By building lasting relationships with colleges and universities, non-profit educators can enhance their programs, extend their reach, and offer students unparalleled opportunities to engage with real-world resources and collections. This page provides strategies and best practices for non-profit educators to establish and nurture partnerships with higher learning institutions.
Understand the Needs of Academic Institutions
The foundation of any successful partnership is understanding the goals and needs of the academic institution you want to work with. Start by reaching out to faculty and department heads to discuss their curriculum objectives, research interests, and desired learning outcomes. This allows you to tailor your programs, exhibits, and resources to align with specific course needs. Be sure to highlight how your institution’s collections or programs can complement existing coursework and academic goals.
For example, a history department might benefit from partnerships with archives that offer primary source materials for research, while art departments may seek museum collaborations for hands-on analysis of artworks. Understanding these needs can lead to more fruitful, mutually beneficial relationships.
Offer Flexible, Tailored Program Options
Academic institutions often have varying schedules, program structures, and course demands. To build strong partnerships, non-profits should offer a range of flexible options that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of different courses. This might include offering both in-person and digital programs, providing short-term workshops as well as semester-long collaborations, or developing customized curriculum support materials for professors to integrate into their courses.
Providing this kind of flexibility allows non-profits to accommodate different academic calendars and course formats, making it easier for colleges to partner with you on an ongoing basis.
Leverage Existing Networks and Establish Key Contacts
Building partnerships requires time and relationship-building. Leverage any existing networks you have within academia, such as connections with alumni, faculty, or staff members, to open doors for new collaborations. Attending academic conferences, engaging in outreach to faculty, and hosting educational events or open houses for academic partners are great ways to foster new connections.
It’s also helpful to establish clear points of contact within both institutions. This could include a designated partnership coordinator or liaison who handles communication, scheduling, and program development.
Consistent, open communication between your organization and the academic institution will help build trust and lead to long-term collaborations.
Create Joint Research and Internship Opportunities
Collaborations between non-profits and academic institutions can extend beyond classroom programs to include research partnerships and internship opportunities for students. Offering research-based projects that align with faculty interests can deepen the partnership and provide valuable resources to both the academic institution and the non-profit. For example, working with faculty to co-create a research project using your collections can result in shared publications, exhibits, or digital resources that benefit both parties.
Similarly, developing internships that allow students to gain hands-on experience in your non-profit’s educational, curatorial, or archival departments can further strengthen the relationship. Internships offer students real-world learning experiences, while non-profits benefit from fresh perspectives and student contributions.