The Art of Strategic Alliances: Best Practices

•    If a partnership creates too many complications for your audience, it probably is not worth it no matter what the other benefits might be. Inconvenient venues or show times, products that lack appeal, or partners of unequal artistic caliber may diminish your audience’s enthusiasm.
•    Focus on expanding capacities rather than reducing costs. Even if a partnership does not directly reduce spending, it may allow you to get more accomplished efficiently and effectively.
•    Keep in mind that administrative alliances often require upfront investments of time and money, but take years to yield savings. Make sure the risk of discouraging board, staff, and volunteer commitment is worth the reward.
•    Don’t forget the hidden costs of staff time. If you pursue too many partnerships simultaneously, the burden of coordination may overwhelm staff and limit artistic opportunities.
•    Geographical differences allow organizations to collaborate without poaching each other’s audiences. They can also present disparities in audience and donor demographics that are difficult to resolve.
•    Pay attention to the perspective of donors. Weigh the value of long term artistic and/or administrative collaborations against the risk that funders may see the two partners as one entity and decrease their support.
•    Organizational compatibility counts. Almost all interviewees said that a partner’s intent, work style, and ethics were an essential basis for successful collaboration. Without communication and respect, small problems will become big ones.