Want to know the number one way to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your NFP while lowering your costs? Collaboration and cooperation with others that are outside of your organisation!

How Partnerships Benefit NFPs and Other Organisations

When NFPs build partnerships with others in their community, both the nonprofit and its partners profit from a host of benefits. For the NFP, it’s an opportunity to raise their profile in the community, increase the reach of their message and support as well as enhance their opportunities to recruit volunteers, donors and other supporters to their cause.

For businesses and other groups that partner with NFPs, it’s an opportunity to give back to their community, strengthen bonds and increase teamwork as they support the volunteer efforts of their employees, and develop name and brand recognition and build their reputation through their good work.

Community partnerships create new opportunities for networking and relationship development for both the NFP and its partners. Both the NFP and its partners are also able to accomplish more to help out and give back to their communities than each would be able to on its own.

Getting Started Building NFP Partnerships

Many NFP boards recognise the benefits of partnering with businesses and other civic groups in their community but are uncertain how to get started connecting with others and forging alliances. Our Community has a number of Help Sheets that can walk NFPs and other organisations through every step of the process.

The Partnership Help Sheets are divided into five categories to make it easier for NFPs to quickly find answers for common situations that arise from starting and maintaining partnerships with third parties. They also offer advice for when things go wrong, how to resolve conflict, as well as steps your NFP should take should it need to end a partnership with an outside group.

Two critical obstacles to achieving many NFP’s goals and mission are declining revenues and recruiting enough volunteers. Community partnerships are playing a growing role in helping NFPs to mitigate the loss of funds that might arise from a reduction in grants and donations as well as helping them to overcome difficulties in finding enough volunteers with the right skills and qualifications.

Has your NFP recently partnered with another business or group in your community? Why not share in the comments section below your NFP’s experience in working with a partner, and how a partnership has helped your NFP to achieve its goals?