Helen Keller once said, "Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much." The driving force behind progress is not only competition, but it is also collaboration. When people come together, creativity and production bloom into new avenues for growth. While it is always important to know your competition, it is also essential to know collaboration.
The business entity that knows this best are nonprofit organizations. Without the combined efforts of their organizational members, donors, and staff, nonprofits would not thrive. Some of the largest nonprofits can attribute their success to that of collaboration.
What about cross-organizational collaboration? When two organizations come together, there are so many opportunities that open up. This demonstrates to the public that you will do whatever it takes to accomplish your mission. In addition, the organization seeks to gain increased access to tools and resources as well as expanded audience visibility and trust.
THuS has the pleasure of working alongside BBB Wise Giving Alliance (WGA). Most recently, they have been running a campaign called Inspiring Collaboration. The collection of stories spotlights nonprofits who are uniting with other organizations to enhance their mission's impact. These nonprofits are making substantial strides in accomplishing their goals, with collaboration being a critical factor in their success.
A fantastic nonprofit success story when it comes to this approach is Susan G Komen. Because of their partnerships, they have been able to raise $500 million since 1999. These funds have allowed for resources to become available to people struggling with breast cancer, as well as advancing the imperative research behind fighting and curing this disease that affects so many people.
More recently, fast-food giant Burger King decided to run a campaign in Argentina called "A Day Without Whopper," in which they stopped selling whoppers everywhere to promote purchases with their competitor McDonald's. They did this to aid in McDonald's fundraiser for Children with Cancer. Who would've thought! We are used to these types of businesses taking jabs at each other to increase revenue. We have to admit that this is collaboration at its best.
How are you engaging in collaboration to advance your business mission? To unite and conquer is a chance to open up new doors of opportunity for growth. WGA recommends 9 different considerations when choosing partners to collaborate with. If you're looking for inspiration on how to go about this new trend, their Advancing Collaboration page is worth your time!
Remember, it's better when done together!
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