Your nonprofit does important work to help your community, and teaming up with others can benefit your organization and contribute to your success. 

Strategic planning and strategic networking share a key outcome of building important relationships with key stakeholders and potential partners. By including networking goals in the planning process, organizations can strategize opportunities to connect with others who share their long-term goals. This not only expands your reach but also makes sure that networking efforts are in line with the bigger picture, making the strategic planning process more effective overall.

Partnerships let you join forces and share skills, leading to a bigger impact. In this article, we'll explore different types of nonprofit partnerships and see how organizations work together to make positive change.

1. Strategic Partnerships: Friends with a Plan 

You can partner with another nonprofit to achieve a common goal. It's like having buddies with the same mission, pooling resources and skills for the long haul to make a bigger difference.

For example: Two nonprofits collaborate to address homelessness by combining their resources and expertise, with one organization specializing in shelter management and the other focusing on employment and skills training to create a comprehensive approach to tackle the root causes of homelessness.

2. Corporate Nonprofit Partnerships: Working with Companies

Consider teaming up with businesses. Companies can offer money, donations, or employee help. In return, businesses get good publicity and a chance to show they care about social issues.

For example: A business and a nonprofit collaborate by partnering on a skills training initiative, where the business offers expertise and resources for job-specific training, and the nonprofit facilitates the program to empower individuals from marginalized communities with valuable skills for employment.

3. Government-Nonprofit Partnerships: Government and Nonprofits Tag Team 

Have a community problem to solve? Look for ways to partner with government agencies. You can bring special knowledge and connections from the nonprofit sector, and together you can work on projects or push for new laws and policies.

For example: A government and a nonprofit collaborate on a literacy program for underprivileged youth, where the government provides funding and access to public facilities, and the nonprofit designs and implements tutoring sessions and reading programs to improve literacy rates in low-income communities.

4. Cross-Sector Partnerships: All Hands on Deck

You may need to partner with multiple sectors, including business and government, to solve a bigger problem. Each group brings something unique, and by working together, you can find smart solutions. Public-private partnerships are gaining popularity to tackle our biggest social issues, such as homelessness or food access.

For example: A health nonprofit, a tech company, and the health department team up to tackle tobacco use through educational programs, a tech-based tracking and reward system, and taxation regulation.

5. Capacity-Building Partnerships: Growing Together

Big nonprofits help smaller ones get better at what they do. Bigger organizations offer training, advice, and resources, helping everyone in the smaller nonprofit become stronger.

For example: A larger nonprofit engages in capacity building with a smaller nonprofit by providing mentorship, training, and financial support to enhance the smaller organization's fundraising capabilities, program management, and overall organizational effectiveness.

6. Network Partnerships: Power in Numbers 

You can network with other organizations or professionals to share resources and make a bigger impact. You might work together on projects, swap ideas, or even team up for fundraising. By working together, you can make more noise and get more done.

For example: Networking in the nonprofit sector can be at the organizational or individual level. You might look to find another nonprofit professional to chat about missions, talk about challenges and successes in your work, and make space for potential collaboration. 

If you haven’t joined already, check out The Nonproft Hive, a community platform for nonprofit professionals to connect 1-1 and discuss their work in the social impact industry. 

7. International Partnerships: Global Friends

In an international partnership, you can work with other organizations around the world to team up to tackle big issues that go beyond borders. You can share ideas, help each other during emergencies, and work together to change global policies.

For example: Nonprofit international partnerships may involve organizations from different countries collaborating on disaster relief efforts, such as a global health nonprofit teaming up with a local organization to provide medical aid and support in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

8. Research and Academic Partnerships: Get Help From the Experts

If you need specific data or evidence surrounding a specific problem, team up with universities or researchers to learn more about what you’re trying to solve. This helps you make better decisions based on facts. 

For example: A university partners with a health-focused nonprofit to conduct studies on community health outcomes, informing evidence-based interventions and policies for improved public well-being.

Conclusion

Nonprofit partnerships come in many shapes and sizes, each one helping groups do better together. As you keep working to make the world better, consider ways to partner that will help create positive change. 

We recommend you prioritize strategic partnerships as part of your strategic planning process. Including partnership opportunities in your strategic plan is beneficial because it ensures they become an integral part of your organization's overall strategy. This approach promotes collaboration, allowing you to combine strengths and resources effectively, leading to a more impactful and sustainable outcome.