Our Approach
At Dunnright Collaborative, we help organizations build mission-driven partnerships that expand reach, strengthen sustainability, and increase impact.
Our work draws on qualitative and quantitative social science methods to make sure collaboration strategies are grounded in evidence and built for real-world conditions.
Whether you are exploring your first formal partnership, working to strengthen existing ones, or looking to expand your network, we meet you where you are and help you move forward with intention.
Services We Offer
Assessing Your Readiness
Before pursuing new partnerships, it's worth asking whether your organization is ready for them. We use structured qualitative and quantitative approaches to assess your goals and current capabilities — identifying both your strengths and the gaps that could limit partnership success. We also help you develop pathways to "partnership ready" status.
Finding Your Fit
Focus your time and resources on the partnerships most likely to advance your mission. Using ecosystem scanning, stakeholder analysis, and strategic mapping, we help you identify where meaningful collaboration is possible — and where it is not — so you can pursue opportunities with confidence and pass on those that aren't the right fit.
Guiding Your Setup and Management
A promising partnership can underperform without the right structure behind it. We help you design the governance, agreements, and operating norms that allow partnerships to function clearly and sustainably — translating research on what makes collaboration work into tools your team can actually use.
Advising on Current Partnerships
​Even well-intentioned partnerships hit friction. We apply diagnostic tools grounded in social science research to assess partnership health, surface misalignment or inefficiencies, and identify what needs to change, whether that means recalibrating goals, restructuring roles, or having conversations that have been avoided.
Fractional Partnership Lead
Sometimes organizations need partnership expertise but not a full-time hire. We can serve as a fractional dedicated and trusted internal resource for your organization, ​providing hands-on support to organize partnership portfolios, manage stakeholder relationships, coordinate internal teams, and advance new strategic opportunities.
Who We Work With
We work with nonprofits, higher education institutions, companies, government agencies, and cross-sector collaboratives seeking to build and strengthen strategic partnerships. Whether supporting public-private partnerships, university-industry collaborations, or community-based initiatives, we help organizations move from informal relationship management to structured approaches that promote accountability, alignment, and measurable results.
How We Work
Engagements are tailored to your organization's needs and stage. Some clients need a focused assessment to clarify direction; others might engage us for a defined strategy project or ongoing advisory support over time.
We offer sliding scale fees so that organizations of different sizes and resource levels can access quality partnership support.
Real Life Examples
Looking for examples of how this support plays out in real life?
Check out our Case Studies section.