As you plan for the year ahead, partnerships can be a game-changer for purpose-led businesses and nonprofits. Partnerships are collaborative relationships between two or more organizations working together toward a shared goal. These relationships can take many forms—co-branded campaigns, event sponsorships, product collaborations, or even cross-promotions—and are designed to amplify impact while sharing resources.

Why are partnerships so valuable? As highlighted in a Forbes article, partnerships can significantly boost revenue and business impact. For example, Microsoft generates 95% of its commercial revenue through its partner ecosystem. Similarly, referral partners contribute to 40% of Zoom’s business in Japan. These examples illustrate how partnerships can expand reach, enhance credibility, and power results. Whether you’re growing your audience, increasing fundraising, or launching a new initiative, partnerships bring mutual benefits that extend beyond the transactional.

As you think about your strategic planning, partnerships can help create meaningful momentum. Here are five ways to integrate partnerships into your business goals and nonprofit objectives:

1. Reflect on Last Year’s Collaborations

Before diving into the new year, take time to review your previous partnerships. Even if you don’t think you’ve had formal collaborations, consider events, campaigns, or joint initiatives where you worked with others toward a shared goal. What worked? What didn’t? This process isn’t just about identifying successes but also uncovering lessons from challenges in the previous year.

For instance, if a co-hosted webinar attracted new donors or customers, consider why it resonated with your audience. Was it the format, the partner’s audience, or the topic? You might have received feedback to make future events in-person. Could you find a location partner for the next co-hosted webinar? Use these reflections to align partnerships with your goals for the new year.

2. Create a Relationship Action Plan

In his book Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi introduces the idea of a “relationship action plan,” a tool for connecting your goals with the people, places, and things needed to achieve them. For businesses and nonprofits, this means identifying partners whose missions and audiences complement your own.

Start creating your relationship action plan by listing the people or organizations you need to help you accomplish your goals. Consider how you can reach out to them and ensure all relationships are mutually beneficial. The key to a successful action plan is reciprocity. Ask yourself: What value can you offer a potential partner? Can you share your audience, expertise, or product/services in a way that creates a win-win situation? Building partnerships isn’t just about what you gain—it’s about fostering relationships that thrive on mutual benefit.

3. Incorporate Partnerships into Your Marketing Strategy 

If you already have an idea of your business goals or nonprofit objectives, do you have a marketing plan in place? Going deeper, do you have that plan broken down by channels like websites/blogs, email, social media, etc.? One idea to incorporate partnerships into your marketing plan, is by adding “partnership marketing” as its own distinct marketing channel with specific goals and strategies.

You can start by creating dedicated objectives for partnership marketing. For example, if your goal is to introduce a new offering, consider partnering with a person or organization that has a complementary product or service. Together, you could co-create and promote the offering to both of your audiences. Other ideas include collaborating on a content series or developing a unique product bundle that leverages each partner’s strengths. Treat partnership marketing as you would any other channel—set measurable goals, plan campaigns, and track results. Integrating partnerships into your marketing strategy ensures they become an intentional and impactful part of your busienss or organization overall plan.

4. Use the NICE Framework for Goal-Setting

When setting partnership-related goals, it’s easy to get caught up in big outcomes like securing a certain number of collaborations or hitting revenue targets. Instead, focus on inputs—actions you can control—using Ali Abdaal’s NICE framework from his book, Feel-Good Productivity:

  • Near-term: Goals should be achievable in the short term
  • Input-based: Focus on measurable actions
  • Controllable: Set goals that don’t depend on external factors, like whether a partner says yes
  • Energizing: Choose actions that excite and motivate you

For example, instead of setting a broad goal like “secure 10 sponsorships,” reframe it as “reach out to five potential sponsors every month.” At Nadi Marketing, we’ve used this framework to guide partnership outreach efforts. By reaching out to five new potential partners each week through a number of methods, we secured placements on panels and podcast interviews, led workshops, been invited to speak at virtual summits, and had numerous 1:1 coffee chats to connect with new potential partners. This approach keeps momentum going and shifts the focus to consistent effort.

5. Plan for Long-Term Collaboration 

One-off collaborations are great, but long-term partnerships create the deepest impact. When setting your annual goals, think about how you can deepen existing relationships. Could a successful product partnership evolve into a seasonal collection? Or could a joint campaign with another organization expand into a quarterly initiative? Long-term partnerships thrive on communication and shared vision. Schedule regular check-ins with your collaborators, and align on key goals for the year ahead. By planning together, you can co-create a roadmap that benefits both parties, ensuring your efforts remain aligned and productive.

 

Incorporating partnerships into your business goals and nonprofit objectives isn’t just about checking a box—it’s about creating meaningful collaborations that enhance your mission and impact. By reflecting on past efforts, crafting a relationship action plan, leveraging partnerships in marketing, focusing on inputs, and planning for long-term collaboration, you’re setting the foundation for a purpose-led year of growth and success.

Need support managing your partnerships in the new year? At Nadi Marketing, we offer customized services to help businesses and nonprofits create year-long strategies, develop impactful collaborations, and foster meaningful relationships. Fill out our Inquiry Form to explore how we can work together.

Prefer to handle your partnership outreach or management yourself? Check out our free resources, like our digital address book template and email outreach templates, designed to help you take the first steps toward successful collaborations. Let’s make this your most impactful year yet!