Abstract

This study examines how community-based organizations (CBOs) engaged in education organizing develop and sustain strategic alliances within complex education policy environments. It explores how alliances are deliberately constructed, maintained, and adapted in response to shifting political contexts. Using a QUAN–QUAL mixed-methods design, the study combines ego-centric social network survey data from 12 CBOs in mid-sized U.S. cities (N = 84 stakeholder ties) with follow-up interviews conducted with CBO leaders. Quantitative analyses revealed positive relationships among trust, communication, perceived importance, and collaboration intensity, with trust and communication as highly interconnected dimensions of alliance building. Qualitative findings provided insight into how CBO leaders strategically evaluate potential relationships, highlighting the importance of power, accessibility, responsiveness, shared interests, and accountability. While stakeholder groups were viewed similarly across many dimensions, leaders described alliance formation as an ongoing process of negotiation rather than a straightforward accumulation of social capital. Findings suggest that effective alliances depend not only on relationship strength but also on how organizations navigate competing interests, unequal power dynamics, and shifting political landscapes.

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