How do you build a successful partnership with a charity?

1. Peers, with the power difference named.

Treat the organization as the expert on its work, because it is. And recognize that a charity is dependent on you in a way you are not on it. That means you will not fully be its peer or its friend, and you will not always get the whole truth, however much both sides want that. Plenty has been written about this, and the wise move is to say it out loud early. You cannot remove the gap. You can create the conditions for the relationship to be useful to both sides anyway: ask what they need, believe the answer, and make it safe to bring bad news.

2. Clear goals, a rhythm, and a plan for when it falls apart.

Agree what the gift is for and what both sides will call success. Agree how often you will talk and in what form; a call twice a year beats a report nobody reads. And agree now what happens if the program stalls, the leader leaves, or the money runs short, because something will. None of this needs to be complicated. A page is enough. It needs to exist, and both sides need to have set it.

3. Multi-year, or at least clear.

Charities spend an inordinate amount of time, money and worry in the cycle of finding the next gift. A commitment for three years takes that off the table for the part of the organization you are funding, and it frees people to do the work you are paying for. If you cannot commit past a year, say so plainly at the start, so they can plan around it rather than hope.

4. Why you are doing this.

Be honest with yourself about why you want to work with this organization. A cause you care about, a person you admire, something you owe, a place you come from. All of those are good reasons. Knowing yours keeps the relationship honest when it is tested, and it tells the charity what kind of partner it has.

If the gift is large, write all four down together. Not a contract. A shared page that says what you both expect.

Questions people also ask

Should a donor be friends with a charity's leader?

Friendly, yes. Friends is harder, and not because of anyone's character. The money in the room changes what can be said, and when push comes to shove something will have to give. Proceed with caution.

Is a multi-year gift always better?

For the charity, almost always. For the donor, it is better when the goals are clear and the exit terms are agreed. A vague multi-year gift is a slow disappointment for both sides.

What if the charity does not want a written agreement?

Ask why. Usually it is fear of more paperwork or lawyers. For most gifts under seven figures it probably is not needed. But even a single shared page, written together, is less work than the alternative and protects the charity as much as the donor.

Where can I read more about this way of giving?

The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project publishes six practices for funders: multi-year unrestricted funding, doing your own homework, simpler paperwork, transparency, acting on feedback, and support beyond the cheque.