Platforms to Help Build Purposeful Partnerships

As you move forward with developing partnerships that drive purpose, accessing and activating platforms can help you accelerate the development of those purposeful partnerships. In outlining the various platforms below, some may cross over various categories. With the plethora of options, it's important to be selective with where to prioritize your own time and resources, while also exploring avenues to scale and extend your reach and to diversify your outreach to maximize your opportunity to successfully achieve your goals.

Social Media & Publishing Platforms

In order to expand your reach and share your expertise around the partnerships that you're building, select the right social media and publishing sites to share your insights. My favorite place to hang out is here on LinkedIn , although other audiences may be more prevalent on Twitter ( X ), TikTok , Instagram , Facebook ( Meta ), Reddit, Inc. , Substack , Medium , Quora , Youtube , Pinterest , and others in different geographies and niches.

Social media platforms can be used to connect with other people 1-1, grow groups, and share your knowledge in a way that gets more visibility.

Matchmaking & Other Networking Platforms

Lunchclub and Clubhouse are other types of platforms where you can get connected to people who you might not have otherwise met to help expand your partnerships. Other networking platforms that also facilitate gatherings and connections among members include Mighty Networks and Meetup .

Community & Communications Platforms

Discord , Slack , and WhatsApp can be considered types of social media, community and/or communications platforms. Gaming platforms may also be a way to communicate to certain demographics. Also, companies may set up public or private channels that are open to specific segments and these can often be found through searches or through networking and referrals.

Course-Building & Educational Platforms

Share your knowledge and extend your partnerships through building courses on sites such as Podia , Kajabi , Maven , MasterClass , Mastermind.com , Teachable , Thinkific and educational platforms such as Lynda.com / LinkedIn for Learning , Udemy , Coursera , edX , and The Open University . Partnering with educational institutions and non-profit organizations can also help achieve your purposeful goals.

Fundraising Platforms

Startups and early stage companies may need to find more resources to support your partnerships. Non-profits may access grant platforms and foundations, and there are numerous ways for founders to access capital including through loans and small business grants.

Crowdfunding Platforms

Reaching out to friends and family as well as spreading the word through crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter , Indiegogo , Mightycause , StartEngine , SeedInvest , GoFundMe , Classy , Patreon , Crowdfunder UK , and Crowdcube depending on what type of initiative that you're launching. Research to determine which crowdfunding platform might be best to help advance your purpose and develop your partnerships.

Investor Networks

Also, depending on the stage of your initiative, you may want to reach out to Angel Investor groups, e.g., through the Angel Capital Association , as well as resources that focus on diversity and social impact such as Stella Foundation , The Global Impact Investing Network , and Mission Investors Exchange .

Recruiting Platforms

Developing Boards

Numerous resources help develop board members as well as connect both non-profit organizations as well as startups and enterprises with board candidates. For example, How Women Lead and Mass Technology Leadership Council 's Board-Ready Bootcamp prepare leaders for corporate boards; BoardSource and NonprofitReady are resources to train non-profit board members.

Accessing Talent

There are platforms that post roles, including board positions, such as ExecThread , Ladders , and AboveBoard as well as places to find diverse talent to support your purposeful partnerships, such as PowerToFly , American Corporate Partners (ACP) , #HIREBLACK - hireblacknow.com , The Mom Project, and Elpha .

Owned & Paid Platforms

Websites

Having your own website presence can establish your credibility and also be a primary source of new connections that may find you through searches online. You can build your website on various platforms such as Weebly , WordPress , Squarespace , Wix , and other builders, or find a purpose-driven web designer or agency who can support your efforts.

Email & Phone/Text Lists

Also, building out an email list as well as opt-in phone/text contacts can be critical to ongoing growth and communications with your partners and audience. Email platforms such as Constant Contact , Intuit Mailchimp , Brevo , ConvertKit [archive] , AWeber , ActiveCampaign and CRMs such as Salesforce , HubSpot , and Pipedrive can help you manage your lists.

Publications, News Outlets, and Other Channels

Printed and digital publications and news outlets as well as TV, radio, podcasts and other channels are other ways to find and reach partners. Understand what your audience is listening to, reading and watching, and determine if it would be worthwhile to develop partnerships through sponsored and paid opportunities.

Speaking Platforms

Events, Associations & Keynote Programs

As described in my last newsletter, Virtual, Live and In-Person Events are a great way gain visibility for your purposeful partnerships. Associations will often also host conferences and if they are presenting to your target audience, then getting on a panel or as a keynote speaker can be a great way to find new partners or gain greater credibility with your existing partners. Preparing for keynote speeches through programs and avenues such as TED Conferences , DisruptHR , and Toastmasters International can also help you to extend your reach significantly.

Speaker Bureaus & Closed Networks

Innovation Women was one speaker bureau and network mentioned in the prior article, and others include the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPEAKERS BUREAUS , the National Speakers Bureau , BigSpeak Speakers Bureau , Leading Authorities, Inc. , Executive Speakers Bureau , and many more that may be specialized in your region or area of expertise. Speaking opportunities may also come from Closed Networks, such as corporate speaking lists, as well as membership-based networks, such as BNI Global and U.S. Chamber of Commerce , local Chambers of Commerce, and other privately run groups that you may only find out about through word-of-mouth.

In summary, this edition has highlighted multiple types of platforms to build purposeful partnerships: Social Media & Publishing Platforms (Matchmaking & Other Types of Networking, Community & Communications, Course-Building & Educational Platforms), Fundraising Platforms (Crowdfunding Platforms and Investor Networks), Recruiting Platforms (Developing Boards and Accessing Talent), Owned & Paid Platforms (Websites, Email & Phone/Text Lists, Publications & News Outlets, and Other Channels), as well as Speaking Platforms (Events, Associations, Keynote Programs, Speaker Bureaus & Closed Networks). As mentioned earlier, it's important to select which ones will help further your goals, based on your current resources, as well as what will help you expand the resources that will lead to more impact.

What platforms have you used to build purposeful partnerships? List any types of platforms that you've used and your thoughts in the comments below!

As a Founder, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Marketing, Janice Dru-Bennett helps customers and partners improve employee experience, disseminate knowledge, promote health & wellbeing, drive effective leadership and stimulate team growth. She thrives on developing marketing channels, creating and nurturing a global ecosystem of alliances that drive value for companies, organizations, and their people.

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Photo Credits from above: Nellie Adamyan on Unsplash [Eggs in baskets] Adem AY on Unsplash [Phone with Social Media folder showing icons], Brooke Cagle on Unsplash [Small Group Meeting], Florian Olivo on Unsplash [Virtual Reality Gaming Platform], micheile henderson on Unsplash [Seedling Plants Growing in Glass Cup Filled with Coins], Desola Lanre-Ologun on Unsplash [Black Woman and Man at Computer], Markus Winkler on Unsplash [Printed Blank Contact List on Clipboard next to Pen and Laptop Computer], Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash [Microphone with Blurred Audience Background]