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Cover page of the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) guide titled "A Guide to Effective Collaborations with Community-Based Organizations to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness." The NCHE logo appears at the top left, alongside a photo of an adult and a young person seated and talking in an office setting. The cover uses a navy blue background with hold accents and notes "National Center for Homeless Education, January 2026" at the bottom.

CBO Collaboration: A Guide to Effective Collaborations with Community-Based Organizations to Support Students Experiencing

This brief provides comprehensive guidance on collaborating with community-based organizations (CBOs) to support children and youth experiencing homelessness (CYEH). The resource outlines the benefits of CBO partnerships, explains how to establish formal agreements such as contracts and memoranda of understanding, and offers considerations for choosing between informal and formal collaborations structures. The guide covers the use of McKinney-Vento subgrant funds for CBO partnerships, describes what CBOs and how they differ from state or local agencies, and presents real-world examples from school districts that have successfully implemented CBO collaborations. The appendix includes common contracting terminology.

Click here for the PDF

Date Published: January 2026

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