This is an exciting time in the field of social impact, social enterprise, social finance, and all things relating to community good. Billions of dollars are flowing into philanthropy and market-driven solutions. World is being changed! Or so we are led to believe.
Maximizing Value in Partnerships
At JS Daw & Associates we live and breathe innovative partnerships – from the frameworks behind them, to the value and values that drive them. We are committed to sharing the latest resources and insights that will energize your collaborative efforts. Our purpose is to help you adapt, thrive and prepare for the collaborative future essential for sustainable, just and inclusive communities.
2019: Amplify Your Self-Knowledge
Partnerships Move at the Speed of Trust: One Thing That Changes EVERYTHING
Partnerships and Polarity Management
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald.We all tend to see the difficulties we encounter at work and in life in general as problems we must solve. We come by this tendency honestly through formal education and through learned experience where we told to look for “the answer” to our problems.
Embracing Inherent Partnership Tensions
This past spring I participated in a conference on “Inherent Tensions in Networks”. The main theme was get comfortable with being uncomfortable when working in partnerships. When I work with partners I use a diversity of concepts and methods to support and enhance their work, including design and systems thinking and group dynamics. But “Polarity Thinking”, is one framework I use regularly. Like yin and yang, polarities are interdependent values that support each other.
New Millennial Engagement Research
By Jocelyne Daw and Richard JanzenEvery nonprofit or community-minded organization is looking to pass the torch to the next generation, finding someone to take up “The Cause” and continue the good work. This work is vitally important to building and maintaining communities, helping the disadvantaged, and connecting us with like-minded people.
Reflections On My Partnership Brokers Training
Guest Blog - Rebecca Aird, Director Grants and Community Knowledge, Ottawa Community FoundationIn February this year, I participated in a 4-day training course by the Partnership Brokers Association. Participants included reps from post-secondary institutions, government agencies, funders, and not-forprofit organizations.
Conditions for Effective Partnerships
By Jocelyne DawEveryone talks about partnership. But talking about collaboration isn’t the same as doing it. Genuine collaboration is hard, especially when it requires working across sectors and systems. Ineffective partnerships can be wasteful and challenge traditional power dynamics. It can be regarded more as a charming concept than as a legitimate practice to improve outcomes. Partnering isn’t the clear answer to every problem.
Shifting the Funder's Partnership Paradigm
Donors increasingly play a critical role in funding cross-sector collaborations. In fact, many require “partnerships” for funding to be provided. They rightly belief partnerships can be innovative, far reaching, scalable and sustainable. But donors often struggle to appreciate the challenges and hard work involved in true partnerships. And while their intentions are genuine, practice suggests funder driven partnerships have often stifled rather than optimized multi-stakeholder collaborations.