Any tips for marketing a nonprofit to corporations?
I'm currently working with a nonprofit. We'd like to partner with corporations, and receive sponsorships from them. What's the best way to approach corporations and receive their support? What types of offers appeal to them? If any of you have experience with this, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks!
Expert Answers
Sort by Date
Sort by Votes
Aug 20, 2014
You should invite some well-known people at the board of directors. It will help you to build good reputation of the company. Then you have to have a list of projects. You can put descriptions and photos on your websites. Videos also would be very helpful. It is easy to communicate and negotiate, when you have a good "portfolio" and strong board of directors.
Aug 10, 2014
Many great answers here already. One I have had the best success with in my own NFP activities is leveraging personal relationships to reach targeted corporations whose giving or "community relations" activities are in keeping with your programs.
I'd suggest, once identifying the appropriate corporate partners, to work through board member and staff relationships to help you get in the door, and start a conversation... even starting simply as an informational or exploratory one.
Unlike government and foundation grants, corporate giving often can be more flexible, and this sort of approach can result in better traction than a cold approach.
Aug 8, 2014
It's all about who you know or who you know who knows someone. Corporations are inundated with NGO requests and you will waste a lot of time trying to cold call them. I will be happy to speak to you about how best to reach them. I successfully ran one for 7 years and consulted for others.
Dr. Harold Goldmeier
Aug 8, 2014
Create a video for the cause that the non-profit stands for and take it nation-wide. One of the organizations that we worked with is Menstrupedia. Here is a video that we created for them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf4TulXdNXY - Beauty of Red
This made a lot of difference to the campaign. And you will have to follow it up with Newsletters, creative posters on social media that have a good engagement.
Aug 6, 2014
1- Approach corporations that share your vision and your cause. For example, is your non-profit about getting city kids to be more active? In such case, you can approach New Balance.
2- Be sure that your non-profit has excellent financial practices and get ranked 4-stars on Charity Navigator.
3- You need to identify those corporations and then communicate with their PR and Marketing directors.
Hope that this helped.
Aug 6, 2014
The main thing to remember is to stay in front of corporations year round. Too many non-profits come around once a year with their hat in their hand. When it comes times for the ask, it will seem more fluid if they are up to date on what you have been doing.
Richard Averitte
ShiftZen
Aug 6, 2014
I was in 1986 Responsible for PR & Marketing for AIESEC-Belgium, an international association for students in economics and business management. I was in charge of the publications. Later in 1996, I was Membership Director for AAI (AIESEC Alumni Interntaional). One of the good ways to market your assn is the organization of congresses (to attract new paying members) and make publicity for it. You can also make publications and try to get advertisers in it. But therefore You must be "credible". In which ranch are You connected ? Select also corporations in your area of business for !
Aug 5, 2014
One of the most efficient ways to address corporations and foundations to provide sponsorships is to showcase your nonprofit's performance. You can show how well you have used past donations. Similarly, explain the impact that your organization has had. Research has proven that foundations and corporations want to make an impact when they support nonprofit. As with any marketing approach, make sure your values parallel those of the organization you wish to be your sponsor. I hope it helps!
Aug 5, 2014
All the below answers are great, remember there are a lot of organisations actively searching for companies to sponsor, have you considered apply for a Google Grant? https://www.google.com.au/grants/ it could be a great way to actively advertise sponsorship packages and the like....
Aug 5, 2014
As Chair of a non-profit, I can tell you this exclusively, never approach, anyone less than a senior VP. Unfortunately because they are not executive staff, the meetings they will attend will not be of the decision making individuals, you need to directly expose your organization, and your cause to those who are directly responsible to their organization public image, or their corporations internal assets.
I am fairly new at this Chair position myself, I can tell you that a face to face between a chairman, president, Chief Executive Staff member or Senior VPs, are exactly those you need to see. Unless they have been a previous supporter, Phone or email solicitations are absolutely taboo. I was approached in my capacity as my corporation's head, by a very dignified looking young woman, without an appointment, in the guise of a personal matter. Two minutes into our meet was berated as a corporate sore spot in society, as I rarely donated to just anything that came down the pike. You may certainly play the go between and set up appointments, but these chats are strictly hands off if you are not Senior executively positioned within your non-profit.
Aug 5, 2014
Build awareness of your cause/charity with social media, connecting with companies on sites like LinkedIn and Google+.
Here's a LinkedIn group that you should join: Social Media for Non Profits: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2601792&trk=my_groups-tile-grp
Giselle
AZ Social Media Wiz
Aug 5, 2014
What you'll be fighting for with corporations is time. It's hard to get the meeting that will allow you to make your fill pitch, and so I highly suggest investing (even minimally) in a 1-4 minute pitch video that sums up who you are, what your organization does and what a corporate sponsor would GET out of their sponsorship. I work closely with a small medical research nonprofit and they have benefitted by showing a video we (Motus Video Design) produced for them during meetings with potential sponsors, as well as sending a video link to the right person, that shows how powerful the foundation's work is and the great press they receive from their largest event (which translates to the corporation getting great press by being part of it as a sponsor/partner). Also, keep in mind that in-kind donations can sometimes evolve into full sponsorships down the road. It's important to foster your relationships. Good luck!
Aug 5, 2014
In addition to the suggestions above, it's helpful to be able to track and demonstrate impact. If you're getting great results with your work, that will give corporate sponsors something to brag about. Numbers tell a great story; if you can offer impressive information on numbers of individuals served or other quantitative measures of impact, you're more likely to capture corporate attention. Qualitative results--e.g., quotes and stories from those affected by your organization's work--can also be useful. Good luck!
Aug 5, 2014
Although corporations pick non-profits to sponsor remember these are business people first. They focus on what value they can get out of any relationship. Help them to see what's in it for them. So, select the corporations that would benefit most from an affiliation with your NFP.
Try using a "T" chart to help you build your best matching selections. List the values your group delivers to your selected audience on one side and match them up with how that would benefit your potential corporate sponsor on the other side.
Explain how the general public will find out about their company's "good deeds" Public relations is what generates public awareness so your sponsor(s) get their time in the spotlight. Remember it's a marketing investment on their part. They want to know what's the R.O.I.
Aug 5, 2014
When approaching corporate sponsors with the idea contributing money and or time I focus on what your organization represents, what it will individually do for them, if it's tax deductible, and outline marketing toward future targets and goals. This way key players can understand what they are receiving... more than just a name on stuff, and if you can I try to include them in all things going forward as their network and outreach helps to expand yours.
Short answer build a relationship on what ea of your will receive in return for them joining your cause, if need be custom tailor sponsorships to select clients so they receive a more direct return on investment if contributions negate this.
Aug 5, 2014
A direct marketing campaign touting your organization would be great. We work with our nonprofit clients to access all the direct marketing channels they require from postal to email to telemarketing. A campaign targeted to the corporate market could easily include a multichannel effort with success. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with further questions or for a targeted recommendation