Trying to find the right corporate partner? Pick one that shares your vision and values, and the benefits can go well beyond simple funding says Jacqueline Hector

Securing a corporate partner is a truly valuable addition to any small charity, as business supporters can provide vital funds, resources and expertise. But approaching a corporate can be a daunting prospect.

Where do you begin? Is it a question of finding the right person? Is it about a certain campaign or is it about the amount you need to raise?

Our belief at Transaid is that the key is aligning your cause with your corporates.
In the 15 years since our charity began operating independently, Transaid has been fortunate enough to work with many different corporates across the transport and logistics industry, and we’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way. Our fundraising programme relies heavily on the valuable partnerships we have forged, whether that has been in a formal or a more relaxed capacity.

Great minds think alike

Deciding on the appropriate corporate partners to target can be one of the trickiest aspects of the process, not least because it is the most important. We believe choosing to work with a company that is aligned with your cause will ultimately make working together as mutually beneficial as possible.

When there is an obvious link between your cause and the company’s product, service, customer base or values, it is often much easier to get the support of employees and customers, as they can easily grasp the direct connection.

Pairing up with a like-minded or related corporate partner also makes it likely that they will be able to provide expertise and knowledge – either for back office functions or specific projects. Getting expert advice from the business world can prove invaluable.

It’s also worth highlighting the sector you work in when thinking about targeting corporates. At Transaid, our work involves identifying, championing, implementing and sharing local transport solutions in Africa, and over the last 15 years we have become known as ‘the transport industry’s charity’. By positioning ourselves in this way we are able to attract interest from a variety of partners across the sector who can offer expertise and services tailored for the work we do. For example, Transaid makes a perfect partnership with Michelin because the tyre company has a stated commitment to promoting and improving road safety in the UK, and that message easily translates to our projects in Africa. We are also supported by logistics experts, Bibby Distribution, who were one of our founding members, and who again are keen to promote the importance of road safety worldwide.

Finding your USP

Why should your chosen corporate work with you? It’s important to have a clear and concise answer to this question, as businesses are first and foremost businesses, and they will want to know what they can expect from the relationship. Gone are the days when sticking a company logo on your website will suffice. Instead, think creatively about offering your potential corporate things they just can’t turn down; maybe you have a strong social media platform where you can regularly promote your corporate partner? Or perhaps you could give a staff member from your corporate partner the opportunity to join your charity for a day/week/month to gain experience and get involved with one of your projects? That way they can see first-hand where their donations go, and possibly even gain some strong publicity from the exercise.

Remember: don’t be too focused on creating a partnership based solely on upfront donations, however useful they are. Successful partnerships often include companies donating prizes for an auction or providing pro bono services, which will save you money in the long term. If a company you are keen to work with is struggling to offer straight donations, you could ask them to make your charity the beneficiary of their annual team-building event, or to hold a raffle at their summer/Christmas party (with the proceeds going to your charity). Be as creative as you can; showing your corporate you’d like their involvement in any number of ways is more appealing than just asking for cheques.

Transparency and tangibility

All charities should be clear about how they will spend the money donated or raised by their corporate. Partners appreciate and expect transparency, and respond well to having tangible targets to fundraise against (e.g. £1,000 can buy two ambulance bikes to service remote villages in Zambia, saving many lives each year).

Sit down at the start of the partnership and discuss the corporate’s objectives and your charity’s objectives. Then agree on priorities. Do you need volunteers? Does the company have any flexibility to allow staff to take time off for volunteering? How active a role does the corporate want to play in your charity? Do they expect weekly/monthly/yearly communications? Setting out clear guidelines at the start of the partnership means both sides know where they stand and what to expect, allowing for a clear and successful relationship to flourish.

All aboard

The most successful partnerships include staff at all levels – and that includes senior management. If the managing director is seen to be actively supporting your charity, for example, by participating in your annual bicycle challenge, then their colleagues are more likely to take action as well.

Consider encouraging your corporate to set up a fundraising committee giving ownership to staff of all different levels – this is a great way to get a variety of people involved in the charity partnership, and is also a great tool for staff development. You could also expand this to electing charity ambassadors, who are tasked with sharing news and encouraging support.

If your corporate partner can spare the resources, seconding graduates for short placements at your charity is another great way to forge a strong relationship. It’s something that has worked really well for us and our corporate partner Norbert Dentressangle: it involved graduates from the logistics company spending six months in Tanzania and actively getting involved in our work there. This type of placement benefits both parties: it gives you the chance to introduce your charity to a new generation who bring enthusiasm and fresh perspectives, and gives the graduates the opportunity to gain life experience and problem-solving skills, which they can take back with them and apply within their own organisations.

On a smaller but equally valuable scale, one of our other partners, DHL Supply Chain, has donated the time and expertise of two of its staff members to review our HR procedures. They are obviously not ‘in the field’, but they are providing valuable professional support that we otherwise wouldn’t have had.

Placements are also great ways for your corporate to really understand and appreciate what goes on in your charity, as they are placing their own staff at the heart of your operation.

Vive la différence

No two companies are the same, so it would be wrong to try and treat them as such. You should adapt your approach and working relationships to suit each corporate partner. For some, a fixed and formal partnership may be the preferred method, where clear plans and guidelines are laid out. But sometimes you find yourself coming across a corporate partner who will offer help, advice and funding on a more ad hoc basis – and that’s a model you can also gain a lot from if you adapt to it.

Informal relationships really can be just as beneficial as formal partnerships. For example, a local law firm might not be able to offer thousands of pounds in yearly donations or hold large fundraising events, but they could provide invaluable support in the form of pro bono legal advice.

Now what?

Once you’ve secured a corporate partner, the hard work isn’t over; quite the opposite! You must be prepared to put in time and effort to make the partnership successful. We’ve learnt at Transaid that it is best to assign a specific team member to each corporate, as this helps to form a strong bond. Assigning a dedicated manager will also be reassuring to your corporate partner, as they’ll know there is someone they can call with questions rather than being passed around numerous team members.

In order to keep your relationship running smoothly, it is important to maintain an open channel of communication. The corporate has obviously partnered with you because they believe in your cause, so it’s important to keep them updated on what’s going on with your charity. You may decide a monthly newsletter or a phone call is the best way. You even might want to meet up in person. You could also ask your partner to add your team to its internal company newsletter or update emails, so that you too know what’s going on for them. It’s worth taking an active interest in their affairs when they can have such a positive impact on yours.

Organic growth

As with any relationship, your corporate partnership is bound to change over time, especially as people involved in the collaboration come and go. Don’t be afraid of this. A partnership that started out small may flourish to become one of your biggest supporters; equally, a partner that started off with large donations may not be able to always match the initial investment.

It is important to remember to always look at creative ways of solving problems that may arise over time. If a corporate can no longer commit to annual donations, maybe they could begin offering volunteers instead? Anyone who has ever supported your charity may want to get involved again at some point, so keep in touch and always remain professional.

If you never forget your corporate partners, there’s a good chance they’ll never forget you. Keep them in mind, even if your formal relationship does come to an end. You never know when they might be able to help again in the future.

Jacqueline Hector is corporate partnerships manager at Transaid

This article first appeared in The Fundraiser magazine, Issue 31, July 2013