Expertise | Josh Weaver

Here's the uncomfortable truth about partnerships: most of them are just dressed-up transactional arrangements. Brand A wants to look good. Nonprofit B needs money. Agency C wants a case study. Everyone shakes hands, creates some co-branded content, and calls it "strategic collaboration."

Real partnerships—the kind that generate $60MM in charitable revenue and transform how entire industries approach cause marketing—require something deeper. They require architects who understand that successful alliances aren't built on what organizations need from each other, but on what they can create together that neither could achieve alone.

Josh doesn't just broker partnerships. They design ecosystems where brand values, audience needs, and cultural moments converge to create something genuinely transformative.

The Foundation: Strategic Positioning as Partnership Enabler

Picture this scenario: You're the VP of Marketing at Trevor Project, the world's largest LGBTQ+ youth mental health organization. Your brand is entirely associated with crisis intervention—suicide prevention, specifically. Brands want to support your mission, but here's the problem: nobody wants their logo next to messaging about young people contemplating suicide.

Josh identified the strategic challenge: Trevor's positioning was limiting their partnership potential. Not because the mission wasn't important—because it was only positioned around crisis.

The breakthrough insight: pivot from survival to thriving.

Instead of "the organization that saves LGBTQ+ youth from suicide," Trevor became "the organization that helps LGBTQ+ young people thrive." Same mission, expanded aperture. Crisis intervention remained central, but now the brand also encompassed affirmation, joy, community, and expression.

The result: Trevor transformed from "the heavy nonprofit" to "the cool org to work with." Brands suddenly saw alignment opportunities they couldn't see before.

The Revenue Impact: From Fundraising to Partnership Portfolio

The positioning shift unlocked what Josh calls "partnership portfolio" thinking—instead of individual sponsorships, Trevor could offer brands multiple touchpoints across their expanded mission spectrum.

The numbers tell the story: 80+ brand partnerships generating over $60MM in charitable revenue during Josh's tenure. But here's what makes these partnerships actually strategic rather than transactional: they created value for all parties while genuinely advancing the mission.

80+

Brand partnerships with corporations including Google, Microsoft, and Delta

$60MM+

In charitable revenue through innovative cause-marketing partnerships

Take the Abercrombie & Fitch collaboration—a standout example of how strategic positioning enables authentic partnership. A&F wanted to connect with younger consumers around authentic self-expression. Trevor wanted to normalize and celebrate LGBTQ+ identity. The intersection: a gender-inclusive clothing line that positioned both brands around joy and expression rather than crisis and intervention.

The Strategic Methodology: Partnership as Ecosystem Design

Josh's approach to partnerships operates on multiple levels simultaneously:

Brand Alignment Assessment

Not just "do our values match" but "where do our strategic objectives create mutual amplification?" The best partnerships happen when each party's success directly contributes to the other's goals.

Audience Intersection Analysis

Understanding where partner audiences overlap and, critically, where they don't. The most valuable partnerships often introduce brands to adjacent audience segments.

Cultural Moment Mapping

Timing partnerships to cultural currents that make collaboration feel timely rather than opportunistic. The best cause marketing anticipates cultural shifts.

Value Creation Framework

Designing partnerships that create value beyond the immediate transaction, generating IP, content, relationships, and strategic assets that compound over time.

The Multiplier Effect: When Partnerships Become Platform

The Trevor Project partnership strategy illustrates something crucial about Josh's approach: they don't just execute individual partnerships—they build partnership platforms that scale.

By repositioning Trevor around thriving rather than just surviving, Josh created a framework that could accommodate multiple types of brand relationships:

Affirmation Partnerships

Brands that wanted to support LGBTQ+ joy and celebration

Expression Partnerships

Companies focused on authentic self-expression and creativity

Community Partnerships

Organizations building inclusive spaces and experiences

Advocacy Partnerships

Brands ready to take public stands on LGBTQ+ equality

This portfolio approach meant Trevor could offer brands entry points that matched their comfort level and strategic objectives while still advancing the core mission.

Ready to Get Started?

Transform Your Strategic Partnerships Strategy

Ready to elevate your strategic partnerships approach? Let's discuss how Josh's expertise can drive real results for your organization.