Partnerships in Perspective: About Sustainable Relationships between Companies and Voluntary Organisations

Abstract

To date, there are little or no examples known of real integrative and sustainable partnerships between companies and voluntary organisations in the Netherlands. It is concluded that besides a Direct approach to these partnerships, a unique Dutch or Indirect approach is taken in which local mediators bring companies, voluntary organisations and the local government together. A set of common characteristics regarding partnering perspective, barriers and success factors, is introduced as a basis to interpret and compare both perspectives. It is stated that both a (lacking) definition and (lacking) success factors are at the basis of understanding and overcoming barriers to a partnerships’ evolution.