Why Strategic Partnerships Are the Secret Ingredient to Stronger Grant Applications
When it comes to securing funding, partnerships can make or break a grant application. Whether you're a nonprofit, municipality, or business, funders increasingly look for collaboration as a sign of impact, efficiency, and long-term sustainability. While grant application partnerships can boost your chances of success, they also come with real risks and complexities. So, it’s important to know why partnerships matter in grant writing, what a successful partnership looks like, and how to avoid common pitfalls that could derail even the best grant proposals.
What Is a Grant Partnership?
Grant partnerships are when two or more organizations collaborate to apply for and carry out a grant-funded project. Rather than working alone, multiple entities join forces and contribute complementary skills, resources, knowledge, or capacity to strengthen the overall proposal and increase the likelihood of funding success.
How Do Partnerships Work?
Partnerships in grants work by bringing together two or more organizations to collaborate on a shared project. The goal is to combine strengths, expand impact, and improve chances of securing funding.
In a grant partnership, each organization takes on defined roles and responsibilities, including who the lead applicant is and who is responsible for delivering services, providing technical expertise, managing finances, or reaching target communities. These responsibilities are outlined in a written agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ensure that all involved parties are clear on their responsibilities.
Partnerships can be equal, such as a 50/50 split of the work and the budget, or they can be structured so that one party takes on a larger role, especially if they have greater capacity or specific expertise. In either case, one entity is considered the lead applicant. The lead applicant is the primary point of contact for the program. However, the secondary applicant may also be contacted for due diligence checks, contribution confirmations, audits or evaluations, or dispute resolutions.
Partnerships work best when they’re authentic, goals are clearly defined, and each partner brings distinct strengths or resources to the project. Most importantly, each partner must share a commitment to the project’s success.
Why Funders Value Partnerships
Strong partnerships give funders confidence that their investment will be well-managed, widely supported, and more likely to create a lasting impact.
When organizations partner together, they pool resources, knowledge, and networks, enabling both organizations to use their strengths to enhance a project. Funders value partnerships because they help stretch funding further and often lead to more innovative, inclusive, or large-scale results than one organization could achieve alone.
Partnerships demonstrate collaboration and that the applicants have taken the time to build relationships and garner support from multiple stakeholders. This shows funders that the project isn’t being developed in isolation and that it is responding to real needs. Coordinated efforts also reduce duplication of efforts, meaning reviewers save time and resources evaluating one joint application rather than two separate ones.
Every investment has an element of risk to it, but partnerships can reduce risk from the funder’s perspective. Should one partner run into issues, another partner can step in or help troubleshoot. As they say, many hands make light work. This built-in resilience gives funders more confidence that their investment is in capable hands.
How Partnerships Can Boost Your Application’s Success
Beyond meeting a funder’s expectations, forming a thoughtful partnership can directly improve your application’s competitiveness. Many grant programs award additional points for collaboration or prioritize projects that demonstrate strong, strategic partnerships. For example, most grant applications require applicants to share details about the level of stakeholder engagement or community or industry involvement. Applications with clear, meaningful partnerships often receive higher evaluation scores in these areas.
Partners also bring relevant expertise or capacity to a project. They can help craft a stronger narrative, support details in the application with data that one partner might not have access to, or provide letters of support. If a partner has a strong track record with the funder, their involvement may lend added weight to your joint submission.
Ultimately, partnering can open doors that one applicant couldn’t access alone. Whether it’s increasing the total amount of funding you can apply for, expanding your project’s reach, or demonstrating readiness to scale, collaboration often positions your project as more ambitious and more achievable.
Keys to a Strong, Strategic Partnership
Grant application partnerships demonstrate collaboration, capacity, and community/industry impact, all of which look great in the eyes of reviewers. Below are five tips for achieving a strong and strategic partnership.
- Ensure each partner brings complementary strengths and a shared commitment to project success.
- Be in alignment with partners on the vision for project outcomes and the “why” behind the work.
- Have a clear MOU or partnership agreement outlining roles, deliverables, and governance.
- Have strong communication channels and conflict resolution plans.
- Prioritize joint planning and co-authorship on the application when possible.
When Partnerships Can Be Risky
Writing grants with partners has clear benefits, but only if those partnerships are authentic, strategic, and mutually beneficial. It’s important to remember that a grant partnership is often a long-term commitment that must be upheld throughout implementation and beyond into compliance.
A weak or misaligned partner can create delays, complicate project delivery, or even jeopardize funding if roles aren’t fulfilled. Undefined expectations can cause disagreements over decision-making or budgets and can quickly strain the relationship. Financial risk is also a concern. If one partner mishandles funds or fails to meet reporting requirements, it can affect the whole project’s compliance.
To minimize these risks and safeguard the success of your project, it is critical to vet partners carefully and ensure shared values, realistic commitments, and clearly documented responsibilities. Grant programs typically hold the lead applicant accountable, so if a partner falls short, the lead may be left to carry the weight.
Red Flags to Avoid
- Choosing a partner just to check a box.
- Overpromising what the partnership can deliver.
- Failing to get buy-in from key stakeholders within partner organizations.
- Leaving partnership details vague in the application.
Final Thoughts
Grant application partnerships can be a powerful asset, bringing together diverse skills, resources, and perspectives to create stronger and more impactful projects. When built on trust, clear communication, and shared goals, partnerships signal to funders that your project is both strategic and resilient. But successful partnerships don’t happen by accident. They require intention, structure, and mutual respect. By taking the time to build meaningful relationships and plan collaboratively, you not only improve your chances of funding success but also create lasting relationships that can strengthen your network and open doors for future opportunities.
At GrantMatch, we specialize in building strong applications and strong partnerships. Whether you’re looking to identify the right funding program, navigate a joint submission, or formalize a partnership strategy, our experts are here to help you position your project for success. Connect with one of our funding experts today.
