VIEW, Issue four, 2012


Website: viewdigital.org


Page 22


‘Dating’ tips on finding a new partner W


By Jenny Ebbage


ploring collaborative ways of working: finding ways of pooling their resources to achieve shared aims. However, before charities seek to ‘tie the


knot’ in a working “partnership”, there are a cou- ple of key points that they need to bear in mind. I’ve found that when charities look at getting


together, there’s a lot in common with the dating game: it works best when both parties have the same expectations about what they’re getting in to, when they’ve done suitable ‘due diligence’ on their potential new ‘partner’ and where it’s clear to both parties how the success of such a venture will be measured. It’s important that there is a cool and analyti- cal assessment of the reason for two organisations to work together in the first place. The relationship has to be in line with the charitable purposes or


‘Providing both sides ‘look before they leap’, many charities shouldn’t hesitate in saying ‘I do!’


objects of both parties —that are enshrined in the constitution of each charity. If trustees breach this, they could find them-


One of the less well-known principles of any kind of contracting is that it has to be in both par- ties’ interests- there has to be ‘mutual value’: it needs to be clear what both parties are gaining from the exchange and that needs to be totally clear in any agreement.


through is how formal or informal the commit-


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Something charities also need to work


selves personally liable for any losses that the char- ity incurs.


ith budgets stretched and charities under pressure to care for even more service users, more and more groups in the charity sector are ex-


Jenny Ebbage offers helpful advice on new collaborative ways of working together


ment will be; indeed how long it is intended to last. Agreements can be as simple as a memoran- dum of understanding (between two organisations XX) right up to the formality of a full-blown merger (two organisations becoming one) but the legal structures have different implications in terms of how the joint working will be run. Remember – in a legal context being ‘partners’ means something very different than two organisations happening to get on well with one another! One thing, however, that is of paramount im-


portance in the collaboration process is that both sides carry out a thorough risk-assessment. Charities have to be prepared to ask a great


deal of difficult ‘what if’ questions — working on scenarios ranging from one party encountering fi- nancial difficulties to who is liable in the event of a


legal challenge. This can be difficult because no-one wants to countenance the idea of failure before you even start out. Nevertheless, it’s an essential aspect of the


duty of care that those who run charities have to their organisation. With all that said, charities shouldn’t be put


off from considering collaborative working. There are a great many benefits to be gained


from such co-operation – greater clout for political engagement or new ways to spread a cost-base. It can be an excellent way for charities to survive and thrive in a difficult environment. I’ve personally overseen some of the largest charity mergers in Northern Ireland and providing both sides ‘look before they leap’, many charities shouldn’t hesitate in saying ‘I do!’


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