"In the nonprofit sector, we love to talk about collaboration. It's one of our most cherished buzzwords-reassuring, inclusive, and well-intentioned. We feel cozy and comfortable talking about collaboration when the choice feels safe and easy. But in this moment of overlapping crises, easy collaboration isn't enough. We need partnerships-strategic, intentional, equity-rooted partnerships that shift how we steward community assets, not just in crisis but long before it."
"In today's landscape of overlapping crises, nonprofits are navigating what feels like a permanent state of uncertainty. Federal funding is retracting, philanthropic dollars are in flux, and frontline staff are burning out. For many, the instinct is to double down, protect what's left, and preserve the organization at all costs. But that instinct can be self-defeating. Boards and leaders must pursue partnership as an act of leadership, with purpose and intention."
Nonprofits face overlapping crises: shrinking federal funding, variable philanthropic support, and frontline staff burnout, creating persistent uncertainty. Survival instincts to protect organizations can be self-defeating. Partnerships must be strategic, intentional, and rooted in equity to shift stewardship of community assets before and during crises. Effective partnership requires centering community voice, shifting power, and establishing accountability. Boards and leaders must pursue partnership as active leadership rather than passive, paternalistic, or performative behavior. Capacity-building initiatives like the Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative encourage reframing partnership approaches to explore strategic collaborations that protect communities and essential programming.
Read at Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]