Partnerships
Collaboration can help your program overcome challenges and make the most of the resources available. Nutrition programs should seek opportunities to partner with both public and private entities within their communities and beyond. Explore ideas and resources for collaboration and get inspired by examples from other senior nutrition programs.
Briefs
- No Reservations Required: Establishing Restaurant Partnerships in the Age of COVID-19 —
Considerations for restaurant partnerships - 4 Reasons to Partner with a Senior Center for Evidence-Based Programming and Beyond—
NCOA resource - Developing Partnerships with the Disability Community— NCOA article with
information on increasing the use of evidence-based programs
Guides
- Recipe for Success: Partnerships (YouTube)— Bite-sized video with tips on creating and sustaining partnerships
- Resource Guide Partnerships With Community-based Organizations — Five overarching reasons that health plans should work with CBOs and community care networks as contracted partners
- Iowa Cafe Guides
- Iowa Cafe Guide for AAAs — Example restaurant partnership guide designed to help AAAs partner with foodservice establishments
- Iowa Cafe Guide for Partners — Example restaurant partnership guide designed to help foodservice establishments partner with AAAs
- Nourishing Partnerships — Guide to get started with partnerships to serve more people
- Guide to Working with Restaurants and Grocery Stores for Meals During COVID-19 — Guidance in partnering with food retailers to maintain competitiveness, provide high-quality meals, and offer increased meal choice
- Steps in Conducting a Market Analysis During COVID-19 — Steps to uncover opportunities for valuable strategic partnerships within your community
- Title III and Title VI Programs Nutrition Collaboration — Ideas and resources
- Types of Partnerships
- How-To Guide: Partnering with Dietetic Programs — Benefits of partnering with dietetic programs and interns
- How Dietetic Programs Can Partner with Senior Nutrition Programs — Guide to partnering with senior nutrition programs and the benefits of that partnership
- How-To Guide: Partnering with Grocery Stores — Information on partnering with a grocery store to reduce food costs, cross-promote your services, connect your participants, and more
- How Grocery Stores Can Partner with Senior Nutrition Programs — Guide to connecting with senior nutrition programs
- How Restaurants Can Partner with Senior Nutrition Programs — Guide to creating a relationship with senior nutrition programs to diversify your client base, cater to local meal programs, and more
- How-To Guide: Partnering with Health Care Systems — Guide to partnering with health care systems to create access and positive outcomes for your clients
- Social Enterprising Aging Network Example: REAL Grille — Example of innovation including use of a food truck and catering services
- Partnerships with Food Banks and Other United States Department of Agriculture Programs — Frequently asked questions on how Older Americans Act programs can partner with SNAP, TEFAP, food banks, SFMNP, etc.
Tools & Toolkits
- Memorandum of Understanding Template — Sample agreement for use between an aging services organization and an education partner
- Sample Donor Thank You Letter — Sample letter to thank donors
- Asset Mapping Template — Template to visualize current and potential partners, competitors, funding, and barriers
- Health Care Partnership Assessment Tools— Aging and Disability Business Institute assessments
- Creating and Maintaining Coalitions and Partnerships — Toolkit from the University of Kansas Community Tool Box
- Partnership Assessment Tool — Method developed by NOCA for assessing key areas of your network
- Coffee and Contracts: A Social Needs Contracting Community of Practice— Learning series from Partnership to Align Social Care on contracting between CBOs/CCHs and healthcare organizations
- Meal Box Tip Sheet — Tips from AgeOptions to begin work on providing community meal boxes
- The Diner: Promising Practices from the Network — Example of pivoting to social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic
Presentations
- 2024 Summer Webinar Series: Navigating Partnerships— Webinar series from Connection to Collaboration on the benefits, strategies, and partnerships with healthcare organizations, State Units on Aging, Universities, and government agencies
- Navigating Successful Partnerships: Connection to Collaboration Slides — Benefits and strategies to establish and grow partnerships
- Extension and the Aging Network: A Collaborative Partnership to Promote Healthy Aging Slides — Resources to build collaborations in the aging network, university, or cooperative extension
- More than a Meal — Presentation from WesleyLife Meals on Wheels on how partnerships enhanced their innovative new campus
- Increasing Participation - The Trifecta (YouTube)— One-hour webinar on increasing participation when area agencies on aging and restaurants partner together
- Kupuna U - Innovation in Congregate Dining — Marketing presentation for potential partner organizations
- Finding Your Passion (YouTube)— Ten-minute Network Spotlight on blending life purpose and working with local partners has created the perfect match for Chef Robert Walley
- The Power of Partnerships (YouTube)— Four-minute Network Spotlight on Windy Hill on the Campus, a senior center in Pennsylvania
- Connecting the Dots: Utilizing Data to Build Strong Partnerships (YouTube)— One-hour video covering best practices when sharing data with partners, with accompanying Connecting the Dots Slides
- Pursuing Innovation: Strategies for Outreach and Partnerships— One-hour NCOA showcase of tactics
- Mapping Your Partnership Assets Series Slide Decks
- Food 911 Emergency Services Partnership — LifeCare Alliance case study of braided funding for services
- Food System Partnerships — Michigan DHHS case study on using technology to meet the needs of older adult
- Power of Partnerships in Senior Nutrition COVID-19 Response — Case study for COVID response and nutrition innovation