The North Side Collaboratory is Franciscan Collaborative Ministries’ newest vehicle for initiating change in the lives of the citizens of Syracuse, and represents a new, innovative perspective on neighborhood development and community revitalization. Comprised of a coalition of diverse community stakeholders, the Collaboratory serves as a focal point for the unique assets and expertise of various social forces at work on the North side of Syracuse, and empowers them to achieve greater effect in the community.

The physical home of the Collaboratory is located on the first floor of the Assisi Center, and serves as the official meeting space for all Collaboratory functions. As multi-purpose as the organization it serves, the meeting center fills a variety of diverse roles including acting as a welcome center for the neighborhood, the clearinghouse for community information, a general meeting space for community groups, a small performance space, and an art gallery representing the past, present, and future of the North Side. The space is also home to a public coffee bar that helps sustain the Collaboratory through the revenue it generates. Private meeting space is available on the second floor.

While the Collaboratory is open to all citizens, organizations, businesses and institutions that are interested in working towards the common good on the North Side, membership is contingent upon the willingness to invest some form of capital that can benefit the coalition and its undertakings. Because the Collaboratory wishes to assemble a diverse array of members, there is no uniform requirement for what this capital entails. Rather, a member’s investment must be proportional to its size and relevant to its assets. This means that a large organization is expected to contribute more resources than a local entrepreneur, though is given an equal voice within the coalition.

The strength of the Collaboratory is in the diversity of its members, as projects are informed by a wide array of perspectives and experiences. Some of the more notable members of the Collaboratory currently include St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, Lemoyne College, Home Headquarters, the Metropolitan Development Association, and 40 Below.

For information on contributing to the Collaboratory, please contact Dominic Robinson at dominic@assisicenter.org