Disclaimer: This post is reflective of our company while under the name Pledgeling and the listed information may be outdated. Please refer to our main company website on Pledge for current information and resources.
Already have corporate donors but want to learn how to grow your relationships? Or maybe you’d like to gain more corporate partnerships by presenting yourself in an effective way?
Think about how this partnership can be an equal and beneficial collaboration between both your organization and the business providing the funds to you. Pledgeling is here to help you think about how to get the most out of your current and future corporate partnerships!
1. Quantify Your Impact
Brands want to ensure that the donations they make to nonprofits are making a tangible impact in their community. Quantifying your impact and communicating it with a clear voice helps translate the hard work you do into language that these businesses can understand. These quantifications do not belittle the work your team is doing, rather they enhance the conversation around the true cost of making a difference in the community. To determine your impact metrics, it is important to determine which outputs encompass your company’s mission in the most tangible way. A nonprofit logic model is a good place to start to identify measurable outputs. These outputs are the tangible outcomes that need to be quantified and shared. Determining the total cost of inputs into the program (staff, supplies, etc) divided by the total number of results in the output gives you a strong Impact Metric.
2. Leverage your Assets
If you are doing any cold outreach, know what the company does, why it aligns with your mission, and what stage they are in. For example, if they are a larger company and they have stores in 25 states, mention how your nonprofit also has initiatives in those 25 states. If you have a campaign coming up, suggest they add a donation component to a specific product on their website through Pledgeling’s Give & Grow app. For example, if your nonprofit provides school supplies to students, encourage a retailer to donate a dollar for every backpack sold during a specific day, week, or season. If you know they are preparing for holiday season, you can encourage employers to give their team Employee Wallets. You can suggest that companies provide their employees with an Impact Gift Donation through their employee wallets to your nonprofit. Reach out to impacts@pledgeling.com if you’d like to learn more about how to extend these tools to your corporate partners.
3. Think about Relationships, not Transactions
All corporate sponsorships are relational, not transactional. Corporate relationships often do not start with a big check, rather they are cultivated from conversations, volunteer opportunities, and interactions that grow into deeper relationships. Keeping the entire company engaged with your cause is an important way to ensure that donations remain consistent. Sending personalized impact reports and updates, as well as extending any event invitations or volunteer opportunities to the organization is a great way to keep folks involved and excited about the partnership. Grab a coffee with your contact at the company without the pretense of soliciting donations. This can allow the conversation to flow more organically and you’ll learn more about what you both actually need, leading to more funding.
We're here to help!
Pledgeling is your partner when it comes to building and expanding your relationships with corporate partners. We exist to power donations, and build the tools to make it as easy as possible. Contact us if you need help expanding your corporate partners or digital giving strategy.