Power-Sharing in Partnerships: Equitable Collaboration

Partnerships often fail because power is unequal. A large organization dominates. A well-funded partner overshadows smaller ones. One person controls decisions. Small organizations participate but know they don't actually have a voice. This breeds resentment and causes partnerships to dissolve.

Equitable partnerships require conscious attention to power dynamics. You have to design for it explicitly.

Sources of Power Imbalance

Size: Large organizations have more resources, more staff, more visibility. In partnerships, they can easily dominate if not careful.

Funding: Who controls money controls decisions. If one org funds the partnership, they often control direction.

Status: Well-known, prestigious organizations have more influence. Newer or lesser-known orgs have less, even if equally capable.

Expertise: If one org has special knowledge or skills, they have power. This is often invisible but real.

Geography: Whose location is the meeting? If you always meet at one org's office, they have home advantage.

Race, Class, Gender: Systemic power imbalances exist. All-white leadership looks different than diverse leadership. This affects who feels they belong.

Designing for Equity

1. Governance That Distributes Power In decision-making bodies, use structures that prevent dominance. Rotating leadership. Term limits. Decision-making requiring consensus or supermajority, not just loudest voice.

2. Rotating Meeting Locations Meet at different organizations' offices. If always at one place, that org has subtle advantage.

3. Shared Leadership Co-chairs from different organizations. If ED of large org is sole chair, small orgs feel sidelined. Shared leadership signals equal status.

4. Explicit Roles and Responsibilities Everyone knows what they're accountable for. No one can overshadow others if roles are clear and bounded.

5. Resource Sharing If backbone is funded by one funder through one org, backbone is beholden to that org. Better: shared backbone funding through multiple sources. This distributes power.

6. Recruitment That Centers Excluded Groups If partnership is all white, all male, all large-org leaders, you'll perpetuate existing power structures. Actively recruit diverse leadership.

7. Accessibility Make participation possible. Does everyone have to drive? Can some join by phone? Meetings during work hours excludes people with inflexible jobs. Provide childcare. These choices matter.

8. Language and Communication Avoid jargon. Use plain language. Some people don't speak English. Can you offer interpretation? Communicate clearly and accessibly.

Addressing Imbalances When They Emerge

Even with good design, imbalances emerge. A large org pushes agenda. A wealthy funder dictates terms. A dominant personality controls meetings. Address it:

Call It Out Kindly: "I notice we haven't heard from [small org]. What's your perspective?" or "We've been focused on [large org]'s priority. What about [other org]'s goals?"

Adjust Processes: If meetings are dominated by talking, use structured processes: written input, small group discussions, silent reflection before discussion. Different formats give different people voice.

Redistribute Facilitation: If one person facilitates all meetings, their views dominate. Rotate facilitation. Different facilitators bring different energy.

Check In Privately: If a partner seems disengaged, ask them. "You've been quiet. Is everything okay? What would help you feel more engaged?" They might not speak up in group.

Revisit Agreements: If one partner controls all resources, renegotiate. "We said we'd share decision-making. Let's realign." Agreements can change.

When Small Orgs Are Partners

Small organizations often bring important perspective but have less visibility. Be intentional about valuing them:

• Give them leadership roles (co-chair, committee lead)
• Amplify their voice in public ("This partnership works because [small org] does X")
• Allocate resources fairly (don't leave small orgs funding their own participation)
• Respect their capacity constraints (don't expect same time commitment as large orgs)
• Include them in high-visibility activities (media, funder presentations)

Power-Sharing With Community Members

Partnerships often include organizations but not the people those organizations serve. True power-sharing includes community voice.

• Invite community members to decision-making tables
• Pay them for their time (compensation shows respect)
• Make space for their leadership (not just tokenism)
• Build from their expertise (lived experience is expertise)
• Include them in evaluation and learning

Community power-sharing is harder than organization power-sharing. It requires real culture change. But it makes partnerships infinitely stronger.

Recognizing When Power-Sharing Isn't Working

Some signs that power imbalances are causing problems:

• Certain organizations always get their way
• Some partners are disengaged or attend sporadically
• Decisions are made without consulting all partners
• Resources flow to some partners but not others
• Some partners feel like their input doesn't matter
• Turnover in leadership from smaller organizations

If you see these signs, pause. Address power imbalances before the partnership fails.

It's Ongoing Work

Power-sharing isn't something you do once. It's something you continuously attend to. Annual check-ins: Are power dynamics healthy? Who's been quiet? Who's dominated? What adjustments do we need? Continuous attention to equity makes for stronger, longer-lasting partnerships.