Everybody’s Doing It:
Tips for Healthy Nonprofit Collaborations
Do you desire a beneficial partnership? Do you dream
of having a partnership that will “get your organization’s
name out there” in a good way? Are you looking
to collaborate to increase your resources? If you answered
yes to these questions, you are not alone.
According to The Power of Partnership by Plexus Consulting
Group, 86% of the respondents to their questionnaire
said the most important accomplishment of a strategic
partnership is ‘to achieve a goal that the association
could not achieve alone.” To respondents, that
goal most often is to:
• Increase membership
• Increase resources
• Increase revenue
• Enhance visibility and/or brand
• Expand current markets (or develop new markets)
• Minimize the risk inherent in any innovation
• Maximize use of resources
Before you rush to hook-up with an organization, here’s
a sobering fact: 50% fail. (I’m not citing divorce
statistics either.) That’s according to a study
“When to Ally and When to Acquire,” in the
Harvard Business Review (July/August 2004) referenced
in The Power of Partnership.
Use the following tips to develop a thriving collaborative
partnership regardless of economic conditions.
What to do:
Determine your objective: Be clear about why your organization
is choosing to partner and what you hope to accomplish.
Your objectives should be in alignment with your vision,
mission, and strategic goals. Remember to consider what
others may possibly gain through the partnership as
well.
Assess your readiness: Successful partnerships have
committed leadership at both the executive and staff
levels. Commitment is demonstrated by staff having dedicated
time for meetings and work related to the collaboration.
Commitment can also be seen by allocating resources
to support the initiative. Does your staff have the
time and resources available to fulfill your organization’s
role? Have you determined your organization’s
strengths and weakness to know what roles you can play
within a partnership?
Explore collaboration models: According to the book
Wise Decision-Making in Uncertain Times, three levels
of collaboration can exist: 1) cooperation (project-specific
relationship), 2) coordination (informal relationship),
and 3) collaboration (formal relationships, which have
separate boards of directors, bylaws, and other organizational
structures ).
Select an appropriate partner: This is where doing
your homework will be crucial. Find out the mission
of the other group(s). Are they respected in the community?
What do they have to gain? Do they have the time, resources
and buy-in to collaborate effectively? Once you select
a partner, you may choose to outline an agreement of
the responsibilities of each organization. The more
formal the collaboration, the more a written agreement
is needed.
Evaluate your process: Throughout the collaboration
make time to assess what is working and what is not
working. Are the meetings productive? Are there too
many of them? This allows you to make appropriate changes
when needed.
What not to do:
Act contrary to the above tips or ignore them altogether.
How have you collaborated with another organization?
Asia Hadley,Training Coordinator, Foundation Center-Atlanta
Article Source: http://atlantablog.foundationcenter.org/2009/03/everybodys-doing-it-tips-for-healthy-nonprofit-collaborations.html
About Plexus Consulting Group,
LLC
Plexus Consulting Group is a management-consulting
firm that provides marketing, management, and strategic
planning services to association, for-profit, and governmental
entities in North America, Europe, Latin America, and
Asia. Plexus’s network of affiliate offices covers
all these markets. The firm is headed by Steven Worth-a
25-year consulting veteran whose former professional
titles include: Director of International Public Affairs
and Communications, Deloitte, Touche, Tohmatsu; Managing
Director of Hill and Knowlton Brussels, and Press Liaison
for the U.S. Senate Majority Leader’s office.
For more information, contact:
Steven M. Worth
President
Plexus Consulting Group
Telephone: 1-202-785-8940
E-Mail: steve_worth@plexusconsulting.com
www.plexusconsulting.com
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