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Finding the best community-business partnership model for your group
Step 1 - Know your Group or Organisation
To undertake a successful community-business partnership you'll need to be clear about what your group can offer a partnership with a business, as well as how it wants to benefit from it.
This requires you to:
- Be honest.
- Brainstorm and be prepared for self-assessment.
- Ask members for their views.
Once you have worked through these steps, you should have enough information on the characteristics of your group to look at which partnership model suits you best.
For example:
- Volunteerism - good if you need some people power, or some extra numbers to get some work done.
- Monetary Donations/Sponsorships - good for a group in need of some cash or other monetary support to help complete a project or aid its operation.
- Other Donations/In-kind Support - suitable if you need goods, services or materials more than money.
- Pro Bono or Discounted Services and Products - similar to in-kind support, this model is good for groups wanting boosts in goods, services or expertise.
- Business as Collection Point - great if your group wishes to raise its profile (and donation amounts) by using a business partner as a collection point for money or goods.
- Employment/Work Experience - suitable for community groups wishing to have members gain experience or knowledge.
- Skills and Knowledge Sharing/Secondment - suitable for a community group that feels it has knowledge or skills that would benefit a business or the wider community - or feels it needs those skills.
- Mentoring - again, mentoring is an option if you wish to gain knowledge through the mentoring of a group member.
- Community Involvement Programs - programs like this are most suitable for community groups looking to state a commitment to work with a business to achieve certain aims or outcomes.
- Sharing or Donation of Premises/Infrastructure - if your community group is in need of an office or storage space above anything else, this partnership model is right for you.
- Scholarships and Awards - is good for a community group that wishes to encourage community participation in activities that reflect its aims or philosophies, as well as to educate the public.
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