Strategic Partners
Strategic Partner is a membership designation of LF, defined as an organization or network with which we have a formal, negotiated relationship that is designed to be mutually beneficial and to achieve common goals. For LF, the partnership must strengthen the LF network’s work and also be beneficial to the strategic partner.
Current LF Strategic Partnerships >>
Purpose
Leadership Foundations (LF) is an organization whose mission—to support an international network of local leadership foundations (LLFs)—stands in the service of a God-inspired vision for the social and spiritual renewal of the world’s cities.
LF recognizes that it is not the sole proprietor of this vision, nor does it seek to be. Its potential resides only in partnership with others who share this vision. As a result, LF seeks to develop partnerships with other organizations that understand how to grow the capability of individuals and organizations to serve the transformation and renewal of the city through measurable outcomes.
Outcome
LF believes that God has created a diverse ecology in our cities, situating individuals and organizations into the soil as would a skillful gardener. The question in our cities is far more dynamic than one of simple identification or categorization of these individuals and organizations. There is a need to perceive the movement that is afoot and, to the extent that we are able, to move ourselves more strategically into alignment so that God’s purposes can be worked out through the whole.
A working assumption for LF is that the landscape of cities is seeded with these many groups and individuals because God did the sowing. Like the farmer who threw precious seed on every available spot imaginable, including thorn patches and roadbeds, LF believes the holy and mysterious idea that God is the reality behind this pluralism of program and activity. The goal and outcome of LF’s strategic partnership is to fundamentally shift from the dynamic of competition that this pluralism can often breed to the collaboration necessary to align with what God is doing and what He wants us to better do. LF is convinced that the mission of the transformation of the city in the 21st century will be driven by the agenda of unity with the texture of diversity.
Competencies/Commitments
A Strategic Partner is an organization with which LF has a history of collaboration, and is recognized as a leader in the relevant area of expertise. LF and Strategic Partners must regularly quantify how the collaboration will be mutually beneficial, and maintain effective communication around the collaboration. The Strategic Partnership must be accompanied by a signed MOU describing the goals, roles, money flow, etc. of the partnership.
Examples of Strategic Partnership collaborations:
- Mentors for multi-city mentoring initiatives.
- Strengthening children and families in targeted cities
- Scholarships to young leaders in cities internationally
- Educational options for leaders in the LF network
- Building the capacity of faith/community based groups
- Joint applications for common projects
- Training to further participants capacity to achieve outcomes
