{"id":226,"date":"2024-08-09T19:55:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T19:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenicholsonfoundation.org\/blog\/?p=226"},"modified":"2024-10-14T18:00:17","modified_gmt":"2024-10-14T18:00:17","slug":"finding-and-nurturing-effective-partnerships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thenicholsonfoundation.org\/blog\/finding-and-nurturing-effective-partnerships\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding and Nurturing Effective Partnerships"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Nicholson Foundation worked to advance meaningful change in New Jersey\u2019s safety net service systems. Its journey is described in Changing Systems, Changing Lives: Reflecting on 20 Years.<\/em><\/p>\n

From the start, The Nicholson Foundation knew that forging partnerships as the centerpiece of our grantmaking investments was the best path for us to take. Over the years, we carefully selected grantee organizations to fund, and we nurtured those relationships through ongoing technical collaboration and regular review of progress. We also sought out other organizations, foundations, and state agencies and departments to join our work. Sometimes, it took considerable time and trial-and-error effort to find the right partners and the right project.<\/p>\n

This approach had several advantages. Partnering brought diverse skills and experience to bear on a problem. This enhanced the likelihood that the project or initiative would achieve its aims and continue after our funding ended. It was good for us, too. It helped us hone our ideas and determine what was the best route for us to take in a particular issue. It also improved the Foundation\u2019s visibility in New Jersey and enhanced our reputation as a committed player in the project\u2019s focus area.<\/p>\n

Our experiences in finding and nurturing effective partnerships generated a few key takeaways that might be useful to others who are engaged in similar work:<\/p>\n