Real Strategic Partners

Tom Suddes | April 23, 2008

Nick did a terrific role play at Training Camp last week using the ‘LCB OPPORTUNITY (CLOSE)’.

That’s when we do LEADERSHIP CONSENSUS BUILDING… right there on the visit!

Nick did a wonderful job of bringing a ‘Community Bank’ in as a TRUE/REAL STRATEGIC PARTNER!

There was a YMCA Executive Director in attendance. It struck me that groups like the YMCA and YWCA (and many other For Impact orgs) can make incredible use of this word STRATEGIC PARTNER .

It’s more than a “BIG GIFT “. It’s about a REAL… STRATEGIC… PARTNERSHIP… with a REAL… STRATEGIC… RETURN!

Think about it. You’re the YMCA. You already have “CORPORATE MEMBERSHIPS”. A company pays to “join” the Y and position it as an “Employee Benefit” .

Take that a huge step forward. (THINK BIG.)

WHAT IF… a corporation became a REAL STRATEGIC PARTNER???

They made a HUGE INVESTMENT… with a HUGE RETURN. The Y provided the BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP… as part of their Strategic Partnership! The Y sent health professionals and trainers to the company!

The corporation as STRATEGIC PARTNER would treat this as an INVESTMENT… IN THE COMMUNITY! IN THEIR EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH! And, in their BOTTOM LINE!!!

This is not just about YMCA’s. It’s about ALL For Impact Organizations that can think differently and think big about the potential of STRATEGIC (COMMMUNITY) PARTNERSHIPS.

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Gary Watson - April 23rd, 2008 10:39 am

Nick,
I have a question. I work with DOULOS Family Services in Princeton, IN. I was the President of the Board when Mike Jones , Mary Sallee and I attended a For Impact conference at Columbus. I was asked to become the Director of Development for DOULOS. One of the things I am working on is this: One of the members of the Board gave me a list of fifty names of couples and individuals who might be potential investors. We want to have a meeting with about 20 people (ie: 10 couples from this list), provide a free meal at a local restaurant, and have a financial advisor who will show them how they can (through a combination of insurance made payable to a non-profit), they can leave money to a non-profit (like DOULOS) and not diminish the amount of the estate they would leave to their heirs. How is the best way to get these people to come? Should we send engraved invitations and follow up with a phone call? If so, expecting that some will not attend, should we invite all 50 (couples or individuals) and hope that 20 will show? What if 100 show up? How is the best way to handle a meeting like this?

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Freddie Jones - May 6th, 2008 5:07 pm

We are a non-profit after school training org. seeking funding and was told that your org could help.

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