www.city-action.org

 

 

Overview

What is a Partnership?

Using City Action as a broker- the benefits

 

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Overview

City Action is aware that there is a growing desire within its corporate membership base to establish more formal, longer-term partnerships with local community organisations. It is a chance for the private sector to become involved in raising the standards and prosperity of the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Many businesses are keen to engage in significant relationships with sustainable outcomes.

Particularly in light of the current economic climate, many community organisations are in greater need of secure, multi-faceted support from private sector partners. As the economy slows down, many community organisations are finding that individuals and companies are giving less in terms of financial donations but also in terms of donations of time and expertise. Meanwhile, as a result of economic difficulty, many charities are also seeing a rise in the need for their services coupled with impending funding cuts.

City Action believes a partnering approach is the best way to achieve measurable and sustainable outcomes that exist long after the partnership winds down and the partners move on. In this respect, we encourage our business members to view partnering not as an end goal but as a means to achieving their objectives.

All volunteering partnership brokering activity is offered for free to City Action members.

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What is a Volunteering Partnership?

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Using City Action as a broker- the benefits

We speak both 'languages' of the private sector and of the community sector and thus can help clarify misunderstandings or misinterpretations. City Action can act as a broker for your volunteering partnership by providing the following qualities and resources:

Knowledge of potential partners: City Action will use their extensive knowledge of the community and corporate sectors in order to help match potential partners.

Encourage an objective-setting meeting: City Action can suggest achievable objectives and will recommend that a meeting is held to discuss and reach agreement on these.

Facilitate open discussion: City Action will use their facilitation skills to ensure open discussion. This can be particularly important for organisations that may not be used to working together, and can encourage transparency.

Impartiality: City Action will not favour or have vested interests in either partner organisation which means that we will be able to view situations in a more objective light. City Action will encourage you to evaluate your partnership at appropriate intervals and will assist the partners if decisions are made to move on or to invite new partners to join.

 

City Action's partnership service is informed by International Business Leaders Forum and their Partnering Initiative. For more information please visit their website.