Collaboration

Benefits
Guidelines

Definition: "a mutually beneficial relationship between two or more parties, who work toward common goals by sharing responsibility, authority, and accountability for achieving results." (Chrislip & Larson)

Successful partnering requires a shift of perspective from the individual (company/organization) to the community--from what's good for me to what's good for me to what's good for the network. (Kanter)

Collaboration with one or more organizations while planning an event can make your event more meaningful for everyone involved. Not only will it allow you to tap a whole new variety of potential funding sources, it will also bring together many creative minds, planning resources, cultural, religious and social diversity and at the same time, provide a plethora of networking and outreach opportunities for your organization.

Benefits:

Cost Savings
Visibility
Sphere of Impact
Potentially improving image or credibility
Synergy
Larger event turnout?

ODOS Co-Sponsorship Grant

Guidelines:

Connection with Purpose & People

Alliances are successful when key individuals connect personally and emotionally with the alliance's social or cultural purpose and each other.

Clarity of purpose

Jointly prepare a written purpose statement. Vagueness or ambiguity will cloud the vision of the undertaking and may breed confusion or event conflict.

Event Planning Guide

Congruency of Mission, Strategy, and Values

Engage early in identifying alignment between mission, strategy, and values. The closer the alignment the greater the potential gains from collaboration.

Creation of Value

Jointly and explicitly specify the benefits each of you expect to obtain from the collaboration.

Communication Between Partners

Respect and trust are imperative in collaborative relationships. Communication needs to be open and frank and critical communication constructive. Do you treat each other as equal partners?

Continual Learning

Collaboration must be viewed as dynamic. Partners need to view alliances as learning laboratories and cultivate a discovery ethic that supports continual learning.

Commitment To Partnership

Over committing and under delivering can destroy partner credibility and neglect can lead quickly to partner disengagement.
(James E. Austin)

For more information on collaboration, contact your peer advisors at the student organization office, soo@odos.wisc.edu or enter your collaboration ideas here.