There is always strength in numbers. The more individuals or organizations that you can rally to your cause, the better.

—Mark Shields (American Political Analyst)

Do you agree with the quote? Are alliances in nonprofits better for organizations? In August 2015, the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance announced a new partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (2015) stated:

In addition to gaining access to over 9,000 Certified Nonprofit Professionals, the partnership provides opportunities for Boys & Girls clubs employees and volunteers to connect with the 50+ universities and non-profit organizations that are part of the Alliance network.

That type of alliance seems to make a big impact that benefits both organizations. Just like business models and leadership styles, just because one approach works for one person or organization, it does not necessarily mean it will work for another. Is that true for nonprofits, though?

To prepare for this Discussion, consider whether all nonprofits would benefit with this type of relationship. Do you think there could be any downfalls?

By Day 3

Post an evaluation of whether strategic alliances are important for all nonprofits to employ. Include in your evaluation whether every nonprofit should seek to become part of one or more alliances. Explain why every nonprofit should or should not have strategic alliances. Make sure to support your perspective with appropriate resources.

Renz, D. (Ed.). (2010). The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and management (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

· Chapter 14, “Collaboration and Strategic Alliances”

· Chapter 21, “Managing the Challenges of Government Contracts”

Schuller, M. (2009). Gluing globalization: NGOs as intermediaries in Haiti. PoLAR: Political & Legal Anthropology Review, 32(1), 84–104. 

Note: Retrieved from Walden Library databases.

Zaidi, S., Mayhew, S. H., Cleland, J., & Green, A. T. (2012). Context matters in NGO–government contracting for health service delivery: A case study from Pakistan. Health Policy and Planning, 27(7), 570–581. Retrieved from http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/content/27/7/570.full 

La Piana Consulting. (2015). The collaborative map. Retrieved from http://www.lapiana.org/Portals/0/Documents/LPC-Collaborative-Map-2015.pdf

Yang, A. (2013). Building global strategic alliances in the virtual space: A structural analysis of international nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations’ transnational relationship networks. Journal of Public Affairs, 13(3), 239–250.