Research Each Potential Alliance to Assess Strategic Fit and Opportunities
<br />Successful alliances between nonprofit organizations and businesses depend on the partners’ strategic fit: <b>their compatibility and ability to develop mutually beneficial projects.</b> Research, even regarding businesses with which a nonprofit already has relationships, helps the nonprofit assess strategic fit, opportunities to create mutual benefits, and the costs and risks that may be involved in an alliance. Research may also help to generate ideas about potential alliance projects. <br /><br /> Businesses increasingly release information that describes their missions, values, goals, product and service lines, reputations, and plans. You may wish to review public relations materials, including annual and community relations reports, as well as documents that businesses are required to file with government agencies. You may also inquire into businesses’ alliances with other nonprofit organizations and noteworthy business practices. <br /><br /> Some of the most valuable research is conducted by informal networking, especially through your nonprofit’s business volunteers. Trade and general interest media carry current news about businesses, including frequent reports on cause-related marketing and other highly visible alliance activities. Businesses’ own Web sites are rich sources of information, and the Internet is making it easier to search for local, regional, national, and international business information. Local libraries and print directories continue to be valuable resources. The Drucker Foundation Web site [drucker.org/collaboration/] provides a list of Web sites for business research. <br /><br /> <b>Using your knowledge of your nonprofit’s research, respond to the following questions for the top 5 business you identified as having promising alliance potential.</b>
Back
Next
Business 1.
How might our mission and values attract and be compatible with this business?
Are there areas where our ethics or values might conflict with those of the business?
How might an alliance with this business serve our primary customers and the community? What benefits might this alliance provide to help our nonprofit further its mission? Would this alliance provide services our primary customers value? Would this alliance benefit our nonprofit’s operations?
How might this alliance contribute to the business’s strategy? Would it help generate business? Enhance the company’s image? Reach new markets? Support human resource development? Strengthen corporate culture? Improve business and social conditions in the community?
What assets and capabilities might be exchanged in this alliance? What might our nonprofit provide and expect to receive? What might this business provide and expect to receive?
How will this alliance be incorporated into our nonprofit’s operating plan? What costs might this alliance involve? How much leadership and management time would this alliance project require from each partner? What other investments of resources might be required?
What risks might this alliance involve? What risks to each other’s reputation? What financial risks?
Given this preliminary assessment, does this business have strong potential for a strategic alliance that will further our nonprofit’s mission?If so, note any ideas for alliance projects with this business.
If this business does not seem to have strong alliance potential and our nonprofit already has a relationship with this business, should our nonprofit maintain, expand, narrow, or abandon this relationship?
Back
Next
Business 2.
How might our mission and values attract and be compatible with this business?
Are there areas where our ethics or values might conflict with those of the business?
How might an alliance with this business serve our primary customers and the community? What benefits might this alliance provide to help our nonprofit further its mission? Would this alliance provide services our primary customers value? Would this alliance benefit our nonprofit’s operations?
How might this alliance contribute to the business’s strategy? Would it help generate business? Enhance the company’s image? Reach new markets? Support human resource development? Strengthen corporate culture? Improve business and social conditions in the community?
What assets and capabilities might be exchanged in this alliance? What might our nonprofit provide and expect to receive? What might this business provide and expect to receive?
How will this alliance be incorporated into our nonprofit’s operating plan? What costs might this alliance involve? How much leadership and management time would this alliance project require from each partner? What other investments of resources might be required?
What risks might this alliance involve? What risks to each other’s reputation? What financial risks?
Given this preliminary assessment, does this business have strong potential for a strategic alliance that will further our nonprofit’s mission?If so, note any ideas for alliance projects with this business.
If this business does not seem to have strong alliance potential and our nonprofit already has a relationship with this business, should our nonprofit maintain, expand, narrow, or abandon this relationship?
Back
Next
Business 3.
How might our mission and values attract and be compatible with this business?
Are there areas where our ethics or values might conflict with those of the business?
How might an alliance with this business serve our primary customers and the community? What benefits might this alliance provide to help our nonprofit further its mission? Would this alliance provide services our primary customers value? Would this alliance benefit our nonprofit’s operations?
How might this alliance contribute to the business’s strategy? Would it help generate business? Enhance the company’s image? Reach new markets? Support human resource development? Strengthen corporate culture? Improve business and social conditions in the community?
What assets and capabilities might be exchanged in this alliance? What might our nonprofit provide and expect to receive? What might this business provide and expect to receive?
How will this alliance be incorporated into our nonprofit’s operating plan? What costs might this alliance involve? How much leadership and management time would this alliance project require from each partner? What other investments of resources might be required?
What risks might this alliance involve? What risks to each other’s reputation? What financial risks?
Given this preliminary assessment, does this business have strong potential for a strategic alliance that will further our nonprofit’s mission?If so, note any ideas for alliance projects with this business.
If this business does not seem to have strong alliance potential and our nonprofit already has a relationship with this business, should our nonprofit maintain, expand, narrow, or abandon this relationship?
Back
Next
Business 4.
How might our mission and values attract and be compatible with this business?
Are there areas where our ethics or values might conflict with those of the business?
How might an alliance with this business serve our primary customers and the community? What benefits might this alliance provide to help our nonprofit further its mission? Would this alliance provide services our primary customers value? Would this alliance benefit our nonprofit’s operations?
How might this alliance contribute to the business’s strategy? Would it help generate business? Enhance the company’s image? Reach new markets? Support human resource development? Strengthen corporate culture? Improve business and social conditions in the community?
What assets and capabilities might be exchanged in this alliance? What might our nonprofit provide and expect to receive? What might this business provide and expect to receive?
How will this alliance be incorporated into our nonprofit’s operating plan? What costs might this alliance involve? How much leadership and management time would this alliance project require from each partner? What other investments of resources might be required?
What risks might this alliance involve? What risks to each other’s reputation? What financial risks?
Given this preliminary assessment, does this business have strong potential for a strategic alliance that will further our nonprofit’s mission?If so, note any ideas for alliance projects with this business.
If this business does not seem to have strong alliance potential and our nonprofit already has a relationship with this business, should our nonprofit maintain, expand, narrow, or abandon this relationship?
Back
Next
Business 5.
How might our mission and values attract and be compatible with this business?
Are there areas where our ethics or values might conflict with those of the business?
How might an alliance with this business serve our primary customers and the community? What benefits might this alliance provide to help our nonprofit further its mission? Would this alliance provide services our primary customers value? Would this alliance benefit our nonprofit’s operations?
How might this alliance contribute to the business’s strategy? Would it help generate business? Enhance the company’s image? Reach new markets? Support human resource development? Strengthen corporate culture? Improve business and social conditions in the community?
What assets and capabilities might be exchanged in this alliance? What might our nonprofit provide and expect to receive? What might this business provide and expect to receive?
How will this alliance be incorporated into our nonprofit’s operating plan? What costs might this alliance involve? How much leadership and management time would this alliance project require from each partner? What other investments of resources might be required?
What risks might this alliance involve? What risks to each other’s reputation? What financial risks?
Given this preliminary assessment, does this business have strong potential for a strategic alliance that will further our nonprofit’s mission?If so, note any ideas for alliance projects with this business.
If this business does not seem to have strong alliance potential and our nonprofit already has a relationship with this business, should our nonprofit maintain, expand, narrow, or abandon this relationship?
Submit
Should be Empty: