Episode 32: Forming Win-Win Nonprofit Corporate Sponsorships, with Heather Nelson

The Nonprofit Hero Factory

It may be surprising to learn that nonprofit corporate sponsorships actually increased throughout the pandemic. Even as many for-profit businesses and nonprofit orgs tightened their budgets, businesses have responded to the needs in their communities and leaned into partnerships with like-minded nonprofits in greater numbers than ever before. For many nonprofits, however, creating successful corporate sponsorships is full of uncertainty. How does one identify good potential partners? Whom should they approach? What should they offer to make it a worthwhile endeavor? This overwhelm leads many to doubt or abandon the idea altogether, choosing instead to channel resources to more tried-and-true donor-based and grant-based sources. Heather Nelson’s mission is to help more nonprofits and businesses form successful, win-win partnerships. That’s why she started BridgeRaise, a consultancy that focuses exclusively on raising money from companies for nonprofits. We invited her to The Nonprofit Hero Factory to demystify the process and break down her methodology into simple, actionable steps that anyone can use to start or scale their organization’s corporate fundraising. ** Episode Links and Shownotes: https://nphf.show/ep32 ** What we’ll be discussing: • Trends in corporate sponsorship that have accelerated during Covid • Factors that make a great nonprofit-corporate partnership • The best ways to reach out, what to say and what to hold back • How your website and social media can indicate that you’re open to partnerships • Your goals for your first call, what to say and what to ask • How to build the relationship over time • Where to being with your corporate partnership program