Friends Helping Friends Workshop

 Ontario Library Association Superconference 2009

Community Partnerships
Who are your potential community partners?

  • Art gallery/community players

  • Art gallery café (matinee show and three course dinner for $50 – tax receipt $20 donation)

  • Library neighbours/ neighbourhood

  • Arts and culture

  • Music theatre – teacher associations

  • Associations

  • Seniors Groups

  • Local garden club

  • Local college or university

  • Business/industry partnership

  • Rotary/Lions/Kinsmen  (Service Clubs)

  • Salvation Army

  • Boy Scouts

  • Sea cadets

  • Chamber of Commerce

  • Recreation groups

  • Church Groups

  • 4 H

  • Red Hat Society

  • Optimists Club

  • Township Council

  • Literacy groups

  • Banks

  • Local Business

  • Welcome Wagon

  • Arts Council

  • Individual person

  • Health for Life

  • Trails/tours

  • High School

  • Local talent

  • Hospital/Nursing homes

  • Local newspapers
Do you have shared goals?

  • Literacy

  • Fundraising

  • Recognition

  • Immigrant services

  • New residents

  • Advocacy for library services

  • Entertainment

  • Community ownership./engagement

  • Meet community needs (education/tourism)

  • Wellness

  • Enrichment (cultural programs/crafts)
Do you have shared membership?

  • Garden club

  • Seniors

  • Musical groups

  • Art Clubs and groups

  • Retirees

  • School – student volunteers

  • Volunteers

  • Hockey Clubs

  • Service Clubs

  • Churches

  • Firefighters

  • Professionals (skills, bankers, teachers

  • Student hours

What is it you need from a partnership?

  • Vision

  • Volunteers/More volunteers

  • Volunteer recruitment

  • Leadership

  • Expertise

  • Commitment

  • Flexibility

  • Time

  • Profile

  • Donations (give and get)

  • Organizational leadership
What do you have to offer?

  • Parking  (free)

  • Free meeting space

  • Expertise

  • Personal satisfaction

  • Friendship

  • Recognition

  • Volunteers

  • Used books/donations
    Programming (e.g. Author gala

  • Funding

  • Homebound/readers services
What are the benefits?

  • Access to larger groups

  • Idea from broad/diverse group

  • Increased/new sources of revenue

  • Exposure

  • Cost sharing

  • Shared workload

  • Perceptions of success (piggyback on success of others)

  • Advocacy

  • Community wellness

  • Sense of accomplishment

  • Provide services

  • Larger body of people

  • Cost sharing

  • Shared workload

  • Enriched community

  • Tangible product or service

  • Attract new members

  • You may find new resources
What are the risks?

  • Changing focus

  • Hidden agendas

  • Politics

  • Inequity in sharing

  • Managing a large group

  • More work

  • Perceptions of success (piggyback on success of others)

  • Loss of control

  • Failure to accomplish

  • Not enough membership

  • Community may become drained tired of giving and doing
Resources
Trustee Tip #14 - Launching a successful community "partnership"
FOLUSA Fact Sheet - Moving To Center Stage In The Community or on Campus