Nonprofit and university strategic partnerships to strengthen the sector

There is a mutually beneficial partnership inherent in the structured collaboration between universities and nonprofit organizations. This article outlines a pilot program designed to address management challenges of nonprofits and provide meaningful and relevant learning experiences for students through the use of community‐based research, a joint research study among students, faculty, and nonprofits designed to produce recommendations that will positively affect the community. Assessment data are significant, indicating that students increased their understanding of the sector while nonprofit partners received valuable resources. The article concludes with strategies for nonprofit practitioners and faculty who wish to develop a similar model.