Toronto Intergenerational Partnerships

Partnership Development Guidelines

Partner Selection

The most crucial elements of partner selection are:

the selection of compatible parties with similar goals and approaches to service development and delivery,

strong commitment to intergenerational services by both parties,

balanced decision making-power,

balanced resource investment, or proportional to partners resource capacity (this may include specific partnership fundraising if appropriate)

Identification of Intergenerational Programs and Services the Partners Will Offer

TIGP and its partners are to employ a collaborative approach to the identification of programs and services that respond to the needs of services users.

The following are the critical premises that foster a collaborative approach and partnership longevity:

TIGP recognizes and values the expertise that partners have in relation to the service needs of their clients

Partners recognize and value the expertise that TIGP have in the development of partnerships for the provision of intergenerational programs and services

Decision Making Methods

TIGP and its partners subscribe to reach decisions by consensus. This applies to all partnership, service development and delivery agreements.

Resource Investment

TIGP and its partners are expected to provide resources to the partnership in a balanced fashion or proportionally to the capacity of each partner to allocate resources. To establish viable partnerships, this is a fundamental requirement to establish that it is to be respected even when specific funding to support the partnerships is granted.

Partnership Agreement

When decisions related to the above points are reached, a written partnership agreement is to be written and signed by all parties as a memorandum of understanding.

TIGP Commitments

TIGP is committed to provide the following resources as needed:

intergenerational program development plan in cooperation with partners

age sensitivity training for partners’ staff and volunteers who will be working with the newly established intergenerational programs and services

training for volunteers on the sections of the Ontario Human Rights Code addressing Equity and Poison-Free Environment Rights

assistance in developing a volunteer program (from recruitment to rewarding) for volunteers who will be working in the provision of intergenerational services).

Partners Support

In keeping with our Vision and Mission Statement, as partnerships are developed and programs and services are offered for a full cycle, or for a three to four month period, TIGP will gradually move from a coordinating to supportive role. This means that TIGP will support partners in taking responsibilities or the lead for the items listed under point 6 above, “TIGP Commitments”.

Self-Sustainability

TIGP, as a community development and capacity building organization, intends to spark other agencies to offer intergenerational services in partnership with others. Therefore it is expected that partners, in a year or so from the establishment of the initial partnership, are able to continue to offer intergenerational services with TIGP, moving from a supportive to an advisory role. This means that TIGP, upon request, will provide advise to resolve issues related to the smooth running of the intergenerational program and services established during the active TIGP involvement.

If a partner is interested in developing new intergenerational services, a new partnership agreement linking appropriate partners and volunteers to the new intergenerational service initiative will be put in place.