Dimensions of Business and Nonprofit Collaborative Relationships

SUMMARY Collaborative relationships between businesses and nonprofits have grown tremendously in the last few years. These cross-sector alliances are different from within-sector alliances (business-business alliances) which has been examined in prior research, and include corporate philanthropy, corporate foundations, licensing agreements, sponsorships, transaction based promotions, joint issue promotions, and joint ventures. This paper discusses the growth, size, and scope of various business and nonprofit collaborative relationships and develops a typology of these relationships. Motivations for business-nonprofit collaborations and expected outcomes are presented as well as fruitful topics for further investigation.