Great minds think alike. That’s precisely the problem. With more than 5,000 nonprofit agencies in Tarrant County, there is bound to be an overlap in providing services, as reported in the Jan. 20 Skiff article on homelessness in Fort Worth.The Women’s Shelter in Arlington and the Women’s Haven of Tarrant County, the two largest domestic violence shelters in Tarrant County, have realized the benefits of combining two minds to achieve a shared goal. The two shelters have merged to form SafeHaven Tarrant County.

By merging, administrative costs have been consolidated, and although both shelters will continue serving out of Fort Worth and Arlington respectively, they will have one board of directors.

The benefits are felt from both sides. While both shelters have united to fight for a common cause, they have also bettered themselves internally.

If more nonprofits offering the same services would pool their resources and work together, a greater good would be served to the people needing it the most.

Larger, more encompassing charities, although lacking on the personal connection side, are better suited to serve a larger population. Smaller organizations may have more administrative costs because of external factors, such as the lack of an endowment or limited donor resources.

In the global society in which we live, a smaller charity is unable to provide the essential commodities needed in a disaster situation, such as the 2004 tsunami or the earthquakes in Pakistan. The need for the institutional backing is necessary.

As an example, one charity cannot save every African refugee in desperate need of clean water, education and a stable living environment. A small group may be aided here and there, but the vast majority will go unattended. But, if a substantial number of organizations would band together, the necessary infrastructure could be instituted to drastically improve the living situations in these ravaged areas.

Editor in Chief Courtney Reese for the editorial board.