More than Money

How to get money, resources and skills from Australian businesses


Community-business partnerships can take many forms but authentic partnerships do always have one thing in common: they are a collaboration of organisations and individuals working together to solve the social, economic and environmental problems facing us every day.

That all sounds great doesn't it, but what does it mean?

This book will help step you through the process of scoping possible partnership targets, approaching a business, working with them, evaluating the results of your partnership and - finally - winding up or reinventing your partnership. It's not an easy journey, but a very worthwhile one.

What's inside?


  • Introduction
  • What is a partnership?
    • Partnership models
  • Are you ready?
    • Have we got the time?
    • Have we got the right people to manage it?
    • Are we committed to it?
    • Will the outputs outweigh the inputs?
    • What have we got to give?
    • Knowing your worth
  • Finding the right partner
    • Do they have anything to give?
    • Who do they partner with now?
    • Check their partnership guidelines
    • Values match
    • Reference checks
    • Partnership assessment template
  • Where to find a partner
    • Chambers of commerce
    • Business clubs
    • Services clubs
    • Use your contacts
  • Make it very easy to say yes
    • Find out what the business wants
    • What do you want and what can you give?
    • Put the proposal in their language
    • Give them plenty of time
    • Don't push too hard
    • Keep it simple
    • Tell them what you have done!
    • Demonstrate that you are a good operator
    • Because it's worth it
  • What to discuss before you commit
    • Partnership planning workshop
    • Next steps
  • Managing the relationship
    • Document, document, document
    • Partnership agreement
    • Progress report
    • Financial/budget report
    • Communications/event evaluation
    • Other useful documents
  • Communication
    • Formal communication
    • Informal communication
    • Defined points of contact
    • Pick up the phone!
    • Ask for feedback and give it in return
    • If you think they MIGHT need to know then they DO need to know
    • Heads-ups
  • Maintain the love
    • Say thank you
    • Updates
    • Special invitations
    • Invite and involve
  • Tell the world
    • Why should we tell people?
    • When should we tell people?
    • What should we tell people?
    • How can we tell people?
    • Who should we tell?
  • Celebrating the partnership
    • What can we celebrate?
    • How to celebrate
  • Reviewing your partnership
    • A checklist to gauge the health of your partnership
  • When things go wrong
    • Tips for spotting if your partnership is on rocky ground
    • Addressing conflict
    • Stand by your mates
  • Juggling multiple partners
    • Advantages
    • Disadvantages
    • Tips for success
  • Exit gracefully and graciously
    • It's time to go if...
    • Premature parting
  • Celebrate the successes
  • Ten reasons to celebrate success
  • Reviewing your partnership
    • Questions for your final review
    • Reinvention
  • Appendices
    • Appendix 1: 50 tips for finding and keeping the right partner
    • Appendix 2: Partnership Assessment Template
    • Appendix 3: Benefits List (Example)
    • Appendix 4: Progress Report


    • Download a sample

    $36 (inc GST)

    Includes FREE postage within Australia
    (Shipped Tuesdays and Thursdays)

    Format: Paperback
    Pages: 142
    ISBN: 9781876976385

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