Partnerships & Collaborations in Communities.
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller
This is the meaning of community, right?
But what happens when we broaden and leverage our communities with other businesses?
Partnerships and collaborations in communities can be powerful tools for making sure things happen, achieving our goals and making a positive impact.
A wonderful example of this is AccelerateHER and Barclays Bank. At the end of 2022, the leading bank and the female-founded accelerator facilitator came together to start Barclays Eagle Labs Female Founder Accelerator Programme.
The programme supports 40 UK-based innovative female-led businesses. They’ll offer support in proposition building, finance and pitching, as well as other activities aimed at enhancing business growth.
This partnership will support women-led businesses grow and get into the market via mentorship and guidance.
Joining forces with others will enable your community to benefit from expanded resources, expertise and strengthen your ability to tackle challenges in your network to create meaningful change. That’s what it’s all about!
So, how do you choose a partnership?
What is there to think about when seeking the perfect collaboration?
Do you align?
The key to a successful partnership and collaboration is a shared vision/ethos and a clear understanding of each other’s roles and desired outcomes. You’ve got to be honest and upfront from the get-go. They’ll probably need to be some compromise and adapting from both communities in order to reach the best outcome for your network.
For example, if you’re an event organisation specialising in diversity and inclusion, that is hoping to partner with a local venue, does the venue tick all the boxes when it comes to:
other events they run there
the venue’s ethos/company values
accessibility requirements
How can you harness partnerships and collaborations for community growth?
“Two heads are better than one, not because either is infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same direction.” - C.S. Lewis
Pairing up with a collective of one or more organisations can grow your community. It’ll increase your reach to another audience, build credibility (if you choose well!) and give your network good exposure.
In Dec 2022, Raheem Sterling collaborated with The National Portrait Gallery and set up a charity to foster social mobility. – have launched a new creative youth engagement and skills development programme for 2023.
The ‘Making of Me’ programme aims to support over 30 young people from London to learn new creative skills, via masterclasses and workshops, that’ll help them progress in creative-led industries.
Using the Premier League footballer’s status and The NPG’s world-recognised reputation, the young creative community in London have an opportunity to step into the art industry.
Sense & Forum and Project Woman.
At Sense & Forum, we’ve supported our fabulous client Project Woman set up a partnership programme.
Project Woman support hundreds of women to change the way they feel about their periods and the approach they take to their female health.
When joining as a partner, you’ll be able to showcase your brand to over 3000+ people in the network and have promotional opportunities in the newsletter etc. You’ll be able to share your expertise and learnings in the community and have potential paid opportunities to participate in workshops and events.
Double the people, double the impact.
When coming together for a shared cause and vision, you encourage bigger and better impact. Striving towards building communities for the better can be amplified by teaming up with another community. Ideas are shared. More conversations are had. You have access to more opinions and feedback.
Partnerships and collaborations are about more than just getting outcomes or achieving goals. They're about building relationships/communities, adding value to those in your network, increasing trust and flourishing as a partnership.
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