Build Partnerships

Identify other organizations

• When considering collaboration with other organizations, ask yourself these questions:
  • Are there other organizations or healthcare professionals in your community that serve people affected by cancer?
  • What types of services do they provide?
  • Are there obvious opportunities for collaboration?
• Identifying partners in your community:
  • Look beyond the cancer community and engage representatives of the other pieces of your program: e.g. if you are addressing nutrition, bring in the growers and grocers. Look at what is being done in the community and who supports it; see where you fit and engage those with a synergy.
  • Engage at the local level, not only corporate Headquarters. You are much more likely to get an enthusiastic response from a store manager looking to do something positive in the local community. This can help with both fundraising and in outreach to participants and volunteers.
  • Know what your "ask" is going to be and keep it short. If they say no to something big, then go back and ask for something smaller.

Partnering with other cancer-related organizations and healthcare professionals is not only financially efficient, but it also ensures that organizations are working together to meet the needs in your community.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has supported the development and implementation of cancer plans in each state, tribe or territory. These plans provide a strategic framework to address the specific needs of the cancer community. To facilitate the implementation of these plans, state, tribal or territorial health departments invite healthcare professionals, community-based organizations and others to meetings to ensure the activities included in the cancer plan are executed. These meetings also provide participants an opportunity to discuss rising needs in their community, develop partnerships with other organizations and prevent duplication of services within their community.

If an opportunity to collaborate with another organization arises, it is important that you take the time to build a solid and strong relationship with one another. Partnerships provide an opportunity for both organizations to have an equal share in the development and implementation of the program or product. You should work together to set the goals and objectives to ensure that each organization has an opportunity to provide feedback. When the program or product is developed, it is very important that both organizations are given credit for their work.