September 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 43

Another community engagement method, basic
to the nonprofit sector, is being open to volunteers.
Opening an organization to volunteers from businesses that require their workers to do volunteer
work can help the organization develop credibility.
School systems often require civic hours from their
students, and by providing opportunities for people
to fill these hours, the company develops a relationship with an organization that's already visible in
the community. Nonprofits should always seek ways
to appeal to organizations with existing rapport, to
gain acceptance by association. The organizations,
however, should not have goals that undermine
those of the nonprofit.
Community businesses, especially for-profit businesses, often have tight budgets and are willing to
donate time, resourses and, sometimes, space if
they perceive the partnership will be successful and
beneficial to both entities. For this reason, creating
a strong community presence is essential to the success of a nonprofit business. After implementing
techniques like the ones described above, a nonprofit can begin to " talk shop " with partners in the area
regarding longer-term investments.
Again, the nonprofit will need to present its record with the community, displaying how it has
successfully helped in the past, and how helping on
future endeavors would, therefore, reflect positively
on its partners. A successful record opens dialogue
with donors by emphasizing that helping a cause
would (a) boost a partner's community image, (b)
help with both entities' marketing and (c) support
a successful community infrastructure that contributes to the success of all those investing in the mission. This process will ultimately aim to convince
partners that their goals align with those of the nonprofit and sharing resources is a great way to meet
community and business goals. Pooling resources
will diminish overall cost, creating additional opportunities in many ways.
It is important to note that once a partnership relationship is achieved, the relationship must continue
to grow for the nonprofit to flourish over time. This
means keeping donors informed and engaged in the
organization decision making, providing transparency and emphasizing the importance of the donors to
the nonprofit. If a nonprofit creates consistent value
in a community, the nonprofit's name and recogni-

Opening an organization to
volunteers from businesses
that require their workers to
do volunteer work can help the
organization develop credibility.
tion will grow; for example, as a partner of a community event for multiple years. Overall, people will
remember organizations that have helped them in the
past, creating a network of positive relationships in
the company. A back-and-forth flow of positive attributes will help guarantee continued partnerships, and
symbiotic relationships will help a young nonprofit
ultimately become more independent.
Ramona Sudbeck, M.S., is a Graduate Assistant in the Department of
Recreation and Park Administration at Eastern Kentucky University (ramona_
sudbeck@mymail.eku.edu). Michael J. Bradley, Ph.D., is an Associate
Professor in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at Eastern
Kentucky University (michael.bradley@eku.edu).

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Parks & Recreation

September 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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