Approach to Corporate Fundraising

[MSONGA The Consultant]

Many charities look for ways to fund their projects and keep their programs running. From small community groups to large international charities, the need for funds is constant and critical. Corporate fundraising is among the types of fundraising for many charities. Corporate fundraising works with businesses to get support. It can include monetary donations, sponsorships, help from volunteers, and in-kind donations. Corporate fundraising can be a slow and labor-intensive process, it involves long periods of research and analysis, relationship-building and negotiation within the charity and the company, and many dead ends, pitfalls and frustrations along the way, unless your charity is well prepared to invest time and resources in planning, structuring and managing corporate fundraising.

Corporate – Charity Partnerships is Value Focused
Corporate – Charity Partnerships should no longer be viewed simply from a financial perspective but in terms of the wider value that can be gained by both parties and wider society. For charity, a company might represent a route to heightened awareness, a source of invaluable pro-bono support or gifts in kind, or a new audience for challenge events. For the company, the charitable association might provide benefits such as positive PR, staff development opportunities, access to policymakers and improved sales.

What Do Researches Say About Corporate – Charity Partnerships
A research carried out for C&E’s annual Corporate–NGO Partnerships Barometer reveals that companies’ motivations to get involved in charity partnerships usually differ from NGOs: in 2017, 92% (compared to 91% in 2016) of businesses stated that the reputational benefits of associations with NGOs were their key driver, whereas 93% (compared to 92% in 2016) of NGOs stated that the financial returns were their leading reason for partnering.

Consideration on Corporate Fundraising

• Charities should aim to adopt a broader, more customer-orientated approach to corporate relationships and seek to open them up on a number of mutually beneficial fronts. A well-written generic proposal will sometimes hit the mark if it lands on the right desk at the right time.
• Charity should first examine the target company’s needs, engaging its people in dialogue and then creating a tailored proposition.
• Senior management team and trustee of the charity must recognize that they have a pivotal role to play in the development of their charity’s corporate relationships.
• Corporate partnerships should not only act as an income generator but also as a marketing platform for a charity. Charity should use the platform to promote its missions, visions, brands, services and products if any.

In this dynamic and competitive landscape of philanthropy, transformative gifts from corporations require earnest planning and strategic thought. Investment in people and processes can move your charity from transactional small investments to transformative, long-term alliances that propel your growth.

By
Omar MSONGA
Strategic Management & Fundraising Consultant
Business Strategy | Resource Mobilization | Capacity Building


📍 Tanzania | Working Across Africa & Internationally

"Smart strategy. Sustainable growth. Lasting impact"

 

[psychmarz]

We're interested in trying anything...donation matching, corporate volunteerism, or anything else that you all have seen success with.

We've felt like we're only scratching the surface, so curious how other orgs are encouraging their donors to take part in these programs and forming relationships with companies for ongoing support.

snaptube vidmate​