This is a crucial section for any CBPR grant! Funders want to see that the partnership is genuine, well-established, and truly collaborative, not just an academic team doing research on a community.

Here's a breakdown of how to describe partnership formation and history, along with a template you can adapt.

Describing Partnership Formation and History for a CBPR Grant

Your goal here is to tell a compelling story about how your academic institution and community partner(s) came together, demonstrating a history of mutual respect, shared vision, and effective collaboration. Emphasize the equity and community-driven nature of the partnership from its genesis.

Key Elements to Cover:

• The "Who": Clearly introduce the key partners and their primary roles/affiliations.


• The "Why" (Initial Spark): What specific community need or shared concern brought you together? Was it community-identified? How was this need collectively recognized?


• The "How" (Formation Process): Describe the steps taken to build the relationship. How did initial conversations evolve into a formal partnership?


• The "What" (Early Collaboration/Milestones): Highlight any previous joint projects, activities, or achievements that demonstrate your capacity to work together.


• The "Evolution" (Growth & Development): Show how the partnership has matured, strengthened, and adapted over time.


• The "Evidence" (Indicators of Equity & Trust): Provide concrete examples that illustrate shared decision-making, mutual capacity building, and genuine trust.


• The "Current State" & Shared Vision: Reiterate the strength of the current partnership and how the proposed project aligns with its overarching mission.

Structure & Content Guidance:

I. Introduction to the Partnership (Brief Overview)

• Start strong: "Our partnership, [Partnership Name, e.g., The Healthy Futures Coalition], is a long-standing, equitable collaboration between [Academic Institution Name, e.g., University of X's Department of Public Health] and [Community Partner Organization Name(s), e.g., the Northside Community Development Corporation (NCDC) and the local Residents' Council]."


• State the core focus/shared goal: "This partnership is dedicated to addressing [specific health issue, e.g., health disparities related to chronic disease management] in [specific geographic area/population, e.g., the Northside neighborhood]."


• Emphasize CBPR principles: "Built on foundations of mutual respect, shared power, and collective impact, our partnership has a proven track record of community-driven health initiatives."

• Whose idea was it? Ideally, the community identified the need. "The impetus for this partnership originated from direct community feedback and persistent concerns raised by Northside residents during [describe community event/forum, e.g., NCDC's annual Health & Wellness Day in 20XX] regarding [specific problem, e.g., the alarming rates of uncontrolled diabetes and limited access to culturally appropriate health education]."


• First contact/connection: "These discussions prompted [Community Partner Lead Name/Title, e.g., Ms. Elena Rodriguez, Executive Director of NCDC] to reach out to [Academic PI Name/Title, e.g., Dr. Marcus Chen, a public health researcher with expertise in chronic disease] at the University of X, whose work aligned closely with the community's articulated priorities."


• Initial shared understanding: "Initial meetings, held at [community venue, e.g., the Northside Community Center], focused on understanding the community's lived experiences and defining the core problem from their perspective, rather than imposing external research questions."

• Early engagement & relationship building: "Over the subsequent [number] years, the relationship developed organically through a series of informal discussions, joint attendance at community events, and shared learning sessions. These early interactions were critical for building trust and establishing a shared understanding of both the community's assets and needs, and the university's research capabilities."


• Key milestones/formalization (if any):


• "A significant milestone was the establishment of a [Partnership Name/Steering Committee, e.g., Northside Health Equity Steering Committee] in [Year], comprising an equal number of community residents, NCDC staff, and university faculty."


• "This committee formalized our commitment to shared decision-making, with monthly meetings to co-develop strategies and prioritize actions."


• Joint activities/pilot projects (crucial evidence!): "Prior to this grant, our partnership successfully collaborated on several smaller initiatives, including:


• [Example 1: e.g., A community-led needs assessment in 20XX, funded by a small internal grant, which identified key barriers to health literacy.]


• [Example 2: e.g., The co-development and piloting of a 'Healthy Eating, Active Living' workshop series delivered at the community center, reaching over 100 residents.]


• [Example 3: e.g., Joint presentations at local and national conferences discussing the initial findings from our community asset mapping.]"


• Mutual capacity building: "Through these efforts, university partners gained invaluable insights into community-based participatory research methods and cultural humility, while community partners enhanced their understanding of research methodologies, data interpretation, and grant management."

• Shared Leadership and Decision-Making: "Our partnership operates under a model of true co-leadership. For this proposed grant, [Community Lead Name] and [Academic Lead Name] will serve as Co-Principal Investigators. All major decisions, from research questions to intervention design and dissemination strategies, are made jointly by the [Steering Committee Name]."


• Resource Sharing: "Both partners contribute significant in-kind and tangible resources. NCDC provides meeting space, access to community networks, and staff time for coordination, while the University offers data analysis support, grant management expertise, and access to library resources."


• Mutual Trust and Respect: "The sustained nature of our collaboration, even between funded projects, speaks to the deep trust and respect that has been cultivated. We have navigated challenges together, always prioritizing transparent communication and collective problem-solving."


• Community-Driven Agenda: "The research questions and proposed intervention for this grant were not developed in isolation but emerged directly from feedback gathered during [specific community engagement activities, e.g., a series of listening sessions held with Northside residents in Spring 20XX], ensuring the project is directly responsive to the community's most pressing health concerns and desired solutions."

• Reiterate strength: "Today, the [Partnership Name] stands as a testament to the power of authentic CBPR. Our shared history has forged a cohesive team with a unified vision for improving community health outcomes."


• Connect to the grant: "The proposed [Grant Title] project is a direct continuation and expansion of our collaborative efforts, leveraging our established trust and combined expertise to address [reiterate specific health issue] in a culturally relevant and sustainable manner."

Template Example (Adapt and Fill In Your Details):

1. Description of Partnership Formation and History

Our partnership, The Healthy Futures Coalition, is a long-standing, equitable collaboration between the University of X's Department of Public Health and the Northside Community Development Corporation (NCDC), alongside the actively engaged Northside Residents' Council. This partnership is dedicated to addressing health disparities related to chronic disease management in the Northside neighborhood, a historically underserved urban community. Built on foundations of mutual respect, shared power, and collective impact, our partnership has a proven track record of community-driven health initiatives.

The impetus for this partnership originated from direct community feedback and persistent concerns raised by Northside residents during NCDC's annual Health & Wellness Day in 2018 regarding the alarming rates of uncontrolled diabetes and limited access to culturally appropriate health education. These discussions prompted Ms. Elena Rodriguez, Executive Director of NCDC, to reach out to Dr. Marcus Chen, a public health researcher with expertise in chronic disease at the University of X, whose work aligned closely with the community's articulated priorities. Initial meetings, held at the Northside Community Center, focused on understanding the community's lived experiences and defining the core problem from their perspective, rather than imposing external research questions.

Over the subsequent five years, the relationship developed organically through a series of informal discussions, joint attendance at community events, and shared learning sessions. These early interactions were critical for building trust and establishing a shared understanding of both the community's assets and needs, and the university's research capabilities. A significant milestone was the establishment of the Northside Health Equity Steering Committee in 2019, comprising an equal number of community residents, NCDC staff, and university faculty. This committee formalized our commitment to shared decision-making, with monthly meetings to co-develop strategies and prioritize actions.

Prior to this grant, our partnership successfully collaborated on several smaller initiatives, including:

• A community-led needs assessment in 2020, funded by a small internal university grant, which identified key barriers to health literacy and access to healthy foods.


• The co-development and piloting of a "Healthy Eating, Active Living" workshop series delivered at the community center in 2021, reaching over 100 residents and significantly increasing participant-reported health knowledge.


• Joint presentations at local and national public health conferences in 2022 and 2023, discussing the initial findings from our community asset mapping and the successes of our pilot workshops.

Our partnership operates under a model of true co-leadership. For this proposed grant, Ms. Elena Rodriguez and Dr. Marcus Chen will serve as Co-Principal Investigators. All major decisions, from refining research questions to intervention design and dissemination strategies, are made jointly by the Northside Health Equity Steering Committee. Both partners contribute significant in-kind and tangible resources; NCDC provides meeting space, access to community networks, and staff time for coordination, while the University offers data analysis support, grant management expertise, and access to library resources. The sustained nature of our collaboration, even between funded projects, speaks to the deep trust and respect that has been cultivated. We have navigated challenges together, always prioritizing transparent communication and collective problem-solving. Crucially, the research questions and proposed intervention for this grant were not developed in isolation but emerged directly from feedback gathered during a series of listening sessions held with Northside residents in Spring 2023, ensuring the project is directly responsive to the community's most pressing health concerns and desired solutions.

Today, The Healthy Futures Coalition stands as a testament to the power of authentic CBPR. Our shared history has forged a cohesive team with a unified vision for improving community health outcomes. The proposed "Empowering Northside: Diabetes Management & Prevention Program" project is a direct continuation and expansion of our collaborative efforts, leveraging our established trust and combined expertise to address diabetes management and prevention in a culturally relevant and sustainable manner.

Remember to:

• Be specific: Use names, dates, and concrete examples.


• Show, don't just tell: Instead of saying "we built trust," describe how you built trust (e.g., through pilot projects, co-leadership).


• Emphasize community leadership: Make it clear the community's voice was central from the beginning.


• Use CBPR language: Words like "equitable," "co-creation," "shared power," "mutual benefit," and "community-driven" should appear naturally throughout.


• Keep it concise but thorough: Respect word limits while still conveying the full picture.