Purpose & Strategic Importance
Partners — both national and international — are valuable not only as potential sources of funding, but also for their insights into the National Society’s performance, long-term strengths, and weaknesses. Strategic planning is an opportunity to strengthen these relationships by creating space for open, two-way dialogue, where both sides act as “critical friends.”
Activities & Decisions
What to learn from partners
- The strategic priorities of partners, and how these are evolving.
- How partners perceive the National Society and its capacities.
- How well the partnership is working, and how it could be improved.
Purpose & Strategic Importance
Why this matters
- Partners can provide useful external perspectives on the National Society’s strengths and areas for development.
- Honest dialogue helps move beyond transactional funding relationships to long-term, strategic collaboration.
- Partner engagement in the planning process builds trust and alignment for future cooperation.
Implementation Notes
Dealing with funding partners
A number of National Societies discussed the challenges of the funder–recipient relationship.
Some expressed concern that their new strategies needed to reflect partner priorities in order to continue attracting critical funding. In some cases, they felt under pressure from partners to include certain areas of work, even if these were not their first priorities.
These relationships can be very sensitive, especially when National Societies are highly dependent on partner funding.
Strategic planning is therefore a chance to reframe partnerships — ensuring they remain supportive and respectful, while safeguarding that the strategy reflects the National Society’s own priorities and identity.
