Identifying Opportunities for Collaboration
When developing your funding application, there may be opportunities to collaborate with other organisations and individuals to ensure you deliver optimal outcomes.
The decision to collaborate will depend on the:
- Proposed solution/project
- Funding application guidelines (see Organisational Compliance regarding eligibility criteria)
- Funding body's expectations.
ALWAYS check the funding application guidelines to see if you are able to explore collaborative opportunities.
IF IN DOUBT, contact the funding body to seek clarification.
Choosing A Collaborative Partner
When identifying organisations or individuals for potential collaboration with consider if:
- You share common ideologies, interests and ways of working
- There is shared respect
- You have clear expectations about what each organisation:
- Brings to the collaboration
- Hopes to get from the collaboration
- You have processes in place to work through potential conflicts (see Building Relationships).
Identify key people from your respective organisations and establish a small working group to:
- Identify and allocate the key writing tasks
- Assign a key person to coordinate the development of the funding application
- Schedule regular meetings to review and dis
- Assign overall responsibility to one person to submit the funding application.
The Building Relationships section also contains advice and guidance on partnering and building effective relationships with other organsations.
- Australian Government Department of Social Services. (2007).Partnering with Community Organisations: A Toolkit for Small to Medium Sized Businesses. Canberra: ACT. Although this toolkit is designed for businesses partnering with community organisations, it also has applicability for alcohol and other drug organisations working with others
- Hunt, J. (2013). Engagement with Indigenous Communities in Key Sectors. Resource sheet no. 23. Produced for the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse
- National Congress of Australia's First Peoples. (2013). Principles for a Partnership-Centred Approach for NGOs Working with Aboriginal Organisations and Communities in the Northern Territory. Downloaded from http://nationalcongress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/NGOPrinciples.pdf
- National Resource Center. (2010). Partnerships: Frameworks for Working Together. Downloaded from The Strengthening Nonprofits: A Capacity Builder’s Resource Library Website http://strengtheningnonprofits.org/resources/guidebooks/Partnerships.pdf
- New South Wales Department of Community Services. (2009). Working with Aboringinal People and Communities. A Practice Resource. New South Wales Department of Community Services, Ashfield: NSW
- Tennyson, R. (2011).The Partnering Toolbook (4th ed). International Business Leaders Forum. Dowloaded from http://www.nada.org.au/media/25076/partnering-toolbook-en-20113__2_.pdf
- The Center for Nonprofit Excellence Website contains checklists, tools for successful collaborations, and tips on successful relationships
- The Good Project Website. (2013).The Good Collaboration Toolkit: An Approach to Building, Sustaining, and Carrying out Successful Collaboration. Downloaded from http://thegoodproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Good-Collaboration-Tlkt-v3_Edited-2.pdf
- The Mental Health Coordinating Council Website. The Seven Stages of Partnership Development. Downloaded from http://www.mhcc.org.au/sector-development/promoting-partnerships/7-stages-of-partnership-development.aspx
- VicHealth. (2011). The Partnership Analysis Tool and Checklist. Downloaded from http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Publications/VicHealth-General-Publications/Partnerships-Analysis-Tool.aspx
- Victorian Department of Human Services. (2010).Sharing Strengths. How Community Organisations Can Work Together to Access Information and Support Services. Office for the Community Sector Department of Planning and Community Development: Melbourne
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