January 19, 2009 –- Crittenton Women’s Union has been named one of eight finalists, out of a pool of over 644 nominations, for The Collaboration Prize, a national cash award of $250,000 to be presented to an outstanding model of nonprofit collaboration.

The Lodestar Foundation, making grants to support nonprofit innovation, in association with the Arizona-Indiana-Michigan (AIM) Alliance, created The Collaboration Prize to demonstrate how nonprofit resources can be used more effectively to create greater impact.

Crittenton and The Women’s Union merged operations in 2006 to form Crittenton Women’s Union with the goal of furthering their shared commitment to helping low-income women and their families attain economic independence. The merger combined Crittenton’s extensive service programs with The Women’s Union’s independent research and public policy advocacy focus.

“We consider it a testament to the outstanding success of our merger to be a finalist for The Collaboration Prize,” said Pamela A. Murray, chair of Crittenton Women’s Union and principal, Bessemer Trust Company. “When we embarked on the merger of two historic Boston nonprofits, our goal was to build on their complementary strengths to create an innovative organization that effects real change in the lives of low-income families.”

The Collaboration Prize winner will be announced on March 5, 2009 at a seminar in Scottsdale, Arizona on nonprofit effectiveness hosted by Lodestar and the Association of Small Foundations. The eight finalists will attend and participate in panel discussions about their experiences.