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Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Business and Community Partnerships?
• What are the functions of Business and Community Partnerships?
• Describe the Return on Investment (ROI) opportunities for partners?
• Does FCPS have many partners?
• I’m a school-based employee.  Is it okay if I try to find my school a business partner--on my own?
• Do you have any tips on finding a partner?
• Is it okay to have more than one partner?
• In a partnership, both sides contribute.  What can FCPS give our partners?
• Whose job is it to find my school a partner?
• My potential partner and I have come to an agreement on ways to support one another.  How do I make a partnership official?
• Why do I need to make my partnership official?
• Can I put the business partner’s logo “out there,” say online or on a sign?
• What is the role of the school-based partnership coordinator? 
• How can our partner make a donation to our school?

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

What is Business and Community Partnerships?

Business and Community Partnerships (B&CP) develops, promotes, and coordinates collaborative efforts between the business and community groups and the schools to create and foster relationships beneficial to the school division and the total community.

B&CP is one of seven teams in the Department of Communications and Community Outreach (DCCO). 

The other DCCO teams are:

• Digital Media Communications
• Family and School Partnerships
• Media and Crisis Communications
• Parent Resource Center
• Strategic Communications
• Web Communications

Business and Community Partnerships is managed by Jay Garant.  You can reach Jay directly by dialing 571-423-1225 or by e-mailing him at jay.garant@fcps.edu.

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What are the functions of Business and Community Partnerships?

Business and Community Partnerships—with MentorWorks:

• fosters personal and business contacts.
• trains new partnership and mentoring teams.
• provides technical assistance to partners.
• provides supplies for workshops and partnership activities.
• supports communications, including the promotion of public awareness.
• recruits new partners and mentors.
• evaluates FCPS and other programs to continue best practices.
• rewards exceptional programs and projects.
• manages and publicizes the donations web site.
• analyzes foundation contributions to FCPS.

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Describe the Return on Investment (ROI) opportunities for partners?

Business and community groups seek out Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to establish mutually beneficial partnerships that contribute to the high quality of life in Fairfax County.  Other distinct reasons that business and community groups partner with FCPS include:

• Intrinsic Value –Donating time, resources, and/or money to public schools is rewarding; FCPS partners are confident that their donations are efficiently distributed and effectively used.  ROI:  Many business people actively participate in their communities simply to contribute to the greater good--and because they know that business is stronger in high-functioning communities. 
• Mission Driven–A company’s mission statement may require its employees to be “corporate citizens” by partnering or donating time or money.  ROI:  For many companies, allowing employees to volunteer some of their time supports employee retention.
• Networking–Face-to-face discussions are an extremely effective form of marketing.  ROI:  Through FCPS functions, volunteers are likely to meet other professionals with congruent or overlapping lines of business and, in Fairfax County that includes people from seven Fortune 500 companies.
• Workforce Development–A business may develop a partnership that helps train students with specific skills in areas like mathematics, computer science, or auto mechanics.  ROI:  Business partners help train and strengthen the skills of the future workforce.
• Marketing– Business and community groups partner because they know that the promotional materials produced by FCPS—including news releases, Emmy award winning TV programming, and a web site that receives 1 million hits a month—equates to “cause” advertising via “soft” advertising.  ROI:  Companies save money on advertising by receiving widespread recognition from FCPS and the media outlets that cover the school system.
• Advertising–Through partnerships, businesses build relationships with staff members, parents, and students who eventually may buy their products or services.  ROI:  Relationships could ultimately equate to sales.
• Beta Testing–A business may donate a product or service, hoping that its educational value will be recognized by our educational professionals.  ROI:  While there can never be a quid pro quo for partnering with FCPS, prior experience with a product or service could provide an advantage to an expanding business.

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Does FCPS have many partners?

Currently, there are some 350 business and community partnerships in FCPS.  To date, 130 schools, supporting 3,800 students, report having active mentoring programs.

In FY 2009, the Business and Community Partnerships team helped secure more than $1,000,000.00 in donations of money and valued goods through partnerships and direct donations.  That figure does not include the value of volunteer hours by partners and mentors. 

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I’m a school-based employee.  Is it okay if I try to find my school a business partner--on my own?

Yes.  Partnerships are about relationships, so it makes sense to build on existing relationships.  I often tell people to start by asking fellow staff members if a spouse’s business may be interested. 

Remember, however, that you are one of many FCPS employees.  Before you begin your search, confirm that your principal or program manager wants you to take on this extra responsibility.  You should also call the Business and Community Partnerships team at 571-423-1209 to make sure that the business you are approaching is not already partnered with FCPS.

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Do you have any tips on finding a partner?

Develop a list of about five ways that you would like a business to support your school.  We do not suggest that you include donations of money on that list.  Your partnership may advance to a point at which your partner supports efforts financially, but you’ll be most successful if you emphasize how a specific business or community group can best support your needs and how you can support that group’s needs.

Another tip is to look locally.  A business is less likely to be a strong and engaged partner if its offices or its employees’ homes are too far from the school.  When developing a partnership, think traffic.

Here’s a link to Business and Community Partnerships’ Getting a Partnership Started page.

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Is it okay to have more than one partner?

Yes.  Having more than one partner, however, means additional coordination, so be careful.  Remember, quality is more important than quantity. 

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In a partnership, both sides contribute.  What can FCPS give our partners?

FCPS gives a lot.  Remember, simply being associated with Fairfax County Public Schools and supporting young people is a feather in any business’s cap.  Plus, great schools are great for business, so schools and businesses approach  partnerships with mutual respect.  FCPS can give businesses:

• Intrinsic Value–It feels good to donate time, resources, and/or money.  A company’s mission statement may require its employees to be “corporate citizens” by partnering or donating time or money. 
• Workforce Development–A business may want to strengthen the skills of its future workforce and aim to develop a partnership that helps train students with specific skills in areas like mathematics, computer science, or auto mechanics.
• Networking--Partnerships provide participants with exceptional opportunities to meet and to develop relationships with other people, like a teacher, a principal, or the Superintendent of Schools.  
  Advertising and Marketing–Business and community groups might partner because they know that the school system will promote the ways that they support FCPS.  The promotional materials produced by FCPS are of high quality, and FCPS news releases, TV programming, and/or awards equate to soft advertising, which businesses can turn into hard advertising.
• Organizations may want to partner to sell more products.  By partnering, groups build relationships with staff members, parents, and students--who may eventually buy their products or services. 
• Understanding--When we partner, we get to show off our accomplishments.  When business and community organizations see how dedicated, smart, and hard working FCPS staff members are, they become advocates for public schools and especially for FCPS.    
• Discounted Use of FCPS Facilities–Partners pay the noncommercial rental rates instead of the modified commercial rental rate.  This is referenced in Regulation 8420, Attachment C.

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Whose job is it to find my school a partner?

While we’re all in this together, the Business and Community Partnerships team is certainly willing to help.  If you want a partner, complete the online form or call Jay Garant at 571-423-1225. 

Think about the type of partner that you’re seeking and be prepared to share that information.

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We have a potential partner and would like to pursue a partnership.  How we make our partnership official?

Go to the Partnership Agreement page. You will find the four easy steps to make your partnership official.

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Why do I need to make my partnership official?

Not all partnerships need to be official.  Some partnerships, in fact, are one-time events, like a donation of food for a staff function or a business that wants to donate backpacks or school supplies to students as they start school. 

If your relationship is extremely infrequent or a one-time event, just share this information and keep the Business and Community Relations team in the loop.

If you plan to have regular and frequent contact with you partner, it’s beneficial to make your partnership official because certain FCPS regulations (Community Use R8420, and Flier Distribution R1367) are written to allow FCPS to provide some benefit to partners.

An official agreement also addresses Regulation 4119, which relates to background checks for volunteers.

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Can I put the business partner’s logo “out there,” say online or on a sign?

Let’s start with “no,” but let’s talk.  Call Jay Garant at 571-423-1225.  In short, some logo use is okay, but a simple explanation will not suffice.  Assume that you cannot use a partner’s logo until we speak about the partnership, logo request specifics, etc.

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What is the role of the school-based partnership coordinator? 

School-based partnership coordinators play an integral role in creating and maintaining effective partnerships.  The Business and Community Partnerships team suggests that the primary roles be those of program manager and communicator.  The coordinator collaborates to develop, plan, and execute the functions of the partnership and communicates those efforts to all the relevant parties.

The coordinator is also the liaison who works with the school, the partner, and the Business and Community Partnerships team. 

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How can our partner make a donation to our school?

Simple!  Start with “thank you for considering Fairfax County Public Schools,” and send them to this web link:  http://commweb.fcps.edu/donatetofcps