That is especially true for nonprofits, which tend to worry most about their own needs. You must educate other members of the partnership, but you must also satisfy other members expectations. Partnerships must translate broad goals into measurable, interim targets and time frames. All partners must be committed to the shared mission and objectives before taking the first step. Goals must be attainable but meaningful.
Different issues require different types of partnerships.
Openness to the leadership needs of the project is key. Equal partnership is the goal. Partnerships rely not just on the clarity of mission but also on a mutual understanding of partners roles. Partnerships often come to grief when they are successful. That is when partners often realize that they have different definitions of results, and thus different definitions of success.