Effective partnerships are ones in which a shared value proposition exists. Community collaborations should encourage each partner to contribute what resources they have to the broader collective. Working together, several organizations and individuals, including your program, can create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

In the Collaboration Handbook: Creating, Sustaining, and Enjoying the Journey (Winer & Ray, 1994), the authors propose that when entering into a collaborative relationship, potential partners should identify their self-interests. As a leader concerned with the good of your program, you have the right and the responsibility to seek relationships that will directly benefit the program. Thus, one of the first steps is to think strategically to connect your vision for the program to potential partnerships. You will then have a better idea of potential partners and how to structure those relationships.

At the most basic level, you will need to ask the following five questions: Can I work with this group? Can the rest of my staff (or volunteers) work with this group? Can this group work with us? What benefit will the program get from this partnership? What benefit will this group get from the partnership? If the answers are no or none, chances are that your program does not have the time or resources available to make a true partnership work. Your efforts would probably be better focused on a more promising relationship. Use Tool 58: Identifying Potential Partnerships for tips on how to identify potential partners and begin building strong partnerships.

As discussed in the section on program design, you must address many issues when developing activities for your program, including the wishes of families and community members, the interests of the staff, funding requirements, resource limitations, and more. To help guide programming decisions, you and your staff or advisory group should consider the needs and preferences of everyone involved; align afterschool and expanded learning activities with the school day; determine available assets; and balance academic enrichment, recreation, and service activities.

All these things must be taken into account when developing partnerships for your program. Because the activities in an afterschool and expanded learning program should reflect the philosophy, vision, mission, and goals approved by the program’s governing board, it is important to ensure that partners are aligned with those. Thus, a program with a vision of “offering a safe, nurturing alternative to gang participation” might reach out to different partners compared with a program with the mission of “improving academic achievement for the lowest performing youth.

The convenience and potential effectiveness of externally developed program curricula have prompted many programs to purchase curricular packages from commercial vendors. For programs that have the resources, these packages may be more advantageous than creating a new afterschool and expanded learning curriculum. Be sure to consider all the pros and cons when deciding whether to purchase a commercially developed program that has proven successful at other sites. The benefits to purchasing an externally developed curriculum include proven potential effectiveness, existing materials (which can save time, money, and other resources); available technical assistance; a potential network of support with other users; and the potential for simple, efficient evaluation (if evaluation procedures are part of the purchased package). The drawbacks to using an externally developed curriculum may include the price (which will probably be more expensive than models based on staff design or publicly available program ideas); having less flexibility for instructors; difficulty gaining agreement within the staff regarding the purchase and implementation of a program; controversy among community members; and problems with getting approval for the purchase. You can use Tool 59: Rating Worksheet for Potential Vendor Services to help you think through the key issues in vendor selection.

Beyond curriculum providers, many types of outside service providers can be considered to enrich your program. Some examples are content area experts (e.g., arts or STEM), transportation providers, food and beverage distributors, staff development experts, technical assistance providers, and group facilitators. If an external vendor will be interacting with participants and their families, make sure they go through all the same safety checks (e.g., background and reference checks), orientations, and trainings as other staff members. After you choose a vendor but before you sign a contract, be sure to clarify—in writing—the contract length (if applicable); the exact type and amount of materials or services provided; the cost and payment schedule (e.g., can the vendor lease or contract its services to coincide with a program budget that does not account for a price increase during a two- to three-year period?); issues related to intellectual property rights; contact information for immediate technical assistance; and stipulations for contract termination, product return, and refunds. These points cover only a few of the issues to consider when signing an agreement with a vendor. Be sure to consult with your district or program attorney before signing any contract. It is helpful to have template contracts created for you by an attorney for a one-time fee. You can then be assured that the contract terms meet the needs of your program.

When looking to the community for potential partners, think first about the relationships you already have. Could any donors or sponsors become more involved in the program and become true partners? It takes time to develop these kinds of relationships and build a reputation for effectiveness. As convinced as you are of the worthiness of your program, it may take time to prove to other organizations or groups that the program has the vision, philosophy, potential effectiveness, and sustainability that will make them feel comfortable enough to commit their own resources and reputation. Give yourself plenty of time to establish true partnerships. It may not happen during your first year, which is okay. Use Tool 60: Involving Current and Potential Stakeholders to keep track of information about organizations you may already be in contact with. Potential partners may include K-12 schools, libraries, senior citizen centers, civic groups, local businesses, the arts and sciences community (e.g., museums, zoos, music ensembles, theaters, and parks), local recreation centers, law enforcement agencies, colleges or universities, AmeriCorps programs, professional membership groups, social service or health agencies, humane societies, faith-based organizations, youth-serving agencies, volunteer organizations, and other nonprofits (e.g., Junior Achievement and local literacy organizations).

As a first step, work with your staff and advisory board to start exploring existing connections in the community. Tool 61: Community Connections can help guide this process. The outcome of this exercise should be to not only better understand the connections the program currently has in the community but also understand what the community expects from the program. For instance, businesses in the community may be finding graduates underprepared for the workforce. This information should be considered when planning activities for young people and their families.

Thinking creatively is a useful strategy for finding partners. Try searching for lists of nonprofit organizations and public agencies with goals that align with your program's vision and goals. Call the local chamber of commerce to get a list of businesses in the community. Think about the variety of ways your program could connect with a local college or university. Think about where your staff and board members have existing relationships they could tap. Get your advisory board involved. Write down all potential partners using Tool 58: Identifying Potential Partnerships and Tool 61: Community Connections.

You also should think strategically about how partnerships can help you accomplish your program goals and meet your needs. Be specific. For example, if you know that your program is in need of computer literacy offerings, you can target organizations that provide such programs. Creating a prioritized inventory of program needs can be an important step in finding an organization with which to build a mutually advantageous relationship. The various tools in this section of the guide should help you identify the specific needs of the program and, in turn, find appropriate partners. In identifying potential individuals or organizations with whom to partner, keep in mind the following questions: Is the overall vision of this organization closely aligned with our vision and goals? What are our expectations for a relationship with this partner? What resources, services, or materials will this partner bring to the relationship? What does our program bring to the relationship?

You should have a fairly concrete idea of your answers before beginning discussions with a potential partner. These answers will help lay the groundwork for the relationship. At the same time, it is helpful to be open to areas of collaboration that you may not initially envision. Your potential partner may think of collaborative ventures that didn't occur to you initially.

After you have identified a potential partner, set up a meeting with the person or organization to share information. Think about the best person to make the initial outreach to a potential partner. For example, if a member of your advisory board is connected to the individual or organization, have that person set up the initial phone call or introduce you by e-mail. Come to the meeting prepared with information about your program (e.g., vision and program goals) and a specific ask for the potential partner. The worst any group can say is no, so go ahead and ask. But asking is not as easy as it first appears. You must be clear about what you are asking for. Your chances of receiving a positive answer to your request increase if the request falls within the capacities and interests of the person or organization. To put it simply, ask people to do things they can and want to do. Be sure to check first on any legal or organizational stipulations your program might face in how or with whom it establishes a partnership.

When establishing community partnerships, approach community partners with a clear purpose. It is easier for partners to respond to requests when they know exactly what is being asked of them. Comprehensive afterschool and expanded learning programs that draw on resources within the community - in addition to aligning with the school day - can yield even more positive outcomes for youth and their families. Remember that not all community members may want to be involved in the program. However, ensure that everyone in the community is aware of the program by getting the word out through press releases in local newspapers, stories and spotlights in the local news, and community events. If the group is interested in working with the program after this initial discussion, you will need to work through the details of exactly how the partnership would work. Open communication is essential in this process. Go back to Tool 2: Partnership Planning Worksheet for guidelines in establishing a relationship with your partner. Even as you cast a wide net, keep in mind that your program will probably forge truly collaborative relationships with only a few partners. Although many organizations may help the program with sponsorship or cooperative relationships, deep collaboration requires a higher level of commitment and cultivation.

As discussed in the section on program design, asset maps help people come to a consensus about the strengths of a given community. The asset-mapping activity naturally steers participants away from focusing on what is wrong in the school or community and starts a conversation about positive action. Leading staff members through an asset-mapping activity will give you a better understanding of the strengths of the community and is a great step toward identifying potential partners.