Companies can be a critical partner in collective impact work. However, working with companies can pose unique challenges, from understanding how to initiate these partnerships to understanding how to best partner to sustain these relationships over time.

To learn more about how collaboratives can engage and partner with the private sector to advance social change work, we talk with Nikhil Bumb, Managing Director at the social change consulting firm FSG.

In this conversation, we discuss the multiple ways that nonprofits and companies can collaborate, from reaching out through corporate philanthropy to building deep, cross-sector partnerships. We also explore some of the unique advantages and challenges associated with partnering with companies, including the importance of:

• Challenging preconceived notions about what it means to work in the nonprofit or private sector;
• Understanding each partner’s strengths, resources, and limitations;
• Strengthening relationships by fostering a culture of mutual understanding, shared learning, and transparency;
• Moving beyond transactional relationships to establish a shared mission and values alignment.

Resources and Footnotes

• FSG
• Report: The Promise of Partnerships
• Blog: Partnering for Change, Committing to Learning
• Blog: What Business Leaders Wish NGOs Knew about Transformative Partnerships
• Podcast: Shifting from Competition to Partnership in Private Sector Collaboration

More on Collective Impact

• Infographic: What is Collective Impact?
• Resource List: Getting Started in Collective Impact

The Intro music, entitled “Running,” was composed by Rafael Krux, and can be found here and is licensed under CC: By 4.0.

The outro music, entitled “Deliberate Thought,” was composed by Kevin Macleod. Licensed under CC: By.

Have a question related to collaborative work that you'd like to have discussed on the podcast? Contact us at: https://www.collectiveimpactforum.org/contact-us/