Revisiting Collaborations Between Nonprofits and Businesses

Abstract

Collaborations between nonprofits and businesses (CBNB) are a developing field of action. Much of the research deals with the business's perspective. Usage of third sector and nonprofit management methods is a relatively new field of research. This article presents a qualitative case study of a three year collaboration between a nonprofit organization (NPO) and a pharmaceutical company that focuses on the NPO's unique perceptions and points of view about the partnership. The findings reveal that the most crucial element affecting the success or failure of a collaboration is the added value that the business partner brings to the relationship. Furthermore, power relations suggest that weak positioning might benefit the NPO. We introduce the Fields of Action Typology of collaborations between nonprofits and businesses that adds a content layer to current classifications of CBNB and is helpful for defining and examining the benefits NPOs can derive from CBNB.

Strange bedfellows? NGO–corporate relations in international development: an NGO perspective

“…It is in the context of newer and more complex types of partnerships where power imbalances have become more problematic (see the case study examined in Schiller and Almog-Bar, 2013). When NGOs enter into relations that require moving to new territories and finding common ground and objectives with corporations, they face a number of challenges.…”

“…According to Schiller and Almog-Bar (2013), imbalances in financial position and technical expertise are compounded by the perception of superiority in skills 48…”

“…The motivation for NGOs to enter into relations with corporates remains under-researched (Schiller and Almog-Bar 2013). While it is important to note that the motivations for different types of relations are diverse and that drivers for engagement do overlap, the reasons for NGO engagement with the corporate sector can be broadly categorized under the following terms:…”

“…As a result of this new mood, NGO-corporate relations have increased and diversified (Bulloch, Lacy, and Jurgens 2011;Schiller and Almog-Bar 2013). Until the early 2000s, NGO-corporate engagement was dominated by funding relationships and NGO-corporate campaigns (INTRAC 2000).…”

The Abolition of Dual Administration of NGOs in China: Imperatives and Challenges

“…It is impossible for NGOs to be totally unaffected by the government in partnership, particularly when obtaining funding from the government. There exists a power imbalance when the sector collaborates with either the government or the business sector, but weak position is revealed as an important strategy enabling NGOs to collaborate with a wide array of different partners, thus accessing a large pool of potential business donors and collaborators [25]. As what has been argued previously, the focus is no longer about how much independence or autonomy NGOs have, if there is any in the collaboration.…”