Assessing New Opportunities to Maximize Alignment

Use these 5 questions to help you identify mutual value and benefit to your organization, while guiding your next steps in the decision-making process.

Establishing successful business partnerships and fruitful collaborations requires an infrastructure and process to determine mutual benefit. That’s why we’ve called on Suzanne Smith of Social Impact Architects to bring you this helpful opportunity assessment decision framework. 

As you explore a new partnership or collaboration, consider these 5 questions below and score them according to alignment.

New Opportunity Assessment

Use this scoring system to help identify areas of high, medium, and low alignment:  
HIGH (3 points), MEDIUM (2 points), & LOW (1 point) 

• MISSION: Does it align with your mission?
• VISION:  Does it align with your vision?
• IMPACT: Does it have a positive impact on your stakeholders, members, and partners? Does it advance “the cause”?
• COSTS: What are the costs associated with taking this on? Are there start up costs as well as ongoing costs?
• FINANCIALS: Can we raise money to support? Can we charge for services to cover our costs and even make a profit to serve the mission?

At their core, business partnerships are relationships. And remember, successful relationships are often centered around mutual value.