The Partnership Playbook: Types of partnerships
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EmailUnlock the full potential of youth development by establishing a variety of partnerships that empower and uplift the next generation.
A community partnership refers to a collaborative relationship between a group of people or organization where the members work together to achieve a common goal. The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments identifies partnerships as a shared responsibility and reciprocal process where community agencies, organizations and schools collaborate to support child development and learning. Youth development organizations like 4-H rely on a variety of stakeholders such as businesses, community organizations, and volunteers to provide programming that enhances the lives of youth.
Types of partnerships can be defined in two ways: by the types of organizations partnering and the length of the partnership.
Partnership types:
- Government – Community Partnership
- Organizations working with local, regional or national government bodies to address identified challenges within the community.
- Nonprofit – Community Partnership
- Alliances between nonprofit organizations to address issues within the community such as community foundations or other nonprofit organizations.
- Business – Community Partnership
- Cooperation between businesses within the community and organizations that serve the community to support a variety of issues.
- Academic – Community Partnership
- Collaboration between educational institutions, such as schools and universities, and community groups or organizations to combat community needs through academic expertise and resources.
- Civic – Community Partnership
- Engagement with civic groups, such as neighborhood associations or advocacy groups, to support residents.
- Coalition
- Partnerships that involve multiple sectors and organizations, working together to address a myriad of community issues and goals over time.
Length of partnership
- Short-term
- Spanning short periods of time or singular event; clear start and end date
- Commitment to specific goal(s)
- Temporary commitment
- Long-term
- Spanning extended periods of times
- Ongoing collaboration that may involve multiple projects
- Requires commitment to ongoing and sustained investment
- Intermittent
- Irregular and sporadic
- As needed or periodic support
- Varied levels of commitment
Community partnerships are incredibly important for youth development programs of all kinds. By working together with different groups, such as government, nonprofits, businesses, schools and neighborhood groups, resources can be increased to support communities. These partnerships can be short-term, long-term or happen only occasionally, but they all help make programs better. When youth development organizations join forces with others, they can reach more young people and provide stronger, more effective programming. Together, every young person can have the chance to grow and succeed.
Michigan State University Extension relies heavily on community partnerships to increase the reach of the work we do. For more information about partnering with MSU Extension in your community, contact your local 4-H program coordinator. For more information on the importance of partnerships, read The Partnership Playbook: How partnerships make youth programs better!
