Issue 37
May 19, 2005

NEWSNOTES is a monthly email newsletter published by Nonprofit Enterprise at Work. It includes items of interest to the nonprofit community in Washtenaw County and the surrounding areas, as well as resources available at NEW. NEWSNOTES is proud to celebrate its fourth year of publication, with delivery to over 500 subscribers every month! We welcome your feedback and suggestions!

NEW would like to recognize the generous support of its Community Partners:

IN THIS ISSUE

LEAD STORY

The Five "R's" of Corporate Grantseeking: Tips For Developing Successful Corporate Partnerships

By: Tamara Backer*

It’s an age old question for many nonprofits: “How do I stand out from the crowd of qualified organizations to attract corporate funders?” It’s not an easy task – either for the nonprofit seeking funding or for the corporation seeking to establish a successful giving program.

As a corporate philanthropy consultant, I review many solicited and unsolicited requests for funding support. Here are five tips on how non-profits can engage in successful corporate partnerships.

Tip One: Research

Your organization is wonderful, yes, but unfortunately your corporate prospect has received proposals from twenty other wonderful organizations in the last week. It is critical, therefore, that you have done your homework and can prove to this potential funder that you are the best nonprofit partner for their support.

Companies are becoming more strategic in their grantmaking. They want their gifts to reflect their involvement in the community and they want to show the positive impact those dollars have made. The companies that top your prospect list, therefore, should be those with which your organization has multiple points of alignment.

Identify and craft a compelling message for companies that possess as many of the following characteristics as possible:
- a significant presence in the locations in which your organization operates;
- an inherent business interest in your programs and services (for example, water conservation organizations might target beverage companies for which water is an essential ingredient; workforce development organizations should look for companies that could benefit from the skilled employees they are training);
- a stated grantmaking focus on the cause that your organization addresses; and
- a record of funding organizations similar to yours.

Tip Two: Responsiveness

It sounds basic, but it’s true. If a potential funder calls you, call her back as fast as you can. If she asks for additional information to help guide the company’s funding decision, make the effort to provide exactly what she wants (without any typos). Make sure your contact information is easily found on your organization’s website, and that voicemails of absent employees refer callers to alternate employees.

Tip Three: Resources

In order to approach your potential corporate partner with a mutually-beneficial proposition, determine the unique resources that your organization can bring to the table. You may be able to engage employees in a meaningful way through regular volunteer opportunities or customized events. A youth arts program could set up an exhibit in the company’s lobby, for example, or employees could host students from a youth development organization for a day of job shadowing.

Seats on your board offer valuable leadership training opportunities for mid-level employees, or the right networking environment for senior level management.

Recognition of your corporate supporters is a most important part of a successful partnership. All companies want to be recognized for their good deeds, and a third party endorsement achieves far more credibility than a corporate press release. Offer creative opportunities to recognize your partners via your website, newsletters (for example, the CEO can have a quarterly column), events, and annual report.

Tip Four: Results

Just as accountability and transparency have become requirements in the private sector, corporations are increasingly looking to fund organizations that can provide evidence of their impact. If you do not already have one, develop a Facts Sheet that offers statistics such as the number and demographics of individuals served; market penetration; the number of offices, employees, volunteers, and board members within your network; your financial information, and other data pertaining to important outcomes.

In addition, provide your corporate partner with any evaluation results, publicity alerts (particularly those that mention your corporate sponsors), newsletters, and other materials that are developed throughout the duration of the grant. Also give the company interim and/or final reports and site-visit invitations – even if they do not require them – in order to keep them apprised of your progress and to demonstrate best use of their funding.

Tip Five: Relationships

You must first have a clear sense of what you are looking for in a funder, and seek those that are likely looking for the same type of funding relationship.

If your program requires a long-term, hands-on commitment, search for corporate grantmakers that make multi-dimensional, multi-year grants that include in-kind products and services and a volunteer component. Conversely, you may not have the capacity to sustain such a hands-on partnership, and may be more suitably paired with a corporate funder that is satisfied with merely writing a check.

The most successful grantmaking partnerships are those that are properly aligned from the start and in which both recipient and funder are sincerely committed and capable of fulfilling each other’s needs.

*Tamara Backer is a Managing Director in the Philanthropy Division of Changing Our World, Inc., a national firm helping corporate philanthropists plan and implement their strategic giving. You may contact the author at: tbacker@changingourworld.com

Reprinted with permission of onPhilanthropy
Copyright (C) Changing Our World, Inc. 2005

Additional Resources:

• Martin, Patricia. Made Possible By: Succeeding with Sponsorship. Jossey-Bass. 2003.
  
• Harrington, Barbara A. and Randall J. Murray. The Essence of Sponsorship. The Sponsorship Network, 2002.
  
• Grey, Anne-Marie and Kim Skildum-Reid. The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit. 2nd ed. Sydney, Australia: McGraw Hill, 2003.

FC Search at the Resource Library includes profiles on almost 4,000 corporate giving programs and corporate-sponsored foundations. Call 734-998-0160 x 218 for an appointment to use this searchable CD-ROM database.

On the Web:

• How can I find corporate sponsorship?
  
• How can I find sponsors for an event?
  
• Understanding the funding mix

FEATURED ITEMS

NEW Concludes Spring 2005 Season With a Bang

Don’t miss your chance to meet Peter Brinckerhoff, presenting Nonprofit Stewardship on Monday May 23 at Washtenaw Community College. Learn mission-based management from a tried-and-true expert and see why past attendees had this to say:

"Peter is always great! Keep bringing him back!"
"Incredibly focused and knowledgeable!"
"Simply the best day of training I've been to in 15 years in this field!"
"Peter is the ultimate philosopher, trainer, and teacher. Amazing content!"
"I've seen Peter 5 times, and always learn something new--and come away re-energized."

Brinckerhoff’s book Nonprofit Stewardship will be available to purchase, as well as those he has written on the topics of management, marketing and social entrepreneurship.

Also check out the remaining workshops in NEW's Managing for Nonprofit Excellence series, including basic accounting for nonprofits, board basics, and strategic fundraising. The fall series is in development; print catalogs will be in the mail in July.

Continue learning through the summer with The Society for Nonprofit Organizations' Online Learning Institute. The Institute offers affordable, accessible educational programs via the internet using a convenient user interface. Earn a Certificate in Nonprofit Management online with CEUs from Michigan State University. All eight programs are available whenever you wish and feature some of the most recognizable experts in their field.

As the spring workshop term draws to a close, NEW wishes to thank our many volunteer faculty who donated their time and expertise to the nonprofit community.

Discount on Onsite Board Training in May and June

NEW's Onsite Board Training program offers hands-on training for your board of directors at a time and location convenient for you. Choose one of five training modules, each a 2- to 3-hour class, at a base fee of $400 plus $10 per person. This price includes the training session, materials and a preliminary consultation with our staff, your lead executive and appropriate board members. Receive a $50 discount if your training occurs before June 30, 2005. For more information or to schedule training for your board, please contact Andrew Steck, Leadership Program Associate at 734-998-0160 ext. 211.

Borders Group Nonprofit Resource Library

“What paperwork do we need to file every year?” “How can I help resolve a conflict on my board?” “What should we pay our new Executive Director?” Help is at hand. Find answers to your nonprofit management questions by visiting the library or contacting Ann Gladwin, NEW’s Director of Information Services (734-998-0160 x 218). She can teach you how to use FC Search, the searchable database of potential funders, and steer you toward resources that are difficult to find elsewhere. New titles are continually added to the circulating collection. Meet Ann and colleagues in the Library Pavilion at the 2nd annual Ann Arbor Book Festival on Saturday, May 21.

Workshop at the Nonprofit Facilities Center

The Nonprofit Facilities Center in Detroit is offering the Balancing Act—a new workshop for senior level staff and board members to determine the right balance among an organization’s program plans, business operations and capital structure. The Nonprofit Business Analysis tool, a product of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, will be introduced to give your organization a financial health tune-up.

When: Thursday, June 2, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Where: ACC Youth Recreation and Leadership Center, 62 Seven Mile Road (Between Woodward and John R), Detroit
Cost: $100 for executive directors and staff; $50 for board members.

Register online by May 26 or contact Colleen Armstrong.

Mapping Michigan Communities: An Introduction to GIS and Community Analysis Workshop

New Urban Research in Portland, Oregon is offering a fast-paced, hands-on workshop that teaches the fundamentals of how to use a Geographic Information System (GIS) in a way that is particularly relevant to social service providers, planners and researchers.

When: June 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2005 (8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.) Note: This is a one- day workshop. Choose the most convenient date.

Where: New Horizons Computer Learning Center, 2800 Livernois, Ste 250, Troy, MI 48083
Cost: $399

Get more details and register online or call toll free 877-241-6576.

14th Annual Community Technology Conference

"Making Connections, Strengthening Communities" is the title for this year’s national gathering of community technology organizations. The conference will explore the progression of the community technology movement from a small grassroots effort, focused on technology access, to a growing national and international field of practice harnessing technology to meet human and social needs. This far-reaching network is rooted in community-based efforts, supported by regional collaborations, and strengthened by strategic alliances that draw on innovative and effective practices across a range of disciplines.

When: June 17-19, 2005
Where: InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center, Cleveland, OH

Find more information and registration options at Community Technology Centers’ Network website.

Reminders:

Michigan Nonprofit SuperConference June 14 and 15 in Dearborn. Register now for two days of learning, networking and renewal with over 600 nonprofit leaders.

Junior League of Ann Arbor is accepting proposal applications for volunteer projects and funding until June 17, 2005.

June 15 is the deadline for submitting applications for the Bob Lyons Community Leadership Award.

REGULAR FEATURES

Nonprofit Bulletin Board

Visit NEW's Nonprofit Bulletin Board to post and view notices about free resources, fundraising opportunities, and other items relevant to the southeast Michigan nonprofit community.

Events Calendar

Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau calendar of events. E-mail Nick Miller to request a password to submit an event.