Partnerships are vitally important to a successful afterschool and expanded learning program. Young people show the greatest gains when they participate regularly in programs that have strong connections to schools and families (Little, Wimer, & Weiss, 2008). Strong partnerships do not happen overnight but require intentional time and energy to develop and nurture. However, it is important to note that the payoff for maintaining successful partnerships is huge, with results ranging from improved program quality to the more efficient use of resources and even improved sustainability in the long term (Griffin & Martinez, 2013; Little, 2009).

Although some struggles will occur along the way, shared authority should be the goal for your partnerships. In a true collaboration, the distinction between “us” and “them” should blur. Sharing leadership should be seen as an expansion of perspectives, not a ceding of power. It will take the active commitment of all partners to focus on the mission of the collaborative effort rather than on their own independent goals.

In addition, collaborative leadership acknowledges that all staff members and volunteers feel empowered to act as leaders within their own roles. Leadership involves being assertive, motivational, and trustworthy; taking responsibility for one’s actions; building the capacity of others; and developing relationships with others.

When facilitating collaborative leadership, establish an efficient leadership structure with clarified roles and responsibilities. Go back to Tool 2: Partnership Planning Worksheet to think through the details of your partnership and clarify who is doing what. You also can revisit Tool 18: Calculation of In-Kind Contributions to determine the value of in-kind services that your partners can provide to the program. Establish a system that recognizes collaborative leadership and never underestimates the power of incentives. You also should maintain open communication. Everyone involved needs to be kept informed, and everyone needs opportunities to communicate so that they can share information and reduce potential misunderstandings. Likewise, it is important to foster commitment to the mission by facilitating an environment in which the beliefs that are shared by everyone are regularly focused on so that collaborators will remember that they share common ground, even during heated discussions. Finally, share public acknowledgment. Each partner needs to recognize in public the contributions of all collaborators. Partners need to agree to sink or swim together, at least until the end of their relationship.