Partnering with a community organization or other charitable nonprofit is not only rewarding, it offers opportunities to enhance your workplace culture and strengthen your bond with your audience.
Partnering with a nonprofit organization is about more than charitable giving, although donations are certainly beneficial. A nonprofit partnership is about building relationships and having active involvement with a charitable group, whether through fundraising assistance or other volunteer efforts.
Collaborating With the Right Nonprofit
The first step in partnering with a nonprofit is finding the right organization.
You may already have a few in mind, due to your personal interests or knowledge of particular groups. If you don’t, you can easily discover some options via the GuideStar Nonprofit Directory.
It’s okay to choose a group based solely on your commitment to a cause. In many situations, it’s beneficial to find an organization that somehow relates to your business. Are you a home contractor? A local home-building group may be ideal. Do you sell premium pet food? Partnering with an animal shelter may be a good fit.
Identify and Form Relationships
Before any partnership can accomplish great things, you must first form relationships with the organization you have in mind.
A good place to start is with your workforce. Ask your employees if they have existing connections with nonprofits or passions for particular nonprofits.
Engaging your employees in a nonprofit partnership is another area in which working with an organization related to your business may prove beneficial. One-third of Americans say they don’t volunteer through their employer because they’re unable to choose the causes important to them. Workers likely have some interest in the industry in which they are employed, so choosing an affiliated group will increase the chance of their buy-in.
If you don’t have immediate connections to the organizations you’d like to partner with, check out their websites. Most nonprofits list their leadership and appropriate coordinators for charitable giving and volunteer efforts.
How to Give When Partnering with Nonprofits
There are a variety of ways your company can give once you’ve established a partnership with a local nonprofit. Co-hosting events, sponsoring fundraisers, leading food or clothing drives, etc.
To maximize your nonprofit involvement, consider the following:
Offer Goods and Services
This is another reason to choose a nonprofit that aligns with your business. Particular nonprofits may garner benefits from your goods or services; incorporate free or discounted products or services into your relationship.
Donate a Percentage of Profits
Choose a specific product or service and commit to donating profits from their sale to the cause. It’s okay to set a timetable for this (i.e. “50% of all sales TODAY go to our local homeless shelter!”). You can also promote this event in order to bring in new clients and showcase your brand activism.
Utilize Content Marketing
Advertising an event where you’re raising money for a cause is great. Go the extra mile and push the partnership in your content marketing. Whether you’re live streaming the event or simply announcing your new relationship in an email blast, either will go a long way in building brand loyalty.
Pledge Volunteer Hours
A 2018 report showed that American volunteerism had hit a new record — achieving a value of $167 billion in one year. People are willing to give their time to good causes. Pledge a certain number of hours and ask your employees to help out. Offering incentives to workers will go a long way.
Don’t Flake Out
Whatever you promise to do with your new nonprofit partnership, follow through. Failing to do so will make you look opportunistic rather than committed, and it could damage your company culture and brand. Even worse, it could diminish a nonprofit organization’s ability to fulfill its mission.
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