In at this time’s evolving panorama of company social duty, partnerships between firms and nonprofits are extra vital, and extra complicated, than ever earlier than. Whereas nonprofits typically search funding, volunteer assist, or elevated visibility, firms are additionally searching for one thing in return. Whereas they’ll fluctuate, firms’ expectations for nonprofits can embrace alignment with their values, influence they’ll measure, and genuine, mutually useful partnerships.
Understanding what firms really anticipate from nonprofit companions is essential for constructing lasting, symbiotic relationships. On this submit, we’ll discover what companies are actually searching for once they interact with nonprofits, from compliance and communication to mission alignment and group presence.
Right now, we’ll evaluation a dialog had between Jim Starr, President and CEO of America’s Charities, and Patrick McCrumman, International Head of Group and Social Impression at DuPont. These company citizenship representatives are consultants on the subject of nonprofit partnerships, and so they lately shared their insights throughout a session on the Digital Office Fundraising Summit. We’ll present an outline of the findings right here, or be happy to observe the session replay by clicking the button beneath.
Company giving ought to be an extremely vital piece of any nonprofit’s fundraising technique. In any case, firms donate an estimated $25 billion a 12 months, and that’s a great chunk of change to contemplate. When requested what tendencies they’ve seen within the CSR house lately and the way that impacts nonprofits, the panelists answered as follows.
What are some ongoing tendencies you’ve seen within the CSR house?
One latest pattern within the CSR house is that non-public foundations are stepping as much as fill funding gaps left by strained public and nonprofit sectors. These foundations are more and more reaching past their conventional geographic focus to assist causes in new areas, demonstrating a deeper dedication to attaining their influence objectives. This shift is available in response to rising pressures on each private and non-private organizations to maintain philanthropic efforts amid monetary challenges.
One other encouraging pattern is the emergence of recent collaborative ecosystems in response to shared challenges. Organizations that won’t have partnered earlier than at the moment are coming collectively to discover collective influence. These alliances are fostering out-of-the-box pondering and progressive approaches to social duty, enabling like-minded teams to align their efforts and assets in additional strategic, coordinated methods. This shift displays a rising recognition that significant change typically requires cross-sector collaboration.
How do firms select to assist nonprofits?
Corporations assist the charitable sector in some ways, with grants being one of the crucial frequent and impactful. Company grantmaking takes varied types—from open purposes the place any nonprofit can apply, to extra focused or invitation-only processes targeted on particular causes or partnerships. Many firms align their giving with strategic priorities, similar to their mission, management values, or worker pursuits.
This brings us to an vital query: How do firms resolve which organizations to assist via their company grants?
At DuPont, an organization with over 230 years of historical past, company giving is approached with intentionality and strategic focus. Their philanthropic efforts are guided by a shared worth mannequin—one which aligns group influence with company profit. This mannequin ensures that if DuPont is making a distinction on the planet, it’s additionally making a optimistic distinction throughout the firm. That alignment is important, as management should often exhibit tangible outcomes from their giving technique to inside stakeholders, together with the CEO.
When deciding on nonprofit companions, DuPont seems to be for organizations that align with its three pillars of giving (fundamentals to thrive, STEM training, and innovation for good) and assist fill gaps or construct partnerships that assist the corporate’s overarching mission. With operations in over 100 websites globally, DuPont additionally considers the native wants of its communities, recognizing that what advantages the group can and may profit the corporate as effectively. This method ensures DuPont delivers worth not solely to nonprofits and the communities they serve, but in addition to staff, buyers, and different key stakeholders.
What are firms searching for in company relationships?
What we’re seeing with our companions is a rising emphasis on extra significant, quantitative influence metrics of their giving applications. Many firms are shifting past surface-level information, such because the variety of volunteers or meals served, and as an alternative wish to perceive the deeper, long-term influence their assist is having in the neighborhood. Each firms and nonprofits are actively working to higher measure and talk these outcomes.
That stated, model visibility stays a useful profit. Corporations nonetheless recognize alternatives to showcase their model in the neighborhood, however at this time, that visibility is commonly anticipated to accompany a transparent demonstration of social influence.
So as to add an instance that illustrates the connection, Dupont has been a robust supporter of Habitat for Humanity for over 30 years, and that partnership aligns intently with its enterprise. How? DuPont manufactures merchandise used within the constructing setting. So, when the corporate companions with organizations like Habitat, it’s not nearly giving again—it’s about creating like-minded collaborations the place we will contribute meaningfully. These partnerships enable us to check our merchandise in real-world settings, interact our staff via volunteer builds, and finally create a well-rounded relationship that delivers worth and influence for each side.
How does worker engagement play a job?
One other key issue firms worth in nonprofit partnerships is how staff can actively interact via office giving applications. Whereas office giving used to comply with a extra uniform mannequin, typically centered round a single group like United Manner, at this time’s applications are way more various.
Some firms supply open-choice platforms that enable staff to provide to any certified 501(c)(3), whereas others present curated lists targeted on particular trigger areas or most well-liked nonprofits. The pattern is more and more shifting towards extra flexibility, together with choices for workers to recommend or write in their very own charities, which has been proven to spice up each engagement and general influence.
Many firms additionally supply matching present applications as a part of their giving campaigns. These fluctuate broadly, from dollar-for-dollar matches to enhanced giving for sure causes or campaigns, like environmental giving throughout Earth Month. Matching presents not solely amplify worker donations but in addition strengthen an organization’s general social influence.
How can nonprofits improve visibility via office giving?
Whereas there are all the time challenges in constructing efficient partnerships, there are methods to beat them. Initially, it’s essential to know an organization’s technique and its objectives for group influence, whether or not it’s a big company or a small enterprise.
To realize significant influence, it’s vital to contemplate the broader ecosystem of partnerships that may assist meet these objectives. The bottom line is to study in regards to the firm’s goals and tailor your method to point out how your nonprofit can contribute to these objectives. This method sparks conversations and opens doorways to new partnerships which may not have been thought-about in any other case.
Nonprofits may also leverage bottom-up methods via worker giving applications. Many donors are staff of firms with giving applications, and nonprofits can mobilize these supporters to extend visibility throughout the workforce. Selling matching present applications is a good way to encourage donors to double their contributions, particularly if they’re unaware of such alternatives.
How does volunteering play a job?
Along with worker giving, volunteering is a strong software for nonprofits to interact with company companions. Corporations worth volunteer applications for a wide range of causes, together with group influence, team-building, and worker engagement. Some firms additionally supply grant funding via “{dollars} for doers” applications, the place staff can earn grants for nonprofits primarily based on volunteer hours.
Nonprofits ought to encourage their volunteers to discover these alternatives at their workplaces and guarantee they’ve well-curated volunteer alternatives to supply. Corporations are sometimes searching for significant and impactful initiatives to incorporate of their platforms, and nonprofits ought to be ready to supply these alternatives. This proactive method helps maximize volunteer engagement and strengthens the partnership between nonprofits and firms.
At DuPont, volunteerism is a core a part of our tradition, and we make a big influence in communities via each large-scale occasions and smaller volunteer actions all year long. Our annual “Days of Caring” occasion is one instance, however we additionally encourage staff to interact in inventive methods, from hands-on volunteering to extra strategic contributions. As an illustration, we’ve had staff serve on nonprofit boards to assist organizations develop long-term methods. One worker labored with a nonprofit battling its progress plan, providing experience and steering that proved invaluable.
Participating company volunteers is a useful however difficult process for nonprofits. It requires vital funding in time and assets to do it effectively. Whereas some nonprofits have pure volunteer alternatives that may be promoted inside an organization, creating significant group volunteer occasions requires cautious consideration from each the nonprofit and the corporate.
How ought to nonprofits foster long-term company relationships?
Nonprofits ought to concentrate on constructing long-term relationships, not simply providing transactional alternatives. Whereas group volunteering can foster teamwork, the principle purpose ought to be significant engagement that advantages each the corporate and the nonprofit. Strategic partnerships, the place staff are genuinely concerned and the nonprofit is seen as an vital a part of the corporate’s group efforts, can result in elevated visibility and ongoing assist. This method helps nonprofits get on the radar of an organization’s management, particularly inside CSR departments.
How can nonprofits find the appropriate company contacts?
A typical query I hear is how nonprofits can discover the appropriate individual inside an organization to attach with. This could be a problem, particularly in bigger firms or the place CSR groups are small, typically solely consisting of 1 to 4 folks.
One strategy to discover the appropriate contact is to search for the CSR division, but it surely’s vital to notice that CSR might not all the time be a standalone division. In lots of instances, it may be a part of communications, group relations, or different areas throughout the firm. Nevertheless, many firms, each massive and small, may have a “group influence” or comparable part on their web site the place you’ll find details about their efforts and methods to attach.
One other efficient technique is to be energetic in the neighborhood. By attending nonprofit conferences or different group occasions, you may study extra about who’s doing what and ask for introductions. In my expertise, nonprofit leaders are sometimes very prepared to share contacts, and it’s not a aggressive ambiance. In case you’re making an attempt to succeed in a selected individual at an organization, like DuPont, asking round in your community could be a useful strategy to get related.
In the meantime, many firms with a nationwide presence decentralize their philanthropic efforts, delegating decision-making to regional workplaces or native leaders. Whereas it could be more durable to establish the appropriate individual making these choices, the hot button is to be the place they’re. Attend native Chamber of Commerce conferences or different group occasions to attach with them straight. Being current in these areas will increase your probabilities of making useful connections.
What has been the impact of the present political local weather and financial uncertainty?
With the present political local weather and financial uncertainty, are we seeing extra firms changing into reluctant to companion with sure charities, particularly these whose missions could also be perceived as partisan or aligned with controversial points? Is that this one thing you’re noticing in your conversations with different CSR professionals? Moreover, how is the continuing financial uncertainty affecting firms’ choices relating to partnerships, donations, and the extent of assist they supply?
Starting with a disclaimer that he can solely converse from his personal perspective, our company contact reiterates that he doesn’t assume financial uncertainties are a brand new problem. In actual fact, we’ve confronted them many occasions over time. Nevertheless, they do put strain on each firms and nonprofits to make choices they may not have made in any other case. We’re in a singular second, but it surely’s not essentially political—it’s about discovering methods to make sure that persons are served. The remainder is simply noise, and that’s a part of the uncertainty we face.
On the finish of the day, we depend on our technique, our group relationships, and our visibility throughout the group to remain the course and do as a lot good as we will.
How do laws and compliance tendencies play a job?
In the case of company partnerships, even much less formal ones like worker giving or volunteering applications, it’s completely essential for nonprofits to remain on high of state and federal laws and compliance tendencies. Even should you’re not working in sure states, you could have donors from these areas who wish to assist your efforts. In case you’re not in full compliance with state laws, these donations may very well be prevented from coming in.
Most of you’re seemingly federally compliant, however state laws might be difficult. For instance, in 2024, California enacted Meeting Invoice 488, which regulates on-line charitable fundraising. This invoice has two lists that charities should keep away from in an effort to obtain funds from California residents. As a web-based giving platform supplier, we now have to make sure that the charities we work with aren’t on California’s ‘naughty listing.’
This can be one thing nonprofits aren’t conscious of, particularly in the event that they’re not working in California, but it surely’s a essential situation. California at the moment has essentially the most stringent laws, however different states might undertake comparable legal guidelines within the close to future, so it’s vital to remain knowledgeable.
Any further insights?
Compliance, as you talked about, is vital, but it surely’s additionally vital to make sure your mission stays true. It may be tempting to just accept funding from sources the place chances are you’ll not have the experience to meet that partnership successfully. That is the place your board ought to step in and punctiliously deliberate these choices to be sure to’re doing the most effective to your group and its backside line.
Wrapping up & extra company giving assets
On the coronary heart of each profitable nonprofit–company partnership is a shared dedication to influence and integrity. Corporations aren’t simply trying to write checks—they need significant engagement, accountability, and alignment with their strategic objectives.
Nonprofits that take the time to know these expectations, put money into relationships, and keep mission-focused are way more prone to stand out. Whether or not you’re looking for funding, volunteers, or a deeper collaborative effort, assembly firms the place they’re and exhibiting up persistently can open doorways to enduring partnerships that profit each your group and the communities you serve.
Considering studying extra about corporate-nonprofit relationships—and the way your workforce can profit from them? Try these further assets:
- Matching Items in Follow: Ideas, Methods From Your Friends. Find out how different nonprofits are efficiently selling and managing matching present applications. This Summit session overview shares real-world examples, finest practices, and artistic techniques that can assist you improve present conversions and maximize company assist.
- The Fundraiser’s Information to Highly effective Company Partnerships. From first contact to long-term collaboration, this information walks fundraisers via each step of creating robust, strategic relationships with firms. Uncover learn how to place your group as a useful companion and construct alliances that transcend one-time donations.
- Prime Office Giving Corporations: Main Employers to Know. Discover a curated listing of firms that prepared the ground in worker giving and volunteering. Whether or not you’re trying to interact in matching present applications or set up deeper partnerships, this listing highlights key gamers and what they provide nonprofits.
