Strategic Partnerships

With the exception of the lucky few among us who enjoy dedicated ranges and classroom space, our programs depend on our ability to form strategic partnerships with members of the community for the use of classroom and range space. Whether it be a community college, a university, shopping center, airport, fairgrounds, library, or some other entity, we need them much more than they need us.

To ensure our long-term success we need to find ways to make the relationship beneficial to them as well as to us. In some cases, rider training programs rent space just as any other user would, but more often than not, we are provided the use of classroom or range space at no or low cost. It is these relationships and arrangements that we need to preserve.

How do we accomplish this? In the business world, the answer might be to pay them with dollars. However, according to the survey results, most state programs indicate that money (or more specifically the lack of money) was one of the top challenges their programs face. Let's look at some other ways to get more mileage from available funds:

• Colleges can often receive FTE credit (read money) from the state for their participation in adult education. If you are using space at a college or university, check this out with the community education or outreach department and make sure that your college sponsor is getting all they can out of the arrangement. And if they already are, make sure that the people who you negotiate with are aware of it. Don't make a big deal about it, but in your negotiations they should be aware that your program is indirectly bringing those dollars in to the college.
• If your program is a non-profit organization, you may be able to provide a receipt to your sponsors that will allow them a tax deduction. Please check with a tax advisor before making any claims about deductibility (and encourage your sponsor to do the same). For example if a fairground complex normally charges $300 per day for use of their parking lot, and they donate that to the program for a weekend, that may entitle them to a tax credit for a $600 donation. Again, please check with a tax advisor.
• If you are soliciting a sponsor in a commercial area (shopping mall, department store, etc.), make sure they are aware that every time you conduct a class at their location, there will be 12-24 students and a few instructors on-site for the day. They are likely to buy lunch and maybe do a little shopping. Granted, this may not turn out to be big dollars for them, but businesses are always looking to attract new customers.

Once you have established a relationship with a sponsor, it is imperative to keep it in good standing. Imagine the difficulty of losing a training location mid-season! (Perhaps some of you don't have to imagine...). So as much as we need to maintain healthy sponsor relationships, the following tips are worth noting.

• If problems arise, don't worry about who is 'at fault.' There is no good that can come from a discussion of who is to blame. Focus on listening to your sponsor; understand their concerns, and then take ownership and fix it. If the problem originated on your end - take ownership of the problem and fix it. If the problem originated on their end - take ownership of the problem and fix it. If the problem originated from a third party - take ownership of the problem and fix it. You don't need to be 'right,' you need a healthy relationship with your sponsor and a place to conduct training so you can serve your students. That's why we are in business.
• Check in with your sponsors regularly (even if there isn't a problem to work on). Ask how things are going and then really listen to their answers. This will demonstrate your value in the partnership, and will help to identify problems while they are still small and easy to fix.
• Provide recognition to your sponsors. Make them look good to their constituents, colleagues and supervisors. Use press releases, certificates of recognition, or other forms of special recognition that bring favorable results. When they win - you win.