Purpose:
In his book The Collaboration Challenge (Jossey-Bass, 2000),
Harvard Business School Professor James E. Austin opens with these words:
The twenty-first century will be the age of alliances. In this age, collaboration between nonprofit organizations and corporations will grow in frequency and strategic importance. Collaborative relationships will increasingly migrate from the traditionally philanthropic, characterized by benevolent donor and grateful recipient, toward deeper, strategic alliances. These changes are already under way, and the changing alliance landscape is rich in variety, with businesses and nonprofits from Boston to Seattle finding new ways to work together to achieve their goals and contribute to society.
The Pulmonary Hypertension Association believes that our formula for success
is embodied in the clarity of our own mission combined with the strategic partnerships described by Professor Austin. This is a path PHA began to embark upon almost four years ago. We believe that path is already showing dividends for the patient community we serve. We have learned that these partnerships offer a synergy in providing enhanced benefits to patients, family members and medical caregivers.
We believe that thoughtful collaborative partnerships lead to a win-win situation for non-profit organizations like PHA, as well as for our corporate partners.
Our goal in establishing PHA’s Corporate Committee has been to create an organized way to further explore collaborative opportunity. It continues to be our intent that our efforts in this area, as in all others of our work, strengthen the struggle to improve the condition of patients and ultimately end this terrible illness. The Corporate Committee serves as a laboratory to experiment with new ways to develop strategic partnerships between non-profit organizations and corporations.
The support – medically, financially and politically – of our corporate partners is further accelerating our march toward a cure.
Structure:
In addition to its dues-paying corporate members, the PHA Corporate Committee
includes representation from the PHA Board of Trustees and PHA’s Scientific Leadership Council, as well as PHA’s President.
The Corporate Committee holds three face-to-face meetings each year. Additionally, a private listserv functions for regular e-mail communication. Conference calls are also available for any committee activities between meetings.
Chairmanship of the Corporate Committee is on a one-year, rotating basis. Chairs of the Corporate Committee are selected from among the committee membership.
PHA, working with the Committee Chair and surveying Scientific Leadership Council and committee member interest, proposes agendas for review by the members.
Benefits:
Corporate Committee members have the opportunity to discuss areas of common
interest and collaborative opportunities for mutual benefit.
The Committee meetings offer the opportunity to learn from experts in areas of interest to Committee members.
Committee members receive recognition at PHA’s International Pulmonary Hypertension Conferences as well as in PHA publications.
Rino Aldrighetti
President
Pulmonary Hypertension Association
801 Roeder Road, Ste. 400
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-565-3004 x101 • 301-565-3994 (fax) • Rino@PHAssociation.org
