On 10 December 2012, NPC and the Clothworkers’ Company held a seminar for trustees wanting to understand more about collaboration between charities, and between charities and other sectors. As the funding landscape continues to evolve, charities increasingly see collaboration as a way to access new funding, grow and improve services. But whilst some charities have experience in collaborative and partnership ways of working, for others it is an entirely new approach.
Collaborative working can take many forms, from light touch to joint service delivery, and with partners inside and outside the voluntary sector. To foster effective partnerships, transparency, good communication and a holistic understanding of the risks faced by all parties is vital. Charity trustee boards play an important role here in helping a charity to think through what is involved, so that it can make the most of the opportunities that partnerships offer.
