealbreaker” conversations early in the process. Coalition partners openly discussed which policy positions and advocacy tactics they could or could not support before campaigns began. Cale also highlighted the importance of regular lessons-learned conversations and consistent monthly meetings to maintain alignment over time.

Matt Unger emphasized that avoiding difficult conversations early often creates larger challenges later. As he noted during the panel, “Starting with friction usually means it returns later in a bigger way.” Panelists agreed that coalitions function best when there is a trusted framework for making timely decisions and clear representation structures, such as boards elected by coalition members.

The conversation also explored what motivates organizations to stay engaged in coalition work over the long term. Unger emphasized the importance of shared sacrifice for shared gain, while other panelists noted that durable coalitions often succeed because participants see clear value in solving root-cause issues together rather than competing individually for short-term resources.

For nonprofit leaders in Central Iowa, the panel reinforced that effective coalitions rarely happen quickly. They require patience, structure, trust-building, and a willingness to define expectations early. But when done well, coalitions can create the scale and alignment needed to address complex community challenges.

To learn more about Heart of Des Moines members and future conversations focused on Central Iowa nonprofit leadership, connect with us here.