Do You Talk to Your Neighbors?

In the midst of busy lives - running between work, school, kids' activities, volunteer commitments, grocery shopping, etc. - it can be easy to lose track of the people who live closest to us.

There may be some people on your block who you haven't talked to in months. Years. Or ever.

The same is true in the nonprofit world.

Sometimes we're so head down in our work that we forget to check in with organizations, corporate partners and other entities that:
→ Serve the same community members we do
→ Work on the same need, issue or advocacy area we do
→ Provide services or support on either side of the work we do

But given the shifts in the funding landscape we're seeing this year, checking in with these "neighbors" is increasingly important.

At the Community Leaders UnConference last week here in Raleigh, it was clear that substantial cuts in federal grant funding are taking a toll.

Staff members from well-established nonprofits with proven programs shared their concerns and the creative solutions they're pursuing so they can continue to deliver support that leads to better outcomes, a healthier community, and ensuring our neighbors in need have those needs met.

Partnerships came up over and over again in these conversations, and with good reason.

Those partnerships might look like:

→ Strengthening well-established relationships with other nonprofits, corporations, and funding networks by finding new ways to work together.

→ Seeking out new partners who can bring different strengths to the table to both seek new resources and maximize the resources each organization already has.

→ Approaching unconventional partners who we haven't spent much time getting to know, but who may surprise us with the ways their objectives align with our own.

Powerful partnerships can be a boon for innovation, securing funding, and improving outcomes.

But we don't often go from being strangers to best friends overnight.

Most meaningful partnerships are built through relationships.

And those relationships start by reaching out and spending time to get to know and understand one another.

This week → identify a few "neighbors" you can start a conversation with.

This month → reach out and set up time to connect.

This work is challenging.

But you don't have to figure it out alone.

You just may need to be the one who starts the conversation. Join the one happening on Linkedin.