MSU Extension 4-H

Community partnerships are built on shared purpose and joint effort. They bring together people and organizations that believe they can accomplish more together than they can alone. ACT for Youth describes partnerships as a process of achieving goals that no single person or agency can accomplish independently. These collaborations often include schools, community organizations, businesses and volunteers who contribute time, expertise and resources to support young people within the community.

While forming a strong partnership is an important step, the work does not end there. Community partnerships thrive not only in the work they do, but in the ways their work is visible. Highlighting achievements, sharing stories of success, and celebrating progress help partners stay engaged, strengthen trust and build momentum for future work and collaborations.

Strong collaborations take time, trust and commitment, and promoting successes help both parties feel valued. When organizations highlight their achievements and celebrate milestones, they strengthen collaborative relationships. In addition, successful partnerships grow stronger when their impact is shared, appreciated and seen by the broader community. Here are some ideas to promote the success of your community partnership:

• Create a story together
  • Highlight the impact by including outcomes, testimonials and photos.
  • Share how you were able to accomplish it together and why it wouldn’t have worked alone.
  • Write a success story that can be shared by both organizations across many platforms.
• Use multiple platforms
  • Outputs may include:
    • Posting on social media.
    • Adding to organizational websites through a:
      • Short video highlight.
      • Blog post or article.
      • Partner spotlight.
    • Newsletter feature.
    • Distribution to local news media.
  • Host a celebration or showcase event
    • Recognize all parties at said event.
    • Include youth voice in event planning or actual event program.
    • Invite community members, commissioners and local media.
  • Share data and outcomes
    • Include qualitative data, such as the number of youth served.
    • Explain the skills gained by participants.
    • Discuss behavioral outcomes.
    • Highlight community impacts.
  • Give recognition to the partner
    • Recognize the partner(s) during an event.
    • Create a “Partner of the Month” feature on organizational website or newsletter.
    • Share thank you notes and videos from youth participants.
    • Create social media shout outs.
  • Invite the partner to co-present at:
    • Coalition meetings.
    • Donor/funder meetings.
    • Commissioner meetings.
    • Community gatherings.

Promoting success is not just an “add-on” to the work. It’s an essential part of the work. By recognizing partners in a variety of ways through multiple platforms, organizations help their partnerships remain visible, impactful and vibrant. Partnership promotion keeps the momentum alive. It reminds partners why they came together in the first place and shows the broader community what is possible when people unite around a shared purpose. Highlighting success is both a celebration of what has already been accomplished and in invitation to imagine what can be achieved next.

To learn more about community partnerships, check out the rest of the Partnership Playbook Series:

• The Partnership Playbook: How partnerships make youth programs better!
• The Partnership Playbook: Types of partnerships
• The Partnership Playbook: Initiating a partnership
• The Partnership Playbook: Building a strong foundation with partners
• The Partnership Playbook: Driving successful partnerships through goal setting
• The Partnership Playbook: Continuous evaluation and improvement
• The Partnership Playbook: Identifying red flags in a community partnership
• The Partnership Playbook: Ending partnership with professionalism

Michigan State University Extension relies heavily on community partnerships to increase the reach of the work we do. For more information about partnering with MSU Extension in your community, contact your local 4-H program coordinator.