How can you build credibility with other organizations for successful partnerships?

Map out the journey of your service - meaning, if you are a youth service organization focused on education, the step before you would be K-8 organizations, the step after you, career and higher ed organizations. If you can map out where you fit in a continuum of services/organizations, it'll be easier to narrow down "best fit" partners.

Forming a solid partnership is a fantastic way to increase reach and services! At its foundation, is a solid agreement that is mutually beneficial to both parties. With out this agreement, there is a good chance, over time, one party will get more out of the relationship. Write into this agreement a periodic review, involve all the stakeholders, and keep the lines of communication open.

Make yourself visible in that space. Become the go-to person in your field for whatever it is that the organization seeks. Branding is everything. Make sure your professional profile and website speaks to that organization and its needs.

One thing I have found helpful is research. Knowing exactly what you need and the value you are willing to offer helps build credibility in partnerships and collaborations. Clearly defined roles about what your organization stands for especially within the sustainable development goals, also help build credibility.

Having already done your research, you should understand how your skills translate into bringing value to the organization, whether it’s through volunteering or access to donors. Most importantly, you should have a passion for their mission.

Look upstream and downstream from you. Who/what organizations are working with the same population/cause as you, but in different ways? What local governmental work happens in that same area?

Go beyond surface-level information. What drives their organizational culture? Understanding this can reveal deeper synergies or potential areas for collaboration that might not be immediately obvious.

If you are a passionate community leader, advocate, or community gatekeeper, your reputation will grow as you provide a voice and support to those who follow you. With this growth will come invitations and requests to partner with all sorts of organizations and groups. Many times, these organizations or groups are seeking you out because of your influence, great skill set, followers, or connections to the community. My advice when it comes to protecting your peace and community is to take extreme care and be selective when it comes to who you work and align yourself with. An effective way of doing this is by asking around and talking to current and former staff members or volunteers about their own experiences with these organizations.

Simplemente, compartir lo cotidiano, te llevará a ver más sobre tu futuro socio, un area que dice mucho de tu socio, es la primera empresa de inversión, ...su familia, hablará claramente del valor de persona que tendrás como socio. Indistintamente las circunstancias.

As nonprofit professionals, we often have a reason that brings us to the work. I have always found that one of the most sincere ways to establish a personal connection with your partners is to connect your WHYs. Read the bios of their board members. Visit their website and read about their programs. Find a topic that inspires or intrigues and use this to create a genuine connection. Focus on building community, instead of only serving a need. If you focus on developing relationships for the greater good, trust and rapport comes much easier.

Kooperationen im Non-Profit-Bereich geschehen fast immer dadurch, dass zuvor schon eine Beziehung vorhanden war. Dh. in der Regel ist die Beziehung und dass man einander kennt und einschätzen kann, die Basis für gemeinsame Projekte oder Kooperationen. Dies ist sehr tragfähig, da hier häufig bekannt ist, worauf sich eingelassen wird.

Trust is built over time and through consistent actions. How can you demonstrate your commitment to a partnership even before any formal agreement is in place?

I find the best way to build trust is to communicate and communncate consistently and honestly. The consistent flow of information builds trust, the lack has the same effect in reverse. I also believe it is in this process you can display how you judge information and you're determine your own processes. Building trust is a great way to show off your skills and ability by showing just how good you are at doing your job and covering your bases. This builds comfort and rapport that you know what you are doing and will deliver. That takes time to solidify in people.

The thing about trust is that it’s not an event but is built over time. You also have to have interactions, agreements/goals and your ability or propensity to consistently deliver would determine if you’re one to be trusted or not.

In my experience I have found that the key to partnerships is delivering on your end and open communication. You have to understand what the benefits are to each side. Often times organizations will partner up and neither one is clear as to what they hope to achieve from it.

Promises and commitment are essential in gaining credibility when working with partners, especially new ones. After finding the win-win proposition, it’s important to make sure one works as hard, if not harder, for the partner as for oneself. Assuring success for the other demonstrates a clear understanding of their mission and objectives and the benefits of a longer term collaboration over a more transactional relationship. Remember the Golden Rule and make it a priority to live up to it.

Las asociaciones institucionales más interesantes en las que he participado han sido las que se basan en la reciprocidad, en el ganar-ganar. Las ONG tenemos la tentación constante de pedir, pero es bueno analizar a la otra organización/empresa para identificar cuáles son las oportunidades de dar algo a cambio, por ejemplo: un espacio para hacer voluntariado, vinculo con líderes comunitarios, una mirada menos asistencialista y más enfocada en la responsabilidad social con enfoque de derechos.

Delivering on promises builds trust and rapport. These are vital in growing with partners/clients to build credibility. You are only as strong as your word. When your word fails- you have failed as well. So speak clearly- and do not communicate in circles where there is room for misunderstanding. Rather be clear, effective and precise to ensure your word is heard.

In my experience, Trust is key in building credibility and building trust depends a lot on transparency and accountability. The more transparent and accountable you are, the more trust worthy you would be considered by other organizations and the more trustworthy you are considered, the more credible you will be. In building partnerships, you can't afford to leave grey areas, whatever affects you affects your partner and vice versa, so you need to come out clear and spell out everything. One key way to achieve this is to develop a partnership model based on transparency, mutual benefit and two-way accountability.

In our experience, seeking feedback from community partners about mutual projects is vital to the sustainability of your programming. Not only do you discover what your organization is doing right, but what you need to improve moving forward. Continuous improvement lends credence to sustainability.

Escuchar y escuchar, reconocer y agradecer, reglas básicas, que rige para todas las áreas de la vida, siempre retroalimentemonos de quienes nos rodean, no podemos añadir ojos a nuestra espalda, pero si nos rodeamos de gente con valor, ellos estarán donde nosotros no lleguemos y harán lo necesario, para que nuestros objetivo se vea cumplido.

Remember that celebrating relationships and collaborations are as important as the actual work. Be appreciative of others and their contributions.

In my extensive experience collaborating with partners from first-world countries, I've found that accountability is paramount. It's not just about making promises; it's about owning those commitments and delivering on them consistently. This level of accountability builds trust, credibility, and respect, laying a strong foundation for fruitful partnerships. By prioritizing accountability, we foster transparency, reliability, and ultimately, mutual success in achieving our shared objectives on a global scale.

First, choose a partner who has common goals and mission. Focus on the mission by providing results and over deliver if possible. Clarify expectations and focus on your tasks, communicate often, and share the resources that can improve the results of your partner also. Think that even though you have your tasks, you can also support your partner since the good results will be for the community.

An example I’ve seen is capitalizing on the sharing economy. Non-profits are always looking for ways to save money, so by offering up access to your inventory of something like themed decorative items for events or useful spaces, in an effort to share with other non-profits, you will set your organization apart as a true team player.

Be sure you are bringing something to the table before asking the partner for anything. Any partner relationship must be clearly defined with clear benefits for both or all parties. What can you give first to make it more likely the partner will want to work with you and continue to work with you?

Recognize the value that your potential partners offer and view them as collaborators rather than competitors. In building credibility, find your shared points of vision. Where does your work overlap? Where can you help each other fill gaps in services so that there's no need for duplication? Where can you gain efficiencies?