To find the right partners who align with your mission and organizational goals, start by determining what you need.

Assess gaps in services, funding, or expertise that partnerships could help fill using the tools provided in Partnering. Based on that, you can define what you are looking for in a partner. The tools can also help you determine the strengths that you bring to the table as a partner.

This might include:

• Funding support
• Technical assistance (e.g., research and evaluation, facilitation, subject matter expertise)
• Shared services
• Referral system

Once you know what you need, look for organizations that align with your mission, such as:

• Healthcare providers and hospitals
• Government agencies (local, state, Federal)
• Social service organizations
• Local health collaboratives
• Education organizations
• Academic institutions and research centers
• Other CBOs and non-profits
• Faith-based organizations and community leaders

You can find potential partners by:

• Searching online directories like MCH Organizations Database and March of Dimes Local Collective Impact Initiatives.
• Attending MCH-related meetings, networking events, and conferences in your area.
• Engaging in collaborative spaces such as coalitions, working groups, and advisory boards. For example, the March of Dimes Mom and Baby Action Network.
• Researching local businesses and organizations that share an interest in your community.
• Reaching out to local funders who may connect you with aligned organizations.

Once you identify potential partners, take the time to build a foundation for strong collaboration.

Start by reaching out with a clear introduction about your CBO's mission, how working together can help all organizations achieve their goals, and potential collaboration ideas. It may take multiple meetings to discuss alignment and explore opportunities.

Be sure to establish clear goals, expectations, and processes by defining:

• Shared objectives and desired outcomes
• Roles, responsibilities, and commitments for each partner
• Terms for communication, reporting, and accountability

Consider drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or agreement with these details.

Guidance agencies receive for partnering with CBOs could be helpful when exploring those types of partnerships.

Building a partnership is just the beginning—sustaining and growing collaboration requires ongoing communication, support, and trust.

Communicate Regularly

• Schedule check-ins to assess progress and address challenges.
• Share updates, successes, and relevant opportunities.
• Be transparent about any changes that may impact the partnership.

Foster Mutual Benefit

• Identify ways to ensure all organizations benefit equally.
• Be willing to adjust roles and contributions based on changing needs.
• Provide support to partners when they need assistance.

Celebrate Successes

• Recognize and highlight achievements through newsletters, reports, and social media.
• Acknowledge contributions from all partners to build long-term trust.
• Share success stories with funders and stakeholders to attract additional support.

Expand Collaboration

• Seek opportunities for joint projects, funding, or policy advocacy.
• Bring in new partners as appropriate and agreed.

Regularly evaluating partnerships helps ensure they remain effective and aligned with organizational goals.

Start by setting goals, clear objectives, and a timeline for partnership activities and defining quantitative and qualitative metrics to assess them.

As you work together, track these metrics and gather feedback on the collaboration process from everyone involved. This can help you identify areas for improvement and make adjustments as needed. Use this Maternal & Child Health Partnerships Template for Tracking Metrics to make this process easier.

As the collaboration timeline comes to a close, assess whether the partnership is meeting its objectives and decide whether to continue, modify, or transition partnerships based on impact.

These guides and tools can help you set goals for, assess, implement, and evaluate partnerships:

• Objectives and Goals: Writing Meaningful Goals and SMART Objectives
• Nonprofit Finance Fund Partnership Assessment Tool for Health
• NACCHO Partnership Evaluation Guide
• Free tools, worksheets, and how-to videos to guide you through relationship mapping (e.g. stakeholder mapping, community asset mapping) and evaluating partnerships.