How even small shops can raise corporate funds
Dragging your feet on corporate fundraising? Have a visceral reaction to the idea of promoting business interests via your small nonprofit?
I feel you! But I’m here to share that there are ways to do this work that are easeful and values-aligned. It doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t have to sell your soul to do it.
In light of the free webinar I recently presented in partnership with Essex and Drake, I wanted to share some quick thoughts about corporate engagement.
Corporate or Not, It All Comes Down to Relationships
At the end of the day, just as with individual fundraising, corporate giving often comes down to relationship building. And not just any relationship building – relationship building around shared values and shared interests.
I recommend making a list of people you know (and people your board members know) who work at businesses whose interests and values are well-aligned with your organization.
At Outward Bound California, we used to think about partnerships with outdoor gear companies. At ScholarMatch (a nonprofit supporting first gen youth to-and-through college), we used to think about partnerships with companies looking to hire diverse young college graduates.
Try to go beyond the big, obvious players in the field and think about the smaller, local businesses too. (e.g. Instead of Patagonia, how about Sports Basement? Instead of Bank of America, how about your local credit union?)
Create a One Pager Showing How They Can Help
I then recommend making a one-pager that (1) highlights your organization’s mission and impact and (2) outlines 2-3 ways that companies can help, not all of which are financial. These ways to help could include:
Individual or group volunteering opportunities
Employees banding together for team fundraising
Nominating employees to serve on your board or on a committee
Making a gift or grant to sponsor a program or event
You can get creative with these! Think about engagement opportunities that could provide value to the company without being too big of a lift for you and your organization to deliver on. (Side note: I *always* recommend asking for a financial contribution if you provide group volunteering opportunities.)
Find the Right Folks to Talk To
Once you’ve got your one-pager and your list of contacts, start reaching out to folks to tell them a bit about your organization, share the one-pager, and ask them who the right person to talk to would be. (Ideally your volunteers can take point on the outreach, sharing why they’re personally excited about your cause.)
If the person you’re reaching out to is sufficiently high up on the food chain at a large organization (or if it’s a very small organization), they might say, “hey, that’s me!” Or they might refer you to some folks in another department.
In a large organization, typically there are three departments that could be involved: (1) HR - for employee volunteering opportunities; (2) Marketing - for event sponsorship opportunities; or (3) Corporate Social Responsibility or a Company Foundation - for outright gifts and grants.
Chat About Values Alignment and What’s Possible
Once you get connected with the right person to talk to, your job is to have an open-ended conversation about the organization’s values and objectives and see how they might intersect with your nonprofit’s work. You want to be warm, authentic, curious, and collaborative.
Just as with individual fundraising, you are a matchmaker! If there seems to be a mutual fit – great! – go forth and hammer out some details about a sponsorship or a volunteer day. And if not, that’s okay too. The person you’re talking with may have advice or referrals for you.
My biggest piece of advice is to stand in the truth of your organization’s tremendous value. You do important work in this world and you don’t have to compromise your integrity to gain support. Some people and companies will resonate with your work and respond with great enthusiasm. Others won’t, and that’s okay.
My invitation to you today is to think about one potential corporate partner (or local business) who you would love to build a relationship with over time. Reach out and get a conversation started … and together imagine what’s possible!
