Community Partnerships Archives - Nicole Clark Consulting

19 Jul, 2024

Try This: Narrow Your Partnership Focus

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2024-07-19T11:48:18-04:00July 19th, 2024|Categories: Strategic Planning & Sustainability|Tags: Community Partnerships, Stakeholders, Try This|0 Comments

Try this activity and let me know how it goes for you.

Inviting organizations to join a partnership requires strategizing on who to invite, articulating the partnership’s value add, each partner knowing their role, and being open to shifts in how partners participate over time.

While a partnership works in service of addressing an emerging community need, how and what gets addressed requires its own strategy. After establishing how to work together, you need something to work on.

This activity is ideal for:

Partnership members with experience in facilitating meetings
Partnership members with experience in engaging communities
Partnership members with experience in data collection and analysis

What you’ll need:

A method for taking notes

The steps:

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10 Jul, 2024

Are You a Convener, Catalyst, Conduit, or Funder?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2024-07-10T12:07:40-04:00July 10th, 2024|Categories: Strategic Planning & Sustainability|Tags: Capacity Building, Community Partnerships, Partnerships, Sustainability|0 Comments

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:

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3 Jul, 2024

Ask Nicole: Do We Need a MOU for Our Partnership?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2024-07-02T22:13:07-04:00July 3rd, 2024|Categories: Strategic Planning & Sustainability|Tags: Ask Nicole, Community Partnerships|0 Comments

Have a question you’d like to be featured? Let me know.

As your organization builds partnerships with other organizations, engaging the right partners is crucial to facilitating a process that’s mutually beneficial.

The success of these partnerships hinges not just on the shared vision but also on the clarity and structures.

One of the most effective ways to establish this foundation is through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

An MOU is more than just a formal agreement—it’s a strategic tool that delineates roles, fosters accountability, and enhances communication among partners.

Here are seven reasons why incorporating an MOU into your community partnerships can make a significant difference in ensuring their success and sustainability.

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29 Feb, 2024

Try This: Get Your Ideal Community Partners On Board

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2024-02-28T21:57:39-05:00February 29th, 2024|Categories: Speaking & Facilitation|Tags: Community Partnerships, Facilitation, Stakeholders, Try This|0 Comments

Engaging the right community partners to join your partnership is crucial to facilitating a process that’s mutually beneficial.

As you plan your introductory partnership meeting, you need to figure out who to invite, and why.

You see the value in working with these organizations, and you want them there to advance your mission.

The WHY behind your ask is important as these potential partners will ask:

What’s in it for me?

If they can’t see their value add to this partnership, they won’t join you. So, be prepared to show them.

This activity is ideal for:

Staff responsible for facilitating workshops, meetings, or trainings
Staff with experience in engaging community organizations

What you’ll need:

Your community organization partner invitation list
A method for taking notes

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14 Feb, 2024

Choosing Your Community Partners Wisely

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2024-02-28T19:38:09-05:00February 14th, 2024|Categories: Speaking & Facilitation|Tags: Community Partnerships, Facilitation, Meetings, Workshops|0 Comments

When building a partnership with other organizations, engaging the right participants is crucial to facilitating a process that’s mutually beneficial.

Your organization knows the key community players who are doing the same work, whose work is adjacent to yours, or whose work is in another areas but they can champion your work.

A facilitator may not be responsible for generating buy-in for your organization’s call to action, but they can support you in identifying the right organizations for your partnership.

Here’s how you can choose your community partners wisely, with support from your meeting facilitator:

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Try This: Narrow Your Partnership Focus

Are You a Convener, Catalyst, Conduit, or Funder?

Ask Nicole: Do We Need a MOU for Our Partnership?

Try This: Get Your Ideal Community Partners On Board

Choosing Your Community Partners Wisely

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