Office for Victims of Crime – Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center

BUILDING CAPACITY THROUGH

PARTNERSHIP PLANNING

Human trafficking requires a coordinated and integrated response from victim service providers and 

other stakeholders. No one agency or organization can provide the complex array of services often 

needed by victims of human trafficking. Building collaboration through partnerships is an effective way 

to maximize limited resources, identify existing gaps in services, minimize the likelihood of any 

duplication of efforts, and, ultimately, provide comprehensive, trauma-informed services for victims. 

Strategic Alliances

Partnerships are strategic alliances that can streamline operations to improve efficiency, expand 

programs and services, and increase awareness. Reasons to partner and strengthen an organization’s 

anti-trafficking networks include— 

• Provide an integrated continuum of care to meet a victim’s needs; 

• Expand service areas to reach different geographic regions; 

• Deliver additional victim services;

• Reach new audiences; 

• Increase program awareness and extend outreach efforts; 

• Share workload and support for victims’ needs; and

• Develop a coordinated, community-based response to human trafficking.

Formal Versus Informal Partnerships 

Whether formal or informal, partnering opportunities should be carefully planned and support an 

organization’s mission and goals. Formal partnerships usually include joint programming or shared 

services with documented agreements between two or more organizations. Informal partnerships are 

done by casual association and do not include the formal paperwork. 
BUILDING CAPACITY THROUGH PARTNERSHIP PLANNING

Office for Victims of Crime – Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center

Building and maintaining a successful partnership will take time and ongoing effort. Regardless of the 

type of partnership, relationships are at the cornerstone of all successful ones. Partnerships require 

developing internal buy-in at the leadership and staff level and establishing and maintaining trust. 

Unresolved issues or a prior history between organizations and individuals within an organization may

need to be addressed. Hosting partner meetings or participating in local working groups, such as 

continuum of care programs, anti-trafficking coalitions and taskforces, provide avenues to foster and 

strengthen relationships. When an organization invests in building relationships, opportunities to build 

strategic partnerships evolve and increase. 

Developing a Partnership Plan

A partnership plan is a roadmap for determining which type of partnership(s) to pursue and which 

organization(s) to involve. Partnership plans typically include─

• Background of the organization including the types of partnerships they are seeking and how 

they could benefit from partnerships; 

• Need/purpose for partners; 

• Goal of the partnership(s); 

• Tactics/mechanisms to achieve the partnership; 

• Accountability mechanisms for the partnership; 

• Timeline to achieve the partnerships; and

• Evaluation mechanism. 

Formalizing a Partnership

A well-documented agreement can clarify responsibilities and expectations, hold partners 

accountable, and shape the outcomes of the partnership. Partnership agreements can be formalized 

through a subgrant agreement or a memorandum of understanding. A letter of intent is typically used 

as part of a federal grant application process to document an intent to formally partner. A welldocumented agreement can clarify responsibilities and expectations, hold partners accountable, and 

shape the outcomes of the partnership. 
BUILDING CAPACITY THROUGH PARTNERSHIP PLANNING

Office for Victims of Crime – Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center

Subgrant Agreement is formal contract where a portion of grant funding is allocated to 

another organization, called a subrecipient, subgrantee, or subawardee. This formal 

contract establishes the terms, conditions, and requirements for a partner to use grant 

funds. A subgrant agreement may be useful when an organization shares responsibility 

in carrying out a grant award. 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or a memorandum of agreement, is a formal 

agreement where two or more organizations establish common goals and shared 

responsibilities. While it can be a legally binding contract, a MOU does not allocate any 

funds. An organization may want a MOU to describe the partnering organization’s 

specific services and document the associated costs of those services. 

Letter of Intent outlines an understanding between two or more organizations to 

formalize the relationship in time. Like a MOU, a letter of intent outlines services a 

partner organization will provide, represents the start of a relationship, and is a 

precursor to a more formal and binding agreement.

Maintaining a Successful Partnership

To sustain a successful partnership, communicate openly, measure impact, and adjust the 

partnership terms as needed. Partnerships may evolve, particularly as needs change; making 

adjustments ensures partnerships stay relevant. 
BUILDING CAPACITY THROUGH PARTNERSHIP PLANNING

Office for Victims of Crime – Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center

Sample Partnership Plan

Use this worksheet to as tool for developing an internal partnership plan for your organization. The 

italicized text provides instructions for the type of content to include in each section. 

[YOUR ORGANIZATION’S NAME] PARTNERSHIP PLAN 

Background Provide a description of the organization and include core principles, values, and goals. List existing partners 

by name (e.g., Children’s Hospital), indicate the type of partnerships (e.g., informal or formal), and describe the

purpose of the partnership (e.g., provide medical services for minor clients). 

Need/Purpose for Partners Describe how expanding partnerships will benefit the organization. List benefits and the organization’s 

partnership needs. Document “must haves” for any partner organization (e.g., share a similar vision, 

participate in open communication, mutually benefit from the partnership).

Goal of the Partnership(s) List potential partners by name, indicate the type of partnership, describe each partnership, and determine the 

desired outcome. For example— 

Name Type Description Outcome

Capital City Shelter Formal Execute a MOU; create a process to Offer emergency and transitional 

refer male clients to this organization shelter to male clients. 

for services. 

 

Tactics/Mechanisms to Achieve Partnership(s) Determine specific, measurable tactics to build relationships (e.g., referral contact through an existing 

relationship, cold outreach email, phone call, in-person meeting, working groups, events) and who will be 

responsible for seeking the partnership. Describe ways to maintain the partnerships over time (e.g., weekly 

coordination calls, monthly or quarterly meetings). 

Accountability Mechanisms for the Partnership Outline expectations of each organization’s roles and responsibilities, setting boundaries (e.g., establishing 

clear policies on privacy, confidentiality, and information sharing), and identify how partner organizations will 

be held accountable. 

Timeline to Achieve Partnership Draft a timeline for contacting potential partner organizations and document specific, measurable tasks to 

build relationships. 

 

Evaluation Mechanism Describe ways to evaluate the partnerships and the process for documenting the metrics (e.g., number of 

referrals, expanded services, coordination opportunities).