10 Powerful Reasons You Need Partnerships

Thursday, June 10, 2021 12:30 PM by Guest Blogger in Professional and Industry Tips


This blog was posted originally on June 9, 2016 by our friend Jay Miller. Partnerships are as important today as they were then and we hope this is a helpful reminder.

Volunteers, sponsorships, and long-term partnerships are each a type of partnership. A primary characteristic of a partnership is that the relationship benefits both or all parties involved. Each may accomplish their own goal(s) through the partnership, and/or, the parties may accomplish a single goal, together. The parties that decide working together will be beneficial formally agree through a memorandum of understanding, or perhaps something as formal as a contract. Regardless, it’s important that the document outline the responsibilities of each party and the expectation of success.

Partnerships such as the National Parks work with associations like Eastern National. Eastern National works closely with parks to provide funding for things the national park could not do alone. Many individual parks, nature centers, zoos, and museums have collaborating organizations that they call “friends groups”. These groups can be powerful allies with the ability to lobby, raise funds, expand membership, launch major capitol campaigns, and to provide a host of other benefits that are out of reach to the site alone.

Establishing and maintaining a long-term partnership seldom ‘just happens,’ rather, partnerships grow over time from creative thinking and diligent cultivation. The best ones are true symbiotic relationships and require planning and continued communication.

Here are ten reasons to cultivate partnerships.

  1. Bring expertise you may not have

  2. Broaden your audience base

  3. Provide a different perspective that helps you see your site differently

  4. Bring in other cultures and communities

  5. Bring additional funding sources

  6. Help achieve mutual goals

  7. Accomplish long-term projects

  8. Create a lasting bond/relationship

  9. Provide political and other support – there is strength in numbers

  10. Provide visibility/promotion through each other’s channels

How do you use partnerships: volunteers, sponsors, and long-term partnerships?

**A special note of thanks to our long-time friend Jay for his contribution. Check out another guest blog by Jay here.

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