Community Partnerships

Developing Community Partnerships

Originally written for Sacred Place United Church in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, this resource offers a step-by-step strategy for a team to follow and adapt to their culture and context. Allow your vision as a community and the leading of the Spirit to guide you into partnerships where the people of your community can learn what it means to invest in others, develop a life of service, and lean into the call for justice in your local context.

In this Document

Vision for the Team
Intro Building Partnerships

Vision for the Team

Our priority From October 2021–March 2022 is to identify sacred places and organizations in and around Rancho Cucamonga which share our vision and values. We want to work as a team to connect with them so that they know we exist, find out how we can help them in this season, and begin to build partnerships with them.

Three Goals for 2021 (as of October 2021)

Find three local organizations (that share your values and vision)
Put 1-2 service projects or events on the calendar in the next quarter.
Discern with the church and give away some money or show up with resources.

Developing Community Partnerships for 2021 and Beyond

Step 1: Research

Start researching your area. Join FB groups. Subscribe to newsletters/publications, etc. Follow links. Read websites. Pound the pavement. Get to know who in your community shares your vision and values. Make a list of all of these potential partners.

Step 2: Reach Out

Find the “volunteer coordinator” or “church liaison” or “community outreach director” with each organization. Send them an email or make a phone call introducing yourself, the church, your shared vision, potential resources, and why you are interested in speaking with them. Ask for a 30 min zoom call or a scheduled time to take them for a cup of coffee, so you can “thank them and find out how we can help you at this time.” Thank them for the important work they are doing in your community.

Step 3: Listen

If an organization is willing to connect with you, spend a few moments in prayer before you meet with them so you are prepared to truly listen and open your heart to learning from them. Then spend the time asking them about their work and listening for the ways in which the resources of your church might be able to help them reach their goals.

Give them a very brief intro on your church

Example from Sacred Place United Church:
Before you speak, take a few minutes to remind yourself of the values of your church. Tell them your vision. Tell them you are a small church who wants to get to know your neighbors and the challenges that affect them daily. Tell them that you’re not talking to them to recruit them to the church or proselytize. You are a small community but you have resources, and you’re connected to a larger network through the UCC and others. You want to find ways to get to know your neighbors since you relocated to worship in person in the area right before the pandemic began and have been virtual ever since, but you were passionate about serving together in person before, have a mission center, and may be developing a small grants program. Now you’re looking to find more local organizations to support and learn from and want to work with folks who share your passion for justice, families, and inclusion for LGBTQ+ individuals.

How long have you been in this role?
What led you personally into this work?
What is your greatest need right now as an organization?
How has your team been able to cope through the pandemic? How can we care for them in this season?
Do you have a wish list of items we can buy?
What is something you’ve been dreaming of as an organization or for our city?
How can we be praying for you and the people you serve?
Do you have any upcoming events online or in person?
Do you need volunteers now or during the holiday season?
Is there anything we can do or support you through during the holidays?
What is the injustice you hope to change in our city ?
Is there anyone else in your organization or partners that you’d like me to meet?
How is your work unique to the Rancho Cucamonga area?
What other organizations in the area do you recommend I check out?
Can we pray for you and your work? If so, what can we pray for specifically?

Step 4: Follow Through

Did they mention some upcoming events? Attend them.

Did they talk about some simple needs you can quickly meet? Go out and buy them.

Did they talk about being short staffed or exhausted? Send them gift cards.

Did you learn something personal about the person you spoke with? Care for them personally.

If this organization was a person you want to date, you would be noticing the simple, small things that you can easily do now to catch their attention and let them know you exist. In other words, flirt a little. 🙂

If they have a very specific need, like a volunteer need or financial need, take it back to the team and discern whether it’ll be a need your community can realistically meet. It may be a good idea to give each team member a discretionary fund they can use to purchase gift cards, etc. without approval (ex: They can spend up to $100 but need approval from the team to spend more.)

Send an email to the person you spoke to within 48 hours to thank them for their time, let them know how you are discerning next steps and any action steps you’ve taken immediately or any ways they can definitely follow up with you. (“I just signed up for your newsletter!”)

Step 5: Keep in Touch

Send their staff a gift for the holidays. Show up to events. Get engaged with their work. Potentially ask an expert from their team to share about their work with you all on a Sunday morning (and make a monetary donation to compensate them for that time since you are a small group.) Check in each quarter with a simple email of “How can we help?” Or follow up on the things they report in their newsletters. Do your own education on the topic of justice they are fighting for.

Cultivate the relationship so the organization sees you are worth partnering with.