Not-for-Profit and Public-Private Partnerships Consulting Division of Partnership Continuum Inc..

Definitions of "Partnering Intelligence, "Smart Partners," and other partnering concepts
See partnering terminology

First step in building an effective internal or external partnering solution:
Assess your personal or organizational partnering capabilities

Like constructing a building, creating a successful partnership requires using a blueprint or model.
Read about a proven partnering model built on a partnering culture

Not-for-Profit, Government, and Public-Private Partnerships Consulting Division

Governments and public-sector organizations, not-for-profit organizations, and foundations must increasingly provide greater services to citizens; however, their budgets seldom increase to meet these needs. Partnering with for-profit organizations and companies in the private sector is the solution for achieving evolving needs and objectives. These partnering relationships use such business models as joint ventures, privatization, outsourcing, and alliances.

"With heightened competition for traditional sources of funding, nonprofit leaders can find themselves spending most of their energy chasing dollars to keep their doors open instead of focusing on their bottom line--their mission. Our organization helps nonprofits break out of this scarcity mode and learn new tools to effectively connect in an arena of abundance. The partnering process and relationship-building tools that we learned at the Building Smart Partners Workshop will be incorporated into our collaboration services to help nonprofits in three ways. On a personal note, the workshop experience also deepened my own negotiation skills, and I find myself looking for the value proposition in every relationship. Life's just too short not to connect in meaningful ways."

- Director of Consulting, Center for Nonprofit Management, Texas

Unfortunately, many public-private partnerships and partnerships between non-profit and for-profit organizations often fail. They encounter issues such as:

Developing mutual trust
Establishing priorities
Resolving conflicts of interest
Eliminating miscommunications; ensuring feedback and self-disclosure
Lacking the ability to communicate collaboratively on opportunities and resolving challenges
Feeling comfortable with each other's broader mission and public image, beyond the objectives they work on together
Resolving issues around intellectual property rights
and much more

Our Services and Methodology.
In addition to our consulting services for general/corporate clients, we assist not-for-profit organizations, governments, foundations, and preventive medicine and public health groups. We assist these organizations at various stages of their partnering relationships, as follows:

Identifying and evaluating the best partner for particular objectives
At the outset of their partnering relationships to help them develop mutual trust, partnering behaviors and a partnering culture that will result in highly effective partnerships for optimal outcomes
Throughout the ongoing relationship when they encounter challenges, helping them manage change, resolve issues in a win-win manner, and move forward together in a stronger relationship

To discuss how we can help your organization, please contact us.

Some of our Governmental Agencies, Non-Profit Organizations, and Foundation Clients

Not-for-Profit Organizations

Governments

Preventive Medicine
and Public Health

General/
Corporate

Foundations

The Corporation for
Public Broadcasting

Girl Scouts of the USA

The Sight and Hearing
Association

Center for
Victims of Torture

Center for Non-Profit Management

Community Action Programs of Ramsey and Washington Counties (MN)

United States
Postal Service

U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration

Red Lake Nation

Indiana Family and
Social Services
Administration

City of
St. Paul, Minnesota

Maryland Highway Commission

Minnesota Department of Transportation

South Dakota
Division of Wildlife

State of New Jersey Supreme Court

West Virginia
Bureau for
Behavioral Health & Health Facilities

Dakota (MN) County
Public Health Department

Iowa Department
of Public Health

State of Minnesota
Department of Administration

Minnesota Planning Department

American Lung Association
of Minnesota

Minnesota Institute of Public Health

Environmental Resource Council (MN)

Summit Health Group

Click here to see a list of corporate clients and their feedback on our services

Blue Cross
Blue Shield Foundation
of Minnesota

The Joyce Foundation