Powerful partnerships help businesses and NGOs achieve more (The purpose business, 2019). And indeed, if you ask both Corporate, NGO leaders about their perspectives on the topic you find a common belief in the promise of partnerships. Quoted back in 2013, Scott Jackson, CEO of Global Compact for example was clear in his statement that “you can’t really do it alone anymore”, and already then called for closer collaborations across sectors. The terrain has over the past years continued to grow at a fast pace, but it is also marred with frustrations of failings and misgivings.

In fact, one can feel on many NGOs and companies in our network that although the motivation to partner across sectors is high, especially with the global calls to use this as a lifting platform for reaching the SDGs, there remains anxiety on how one gets a good partnership started and sustained. Moreover, one could ask – what does good look like?