…I hope that you all had a happy Valentines weekend and enjoyed spending time with your loved ones.  Last week, City Action was busy gearing up for the weekend by collaborating with CNN on a Valentine’s themed feature, broadcast on Saturday 14th, about our volunteering brokerage service.

CNN reporter Adrian Finighan visits Spitalfields Crypt Trust where Bank of Montreal employee volunteers support a lunchtime drop-in once a week.  Despite the slightly tongue-in-cheek approach to this news story, the value of City Action’s service is highlighted as it is described as “a unique initiative that allows volunteers and non-profit groups to work together”. 

Adrian also goes on to say: “Though it might not be ‘true love’ in the traditional sense, this relationship has had benefits for many…there are many types of (volunteer) matches but one clear goal – a relationship – built on a foundation of generosity of spirit”.

As programmes like The Secret Millionaire become ever popular due to the deeply personal and transformational nature of the volunteering stories featured and Barack Obama’s celebrated inauguration speech which focuses on “a new era of responsibility” – perhaps engaging in volunteering is going to become a vital part of rebuilding our economies and communities.  To quote Obama:

“We have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world…duties that we do not grudgingly accept but seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task…this is the price and promise of citizenship”  

Please do watch the full news story here and let us know your views on the future of volunteering…

…according to the International Business Leaders Forum, these three elements are essential to developing a successful cross-sectoral Partnership.  The dictionary definition of a ‘Partnership’ is defined as: a form of engagement where risks and benefits are shared and where there is an agreed/ongoing relationship to achieve a shared purpose.

City Action and the IBLF recently collaborated to deliver ‘Joining Forces: a practical workshop to build valuable corporate and community Partnerships’ for 30 attendees from both the corporate and charitable sectors.  The aim of the event was to introduce the concept of ‘Partnering’ and to highlight some of the practical tools that are available to develop sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships between two (or more) organisations.  The workshop was a great success and encouragingly, attendees from both sectors were in agreement that a successful Partnership must be a two-way process. 

At the end of the workshop, many attendees had also developed a greater understanding that each Partner may bring something different to the relationship but that does not make their contribution any less valuable.  For example, the common theme between corporate and charitable partnerships is often cited as funding.  As a result of this funding element, the charity may feel or be treated like an unequal Partner, however, the charity could be bringing many other elements to the Partnership including: the opportunity for employee involvement in their local community, skilled practitioners in their area of work e.g. youth counselling or training and the ability to measure real outcomes or impact of the funding they received. 

City Action now has a member of their team who has accredited Partnership broker status and we are able to offer help, support and resources to our members who are interested in developing a Partnership.  In early 2009, City Action will be launching an area of our website containing free resources and tools for developing a Partnership.

In the meantime, it would be fantastic to hear your thoughts Partnering and some examples of successful Partnerships your organisation has undertaken or are in the process of developing.