Boost Your Giving Season: 6 Ways to Deepen Corporate Partnerships

Corporate partnerships are essential for nonprofits, especially during giving season. When done right, these relationships benefit everyone involved: your organization, the company and the community you serve.

Companies are incorporating corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives into their overall business goals because it has become increasingly important to employees and customers. According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report, 69% of employees indicated that positively impacting the world is either a deciding factor or a strong expectation when considering a job. Corporations often budget for CSR programs for volunteer time, sponsorships and employee contribution matching donations, creating opportunities for nonprofits during giving season and beyond.

With more organizations looking to use their businesses for good, nonprofits are in a solid position to secure or even increase corporate partnerships to support their mission. It may be too late to establish new corporate relationships for this giving season, but cultivating existing relationships now can go a long way in supporting this year’s goals. 

Here are six key ways to engage corporate relationships for giving season.

1. Consider Last Year’s Initiatives 

Before the hustle and bustle of giving season starts, fundraisers should reflect on their success and areas for improvement from last year’s campaigns. Did you reach fundraising goals? Did campaigns execute on time? Pinpoint ways each strategy met expectations and how to improve the initiatives that didn’t perform as expected.

2. Get Planning

The reason to have a strategic plan is to know when you’re diverting from it. Even if you need to change course halfway through, solidifying a plan will help fundraisers create strong campaigns and produce better results. Look for programs, initiatives and strategies to implement, considering different age groups and demographics and setting measurable goals.

3. Identify Existing Partnerships

Search your records to find companies who have supported your nonprofit in the past, including corporate grants, employee donations, volunteer efforts and more. Take note of how each company was involved and their preferred ways of participating. Then, explore opportunities to continue or expand these partnerships to help meet this year’s giving season goals.

4. Corporate Volunteering

Creating volunteer opportunities for companies is a fantastic way to increase corporate support. In fact, 35% of volunteers donate their time and money, which can be a powerful boost during giving season. Work with the companies your nonprofit has relationships with to develop employee volunteering events. These events can be anything from hands-on opportunities to pro bono work. When volunteers see their work's impact on the community, they are more likely to donate to your mission. 

5. Workplace Giving Platforms

Many companies offer workplace giving programs to employees who can enable automatic payroll deductions to send to the nonprofit they select. Often, companies match the donation up to a certain amount or percentage of the employee’s salary, which can double — or sometimes triple — the employee’s donation. To ensure your nonprofit is visible to donors with corporate giving programs, sign up for workplace giving platforms, like NPOconnect, to be searchable to the almost 27 million employees with access to corporate giving platforms.

6. Cut Your Losses

While corporate support can be highly beneficial to nonprofits, there are instances when the corporate and nonprofit goals may not align. Examples include companies that require high touch with little benefit to the nonprofit or corporate practices that don’t align with the nonprofit’s mission (e.g., a company with high pollution rates partnering with a nonprofit focused on environmental efforts). If that’s the case, consider scaling back or pausing partnerships not serving your nonprofit and focus on those that support and provide value for your initiatives. 

Corporate partnerships are a powerful way for nonprofits to enhance fundraising efforts during giving season. By strategically engaging with existing corporate partnerships, nonprofits can secure or increase support while deepening their mission-driven impact. With companies looking for ways to increase their impact and support communities, nonprofits are ideally positioned to grow existing partnerships and establish new ones for the next giving season. 

Now is the time to strengthen connections and explore opportunities with corporate partners to support fundraising strategies and boost donations.

The preceding blog was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.