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Sustainability
Partnering for Purpose
Mid-June 2009
 

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Dear “Partnering" Colleague,

Collaboration is time consuming. However, when social profit initiatives want to tackle root causes of societal problems, they begin to realize the value of partnering to achieve massive objectives for change. Click the titles on the right to understand how by doing small partnering actions now, you and your partners will be able to achieve major mission fulfillment later.


Keys to Collaboration Success
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Stages of Partnership Development
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A Corporate Truism to Share

Do you have questions or ideas about partnering or collaborating with other organizations? Contact us through OnTheGo@CampaignConsultation.com
for more information. You can still access previous issues of On-the-Go eTA by clicking on the back issues at the bottom of the page.

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Keys to Collaborative Success

Picture poverty as a door with many locks – deadlocks, padlocks, combination locks. Different keys and knowledge that could unlock the barrier are lodged in the missions of multiple initiatives. It becomes clear that the resources from all stakeholders who are addressing poverty are needed to work in tandem to open doors and solve the root causes of big problems. This is where partnering for a collective purpose comes in. Here are some Keys to Collaborative Success:
Key to Success

 Explanation
Shared vision The collaboration has come together because one or more parties recognize that a comprehensive approach is necessary to solve a community problem. Commitment comes from the desire to make the vision a reality.
Mutual respect, understanding, and trust Members of the collaboration have an understanding of each others’ history, and are aware of the work that each is already doing in the community. Trust grows as groups work together and take small purposeful steps toward achieving the group’s vision.

Respected Convener The Convener is able to facilitate and support team building. Members are able to capitalize on the diversity and individual, group, and organizational strengths of the members of the collaboration.
Regular meetings Well-run meetings help to build working relationships (through social interaction, communication and consensus building) as well as make decisions and plan for future action possible.
Project timelines that take into account the uniqueness of each partner There is a need to recognize when partners come with specific constraints, and limited authority to speak for their organizations, and build in time for decisions to be made and tasks to be completed within each organization’s culture and way of operating.
Open, frequent communication The members of the collaboration are connected and have established communication networks at all levels. There is an established process for communication between meetings. Online social networking tools are used for spontaneous interaction.
Sufficient resources There is access to four types of capital: *chairs and meeting place, in-kind, financial, and human. Strong strategic partnerships help projects to attract needed resources for collective purpose.
Mutual sense of ownership All partners recognize that they have a stake in the success of reaching the desired purpose collaboratively. When partners are from organizations of unequal status or resources, it may require more time to build trust, establish ownership and develop an understanding of the ways that everyone can gain from the collaboration.
Detailed, formal, written agreements In order to be effective in achieving the purpose, partners would do well to draft and sign a written agreement with bulleted objectives. This agreement should be frequently updated. As the collaboration meets more community challenges together, member guidelines, use of resources, terms of office, etc. can be added.

* During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most often heard pleas from survivors, intent on rebuilding together – were chairs upon which to sit and strategize recovery.

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Stages of Partnership Development

Partnering for Purpose occurs in sequential stages, with no stage being skipped. Sustaining collaborative efforts takes time, energy, clarity and attention. All partners need to feel as if they are both giving and receiving in the partnership. All participants must be willing to hang with each other through the times of tension and ambiguity to reach their ultimate collective purpose.

There are many useful models through which to view strategic partnerships. One is called the Tuckman Model of Group Development that explains that as a group develops maturity and ability, relationships are established, and the style of leading, partnering and interacting must adapt with the evolution of the partnership and individuals within the coalition. Along, those lines, four stages of partnership development consist of: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing:

Forming – Stage 1

In Stage 1 of partnering for purpose there is …
  • There is high dependence on the convener for guidance and direction

  • Little agreement exists among members’ goals other than that which is received from convener.

  • Confusion since individual roles and responsibilities are unclear

  • Conveners must be prepared to list answers as options in response to questions about partnership’s purpose, objectives and relationships

  • Meeting processes will be ignored

  • Members will test tolerance of system and participating organizations

  • A convener must be willing to both hold out images of success, while leaving room for others to shape that image.

Storming – Stage 2

In Stage 1 of partnering for purpose there is …

  • Decisions don’t come easily within the group

  • Partnership members vie for position as they attempt to establish themselves in relation to other team members
  • The convener will challenged by team members
  • Clarity of purpose increases but plenty of uncertainties persist

  • Cliques and factions form and there may be power struggles
  • The partnership needs help staying focused on its goals and purpose to avoid becoming distracted by relationships and emotional issues
  • Compromises may be required to enable progress
  • The convener role evolves to initiate coaching relationships.

Click here to access the next two stages in partnership development.

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A Corporate Truism to Share

Partnering is good for business. As social profit organizations look to developing partnerships with businesses, you should feel free to share the tangible benefits the businesses that you contact. A partnership between your social profit organization and a business...
  • Enhances the business’ reputation.
  • Deepens the business’ employee loyalty.

    62% of employees at companies with volunteer programs recommend their companies as places to work, while just 39% at companies without such programs would recommend their employers.
  • Makes the business’ employees more enthusiastic about and committed to their regular job

    73% of employees at companies with volunteer programs say their employers’ support for their efforts has made them more committed to their jobs.
  • Strengthens the business’ ties with other business partners
  • Boosts the business’ sales of products and services
  • Improves the business’ employee loyalty

    88% of employees aware of cause-related programs at their companies feel a “strong sense of loyalty” to their companies.
  • Improves the business’ recruitment efforts

    53% of employees at companies with volunteer programs chose to work at the company partly because of their employers’ expressed commitment to various social issues.
  • Others...


Adapted from Causes and Effects, Harvard Business Review, July 2003
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Let us know

Let us know about any partnerships or collaborations your organization has developed. Contact OntheGo@CampaignConsultation.com We would be happy to answer questions or to give you more support.

Thank you for your interest in On-The-Go eTA. We encourage you to send this and other issues of OTG eTA to friends and colleagues who would benefit from the information. Also, if you’re on information-overload, you may request email removal. Otherwise OTG e-TA will be back soon with another edition.

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Keys to Collaboration Success

Stages of Partnership Development

A Corporate Truism to Share

Tips for the Times

Invite the president of the service club, fraternal organization, community group, faith community, etc. to sit down with you and discuss what you have in common. What do their members care about that meshes with your organization’s goals or services? What skills do they bring? What resources do you offer to them? Is there a project you might jointly select that is bigger than each of you separately?”
By Susan J. Ellis,
We Can Model True Collaboration


Join up to promote more civic participation

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    July 1, 2009 Problem solving for Federal Fund Seekers

Resources

Sustainability Learning Products and Services:

Past issues of
On-The-G0 eTA

Online support at Sustainability@
Campaign
Consultation.com

The Chronicle of
Philantropy

Workshops/ Clinics

Online Courses/ Webinars

Web Wizard

The 5Cs

VISTA Viewfinder

 
 
 
 


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“Our success has really been based on partnerships from the very beginning.”

– Bill Gates, b. 1955. American business magnate, philanthropist, author, and chairman of Microsoft.
 
For more information, contact: Campaign Consultation Inc. 2819 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21218-4312 USA
Success@CampaignConsultation.com
www.CampaignConsultation.com
 

Stages of Partnership Development (cont.)

Norming – Stage 3

In Stage 3 of partnering for a purpose, you will find …

  • Agreement and consensus begins to form among partnership members who respond well to facilitative attempts
  • Roles and responsibilities are generally clear and accepted
  • Big decisions are made by group agreement
  • Smaller decisions may be delegated to individuals or small teams within group
  • Commitment and unity is strong
  • Securing the structure of relationships and work frees energy for more positive activities and emotions to emerge
  • The team discusses and develops its processes and working style
  • There is general respect for shared leadership by the team

  • The role of the convener becomes facilitative and empowering

Performing – Stage 4

Stage 4 is the sweet spot of partnering for a purpose…

  • The partnership is more strategically aware
  • The group is now a team that knows clearly what it is doing and why
  • The team has a shared vision and is able to stand on its own feet with little need for an assumed role of leader
  • There is a focus on over-achieving goals
  • The team makes most of the decisions using criteria agreed amongst the membership
  • The team has a high degree of autonomy
  • Disagreements may occur but now they are resolved within the team positively and necessary changes to processes and structure are made by the team
  • The team is able to work towards achieving the goal, and attend to relationship, style and process issues along the way

  • Team members look after and take care of each other

  • The team responds effectively to delegated tasks/projects.
Partnering for a Purpose takes time, talent and tenacity to achieve big impactful outcomes. Partner on!

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Resources

eOrganizer

eOrganizer is an interactive clearinghouse for the latest and greatest web instruments of change. This GIZMO shows you how to maximize free and inexpensive online tools and resources to mobilize people around issues and within organizations. Structured around eight categories important to community organizing, it offers descriptions and provides access to many of the most current web arenas and strategies for bringing groups together to create community change.

http://www.campaignconsultation.com/GIZMOs/eorganizer/index.html


The National ASK (Awareness, Skills, Knowledge) to Sustain Institute, sponsored by Corporation for National and Community Service, provided by Campaign Consultation, Inc. 1998, 2002.

The CNCS Resources Now! National Institute, sponsored by Corporation for National and Community Service, provided by Campaign Consultation, Inc. 2005-07.

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Learning Products and Services

Sustainability:
OntheGo@CampaignConsultation.com is designed to give information fast on building capacity. Use this online support for advice from a fundraising professional.
Contact OntheGo@CampaignConsultation.com

VISTA Campus:
 VISTA Campus is an online learning environment for the VISTA community. The aim is to support you in your development throughout and beyond your VISTA service. The Campus includes self-paced tutorials and courses, reference materials, discussion boards, a campus bookstore and more to help improve your skills and connect with other VISTAs. To access the site, go to http://vistacampus.org and select the “VISTAs” option. You will need to create an account to access the content and discussion boards.

GIZMOs:
(Giving Information for Zooming Mission Objectives) GIZMOS are resource and fund development tools for you and your volunteers. They are tangible products in packets, pocket brochures, CD-ROMs, games, etc. They feature a myriad of fundraising topics such as The Case for Support, an interactive online resource. View and use our newest GIZMOs at www.CampaignConsultation.com/gizmosplash

The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
Everyone who comes to a Resources Now! National Institute gets a free subscription to the Chronicle for a year. Participants in CNCS Campaign Consultation workshops receive the latest issue free of charge plus a $20 discount on one year’s subscription.

Workshops/Clinics:
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), through its T/TA service provider Campaign Consultation, Inc., offers a three-hour workshops and clinics for those interested.

WebWizard:
CNCS sponsors this new service that Campaign Consultation provides to assist programs and projects in maximizing their websites for program, client, volunteer and fundraising needs.

Online Courses/Webinars:
Web course delivery of topics pertinent to resource development such as — Build Fundraising Volunteer Champions and Cause Related Marketing and Corporate Partnerships.
Available through the Resource Center at http://www.nationalserviceresources.org

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Read Back Issues of OTG e-TA

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