WORK IN PROGRESS

 

A partnering mind-set brings a genuine curiosity together with the ability and willingness to explore diverse perspectives and experiences. It establishes equity and respect where little may have existed before. It builds openness and enthusiasm for all voices (even those without perceived power) to be heard. It explores and validates both individual and mutual interests and seeds courage to make a difference on issues that are important to those involved
Marcia Dwonczyk, Accredited Partnership Broker & PBA Associate, quoted in Shifting the Power – How can Working in Partnership Help

When providing money, donors affect partnering performance and impact. Experience shows that building a self-awareness and sensitivity to partnering processes on the part of donors can have positive impact when they, for example:

12 things donors can do to build partnership impact:

  • Promote partnering as a delivery mechanism
  • Provide funding for partnership-generated projects
  • Invest in building partnering capacity and processes
  • Develop new ways of fully valuing non-cash contributions
  • Broker new partnerships and collaborative models
  • Engage as real partners
  • Model high standards in partnering practice
  • Assess the added value of partnering
  • Build constituencies for partnership action
  • Influence policy and decision-makers
  • Share learning about partnering challenges
  • Bring a longer-term perspective to the table

(The list was developed as part of PBA’s work with the Global Alliance on Community Philanthropy).

Donors can use partnerships to build better interventions and investments by sharing –not just shifting – power in dealing with development challenges:

12 things that partnering can do to build better investment:

  • Demonstrate the added value from sharing power
  • Evolve innovative ways of valuing non-cash contributions
  • Broker new thinking on the meaning of ‘return on investment’
  • Model high standards in collaboration good practice
  • Monitor the the added value of new resourcing models
  • Build more context-appropriate investments
  • Promote equity between funders, recipients & beneficiaries
  • Build greater partnering capabilities in donor organisations
  • Challenge donors to operate as partners
  • Confront those locked into an outdated paradigm
  • Disseminate learning about new approaches
  • Share responsibility for sustaining outcomes

(The list was developed as part of PBA’s work with the Global Alliance on Community Philanthropy).

To learn more, you can download some of our publications:

2019:

2018:

2017:

2016:

To comment or connect please email info@partnershipbrokers.org