Activity: NGO Partnership Design

Objective

Design authentic partnerships with nonprofit organizations based on mutual benefit rather than extraction.

Scenario

Your climate action app wants to partner with local environmental organizations.

Research Phase (8 minutes)

Choose one organization from each category:

• Environmental Justice: Air quality advocacy groups
• Direct Service: Food banks addressing climate-food security
• Policy & Education: Climate education nonprofits

For each organization, research:

• Core mission and target community
• Current challenges and tools
• What data would support their advocacy

Partnership Design (12 minutes)

Value Exchange Framework:

What App Offers NGO ←→ What NGO Offers App
├── Technical infrastructure ←→ Community trust & knowledge
├── Data aggregation tools ←→ Local context & feedback
└── Capacity building training ←→ Real-world impact insights

Partnership Models:

• Data Partnership: NGO provides community context, app provides environmental data
• Capacity Building: App provides tech training, NGO provides engagement expertise
• Resource Sharing: Combined infrastructure for goals neither could reach alone

Pitch Design (5 minutes)

Create 2-minute pitch addressing:

• Specific value for NGO's existing goals
• How partnership serves NGO's community
• Low-commitment trial with clear success metrics

Red Flags vs Green Flags

Avoid: App benefits more than NGO, requires NGO mission change Seek: Both contribute unique strengths, amplifies existing NGO work

Deliverable

Partnership proposal with mutual value proposition, community benefit, and ethical safeguards.

📤 Submit Your Work

Complete this activity and submit your work through the Activity Submission Form