How corporate partnerships: A guide for charities

Collaborations and long-term partnerships are a powerful way to scale your impact as a nonprofit charity or organisation. Whether it be with a business or within your own sector you can gain a lot from resources, knowlesge, expertise, and funding. Corporate collaborations and partnerships can open up new networks and a lot of value. So what can this look like:

Corporate partnerships for small nonprofits – resources and reach

This is a beneficial relationship for both sides because small charities often have specialised expertise whether it be in the area(s) they operate in or the cause that they serve which can be of great interest and benefit to corporates wanting to support a specific cause. Although a small charity or nonprofit may not have the brand recognition of larger organisations but they bring a personal and localised touch which can lead to grassroots impact. Corporates can support and collaborate in the following ways:

In-kind support: Instead of direct funding or donations, small nonprofits can also benefit from donated goods or services. For example receiving pro-bono advice or services in the specialty area of the business like an accounting offering pro-bono financial advice, or a tech company assisting in digital transformation
Volunteers and expertise: Small charities often have strong roots and connections to their communities but may lack specialised skills for particular projects or when expanding or scaling for example. Corporate volunteers via an employee volunteering programme or more long-term partnership can provide the expertise they need, such as marketing, project management, or website development.
Local credibility boost: Partnering with a reputable company can increase credibility, interest, and reach, helping small nonprofits establish a new trust and recognition which can boost other activities such as funding, donations, volunteers, and collaborations

Tip: Small charities should make the most of their local influence and approach smaller businesses that share similar values or an interest in the community they serve.

Corporate partnerships for medium nonprofits – scaling impact and expanding networks

Often more established but still scaling, medium-sized nonprofits are in a unique position to create partnerships with meaning that go beyond local initiatives. Benefits for medium-sized nonprofits include:

Sustained funding and sponsorships: Recurring sponsorships from corporate partners which are key to scaling programmes can be great at this stage and expand reach, staff capacity, and resources.
Brand alignment (or not!) and shared marketing efforts: Businesses are often looking for partnerships that align with their ESG goals (we’ve simplified what ESG means here) so by aligning with companies who’s social or environmental impact goals are similar to your mission and or beneficiaries it could be a great match for collaboration. That being said sometimes businesses and nonprofits that don’t necessarily seem like an obvious match can make incredible and creative partners and generate impactful outputs. Here you can co-create marketing campaigns, raise awareness, and reach broader audiences.
Capacity building and knowledge sharing: Businesses can offer learning and development training oppoertunities to partners which medium-sized charities and nonprofits can benefit from such as strategic planning sessions, workshops, and mentorship to support teams and leaders.

Tip: Look for businesses with ESG strategies and focuses on areas that align with the work that you do or that you want to be associated with

Corporate partnerships for large nonprofits – amplify your reach and drive systemic change

Large nonprofits often operate on a national or international scales, giving them significant leverage in corporate partnerships. They can sometimes quite easily attract major corporate entities wanting high-visibility and well-known partnerships and opportunities for large scale social and environmental impact. In these cases corprate partnerships can mean:

Strategic alliances for policy influence and systemic Change: We’re talking big now! Large nonprofits often work on pressing societal issues which a large reach. This also often means they have collected and tracked a lot of data. This with the business strategy and various support that businesses can offer, strategic partnerships here can influence policy change and drive awareness on a national or global scale.
Multi-million dollar funding initiatives: Established nonprofits can attract high-value funding from businesses seeking a wider reach, higher impact, or new ways to achieve their impact or ESG goals. These types of partnerships can allow nonprofits to expand or create new programmes, conduct important research, and address critical issues more comprehensively.
Data and technology support: Technology is always evolving rapidly so large corporations can help nonprofits through funding and skills to modernise and streamline operations and digital tools.

Tip: Large nonprofits should focus on large businesses with a commited interest in long-term partnerships, values, and to drive systemic change.

Choose the right partnership(s) – aligning goals and values

All of the benefits listed above can apply to all types of nonprofits. While the scale of benefits can vary in some cases the impact that can be generated is limitless. A good place to start is to explore what a businesses core function is if there is a particular sector or industry you want to align with, their social and or/ environmental goals of a business depending on what you are looking for, case studies of similar work in the past if applicable, and their values.

Register and become a member of the Known Impact platform for free as nonprofit as we grow and exciting network! Here you will be able to explore businesses (and fellow nonprofits!) for potential collaborations and patnerships, post specific projects, initiatives, or longterm partnership goals and requests for businesses to see and respond to. Become a founding member today! Contact us for more details, sign-up to our newsletter, and follow-us on LinkedIn.