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PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT 

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Strengthening partnerships between schools and community-based organizations is a priority for the Berstein Family Foundation, which is committed to equipping grantees with the tools and resources needed to strengthen and sustain effective partnership management. This page is focused on providing a comprehensive collection of tools designed to help organizations manage relationships, improve collaboration, and boost the overall impact of their partnerships. Resources include partner tracking and project management templates that support clear documentation of activities, progress, and outcomes, as well as coordination and communication tools that establish expectations, define roles, and create reliable meeting and communication cadences. In addition, the library offers discovery and alignment resources to help organizations identify potential partners, assess fit, and ensure strategic alignment before formalizing collaborations.

Tools and Resources

These partnership management tools were selected because they offer practical and easy to use frameworks to help strengthen coordination, clarify expectations, and manage interactions between schools and community-based partners.​​

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The included resources are organized by the following categories:

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Partnership Tracking & Documentation

This set of tools provides practical guidance and software solutions for managing projects, tracking partner engagement, organizing relationships through CRM systems, and securely collecting and monitoring student data. Tools include:

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  • Project Management Templates

  • Program Participation Tracking Templates

  • Free & Low-cost Project Management Software

 

Partner Coordination & Communication

These coordination and communication tools help establish clear expectations and roles, helping ensure that all partners stay aligned and informed. These resources also support the creation of consistent meeting cadences, shared documents, and streamlined communication channels to strengthen collaboration and responsiveness. Tools include:

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  • MOU Templates

  • Internal Communication Resources

  • Partner Feedback Tool

  • Partnership Plan Framework

 

Discovery, Alignment, & Evidence

These resources help organizations identify potential partners based on mission fit, capacity, and strategic priorities; assess organizational alignment through structured frameworks; and evaluate the effectiveness of partnerships using outcomes tracking templates, evidence review guides, and reflection tools. Tools include:

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  • Partnership Alignment & Planning Resources

  • Success Stories and Reporting Impact Templates

Recommended Resources

Partner Tracking & Documentation

A basic, activity-based project management tool that helps keep track of organizational activities and client engagements, providing a dashboard and summary tabs to monitor progress and ensure accountability across partners.

Use this Gantt chart template to manage timelines, priorities, and resources across several projects. It tracks task progress, status, priority, and resource hours for each, including percent complete, fixed cost, and more.

Partnership Coordination and Communication

This schedule is designed to support communication and collaborative activities between schools and nonprofit partners. It provides a clear timeline for meetings, events, and updates, ensuring that both partners are aligned on goals and activities.

This tool guides collaborators in crafting a comprehensive partnership plan. This framework outlines mission alignment, target objectives, resource allocation, and evaluation metrics, and provides additional links and resources from SDP to support partnership coordination.

This basic MOU template outlines the key terms of a partnership, including roles, responsibilities, shared goals, and expected contributions from each party. It provides a clear, mutual understanding of how partners will work together, helping to prevent misunderstandings and establish accountability from the outset.

Discovery, Alignment & Evidence

This tool helps schools clarify and document their priority needs, goals, and resource gaps to guide future partnership development. It ensures that new partnerships are strategically aligned and responsive to the school’s most important objectives.

This framework can be used for planning a new school–nonprofit partnership, outlining key roles, responsibilities, activities, and timelines. It helps both parties clarify expectations, align on goals, and establish a shared plan for successful implementation.

This tool is designed to guide partners in evaluating and communicating the progress and effectiveness of their collaborative efforts. It outlines essential components such as objectives, measurable outcomes, challenges encountered, and future goals.

This tool assists partners in compiling and reflecting on the achievements and challenges encountered throughout the academic year. It includes sections for outlining goals, summarizing key activities, measuring impact, and providing recommendations for future collaboration.

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