Saying yes to a partnership signals that you’ve assessed whether your organization should have a role in a partnership, and are ready to work with other organizations to address a community need.
What role does your organization typically play in a partnership?
Do you enjoy bringing together the right partners?
Are you good at building momentum?
Do you thrive in keeping everyone in the loop?
Or are you good at securing funding?
The role your organization plays should support the partnership in being well-organized, adequately resourced, and effectively managed.
Let’s break down the four roles commonly found in a partnership:
Convener
The Convener brings together different stakeholders. In this role, you create a space where organizations with specific niches come together to respond to an emerging need. The Convener also facilitates initial meetings, ensures that the right participants are involved, and helps set the tone for how the partnership works. This role also ensures that trust is established (or repaired).
Catalyst
The Catalyst is the partnership’s energizer and motivator. In this role, you’re assessing each partner’s value-add, and identifying how their unique contributions can harnessed innovative thinking, action planning, and implementation. The Catalyst helps the partnership to overcome barriers in moving forward. This role also advocates for pivoting where necessary (in partnership activities or in partnership members) to maintain momentum.
Conduit
The Conduit makes sure that everyone in the partnership is well informed. In this role, you serve as a channel of information and resources between all partners, facilitating communication, ensuring that information flows smoothly and that all partners are in the know. The Conduit plays a key role in coordinating activities. This role also bridges gaps between approaches to the partnership’s work and keeps the partnership on task.
Funder
The Funder secures financial resources to support the partnership. In this role, you secure funding and manage budgets, prioritizing effective resource allocation. The Funder may also be involved in setting priorities and ensuring that the partnership has the necessary financial support to achieve its goals. The role also needs to understand that partnership building and trust takes time.
Key takeaway
The four roles commonly found in a partnership were originally outlined in Arthur T. Himmelman’s Collaboration for a Change (2002), and serves as a framework for organizations who want to collaborate to solve an emerging need.
While it’s ideal that your organization has a distinct role, it’s also common to shift in and out of roles over time. The role(s) you play will vary based by partnership, are not mutually exclusive, and may overlap.
It’s easier to participate in a partnership when you know the role your organization will play in it. To make the most of your time in a partnership, determine your role before you commit.
Raise Your Voice: What primary role does your organization play in a partnership? Share below in the comments section.
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