Exploring Cross-Sector Partnerships

with Molly Harper from Harper Consulting Group

Nonprofits are facing unprecedented financial pressures—historic funding cuts, unpredictable revenue streams, and increased demand for services. In this environment, rethinking how we fund, promote, and sustain our missions isn’t just helpful; it’s essential. This session will explore innovative approaches to building partnerships and earned revenue streams that draw on tried and true strategies commonly used in the private sector, adapted for nonprofit values and community-centered goals. The theme Rooted Together could not be more perfect for this topic; we are simply proposing that the ‘Together’ portion can include like-minded private companies and public agencies.

Together, we will examine practical ways nonprofits can think creatively about collaborations with private companies and public agencies that share a commitment to the same communities. Participants will learn how to identify mission-aligned partners, understand what each party brings to the table, and design mutually beneficial relationships that support long-term impact.

We will look at real examples of successful cross-sector partnerships and walk through the key principles that make these relationships work—clear value exchange, shared goals, transparency, and strategic communication. We will also address potential challenges and barriers, such as cultural differences between sectors, capacity limitations, and power dynamics, and discuss how to navigate them strategically.

A guiding question throughout the session will be: How can your organization leverage what it already does well? We will consider whether services, skills, or products you currently offer could be adapted for new audiences or produced in a new way as part of a new earned revenue strategy.