Think of the great partnerships in history: Lennon and McCartney, Watson and Crick, Hewlett and Packard. Each collaboration brought together people with different skills, personalities and talents to create something revolutionary. They all started small, shared ideas and sparked something extraordinary.
In our polarised world, it’s easy to sit in our trenches and lob outrage at the other side. Indeed, the latest research from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer shows how distrust, inequity and insecurity is growing and grievances against the global ‘system’ are high. If we want to address the big challenges in the world we need to collaborate. The need for partnerships between business and non-profits is more urgent than ever. Here’s why.
Only business is competent and ethical
The Edelman research across 20 countries shows that business is considered the only entity that is both competent and ethical. Every main business sector is trusted, with the exception of social media. NGOs still hold the top spot for ethics, but there has been a 19pt increase in the view of business ethics since 2020. They are closing the gap fast. Government and media are still languishing in the least trusted category of both unethical and incompetent. Collaborations between business and NGOs are the most effective way to build trust and achieve transformational change.
High expectations of businesses and leaders
The public expects that business should be training and skilling employees and supporting communities with good paying jobs. They want more action, not less on hot topic issues such as affordability, climate change, misinformation and discrimination. CEOs have a golden ticket to make a difference and fix problems that their businesses cause. But they can’t do it alone. They need to collaborate with other institutions, especially NGOs, to deliver results that benefit everyone fairly.
NGOs under pressure
The Edelman research shows that business is not the only entity needing to rebuild trust. NGOs are urged to fight divisiveness and repair the social fabric. World events and decades of institutional failures, especially by government, have produced grievances around the world that are stifling progress and making everyone distrustful. Whilst NGOs currently hold the highest rating for ethics, they need to collaborate with businesses who have the competency and economic might to create meaningful change. The public wants NGOs to succeed and a lack of progress will only deepen distrust and cause donor dissonance.
What would our world look like without collaboration? If there were Laurel without Hardy, Procter without Gamble or if Steve Job and Steve Wozniak hadn’t started that tech business in their garage. It would be the sound of one hand clapping. The case for partnerships has never been more important and it’s time for business- community partnerships to step into centre stage.