The Prince William Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Powerful Partnerships” an event that promotes building partnerships between businesses and the community, tomorrow in Manassas Park.
The event is sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia – a religious organization that works with the community.
“Building powerful partnerships will also be the theme of the day as corporate and not-for-profit entities come together to find potential strategic partners who will work alongside them to create greater opportunities in the community. Not-for-profit executives, those serving on a board of directors, business owners and corporate community outreach professionals are encouraged to attend,” stated a release.
More on the event, from a release:
The day kicks off with recognition for the Chamber’s 2017 Agnes L. Colgan Community Service Award* winners: Project Mend-A-House and the Center for the Arts of Greater Manassas. Their use of strategic partnerships in reaching their goals were a part of the reason each was chosen this year. In the case of Project Mend-A-House, they have a large cache of partners, including suppliers like the Home Depot and locally-owned construction companies who donate in-kind labor to help them complete home improvement projects for the elderly and disabled who often cannot afford costly upkeep and modifications to their homes. The Center for the Arts was recognized for their unique partnership with the Governor’s School at Innovation Park, working with the high school students to design Arts-On-the-Go modules to be used in local elementary and middle schools. The Center has been able to spread a love of the arts while also teaching the Governor’s School students about using creative thinking to solve problems in their community, a win for the students as well as future employers who list “Out of the Box” thinking as a highly desirable skill.
“More and more, we are seeing that formulating strategic partnerships is the absolute best way to get any project done,” says Chamber President and CEO Debbie Jones. “I don’t need to tell anyone about the diversity of this community. With people from all walks of life, the opportunities to make a difference are virtually unending. But the resources are finite. By developing powerful strategic partnerships, businesses are able to help affect change in areas where they are passionate by offering resources to not-for-profit organizations with matching passions and missions. Often those working in the not-for-profit world can multiply resources and channel increased energy into a project just because of the support of one partner business who shares their vision.”
The event will feature numerous opportunities for the sharing of ideas, culminating with a session featuring “AHA Moments” and lessons learned throughout the day. The agenda is shown below.
Says Jones, “This event is not just designed to be educational, although it certainly will be. We also hope that attendees will walk away feeling refreshed. When you are busy working ‘in’ a problem, sometimes you don’t take time to breathe. It can be incredibly refreshing to discover that so many others are working right alongside you. We want our members to come together for that refreshment so that they can gain renewed energy to continue transforming lives in this community.”
