Posts Tagged ‘corporate giving’

 

The Inside Scoop: Dell’s International Strategic Giving

Posted by Alexis Nadin on July 1st, 2012

This June, GlobalGiving is hosting a three-part webinar series on corporate giving. On Thursday June 27th we were excited to have Deb Bauer, the Director of Dell’s Corporate Giving host the final webinar in the series, The Inside Scoop: Dell’s International Strategic Giving. Deb spoke about Dell’s strategic giving, community engagement and how to foster a good corporate partnership. If you missed Deb’s webinar or would like a re-cap you can find some highlights below as well as a link to her slideshow and discussion:

Listen to Deb’s presentation and view the slides here.

Background on Dell’s Giving

Dell began giving locally, wanting to represent where the company was working and where Dell customers are.  As Dell began growing globally, so did their span of giving. Dell now works and gives around the world. When deciding what types of projects should be their focus Dell examined themselves as a company and decided to stick to their roots, focusing on young people, the under-served and education initiatives. Dell looks to partner with projects utilizing technology to better their communities. Dell is a 1% company, meaning they give 1% of their annual pre-tax profits.

How Dell Gives

  • Business-led donations
  • Matched employee giving
  • Strategic programs

Types of Projects Dell Works with

  • Youth leadership
  • Social innovation
  • Pediatric cancer
  • Disaster relief

How Dell Identifies Project Partnerships

  • Through employee engagement and referral
  • Reaching out to GlobalGiving to learn about possible project partnerships
  • Call for proposals (only for US organizations)

What Makes an Organization Ready to Work with Dell?

  • Open to employee engagement
  • A respectable track record
  • An innovative idea
  • The ability to make a measurable impact
  • Open to building a transparent relationship

Helpful Resources

As our corporate giving webinar series comes to an end we wanted to touch on two re-occurring themes all three of our presenters spoke about:

  • Volunteer relationship are invaluable; if you are interested in partnering with a company get employees involved through volunteer activities. Think about tailoring your volunteer activities to employee expertise. For example, Dell looks for volunteer opportunities that are technology based. Employee volunteers can help to advocate for your organization within the company.
  • Having a good track record is important. Companies like to work with organizations that have a strong track record within the community and among partner organizations and rigorous financial and organizational documentation. Reflect on your organization’s impact record and how the community you serve views your work.

Thank you to all who attended and participated in the Corporate Giving Webinar Series!

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GlobalGiving’s Approach to Building Relationships with Corporate Partners

Posted by Alexis Nadin on June 26th, 2012

This June, GlobalGiving is hosting a three-part webinar series on corporate giving. For part two of this webinar series, we were happy to have our very own Ingrid Embree, Director of Strategic Partnership here at GlobalGiving give a fantastic webinar on GlobalGiving’s Approach to Building Relationships with Corporate Partners on June 20th. Ingrid discussed how to identify prospective corporate partners and how to build relationships. Ingrid also spoke about how GlobalGiving selects partners to recommend to corporate partners.

View the presentation slides here. Contact Alexis Nadin at anadin@globalgiving.org for a link to the training recording.

Prospecting for new corporate partners

  • Make cold calls after researching various businesses
  • Commit to a set number of calls a week and track the progress (Ingrid makes 40!)
  • Take advantage of travel time. So, if you travel to a conference check if there is a company you could visit/meet with
  • Be confident in what you have to offer – you’re a subject matter expert!
  • “Layering” through multiple interactions both on and off-line establishes trust and builds relationships
  • Be opportunistic!

Volunteers can be your biggest asset

  • Employee volunteers are a good “foot in the door;” get employees interested in your project and have them volunteer
  • Virtual volunteering is an easy way for people to get involved with your organization

The best way to contact potential partners: calls vs. emails

  • Emails are easy to write, but also easy to delete
  • For layering purposes email first unless the situation better fits a phone call
  • Make a personal call in situations where you would be able to meet in person, for example already being in the area for another meeting or conference
  • Phone calls can be uncomfortable, but effective
  • Postal mail is still a great option and unexpected!
  • Use your judgment and vary it depending on the company

Learning from experience

  • Be tenacious, but patient
  • Your integrity will be appreciated
  •  Look for a good fit not just a good sale
  • Referrals are often your best leads
  • Ask questions and research: Who have supporters been in the past? Who would be interested?
  • Examine corporate culture before reaching out

GlobalGiving’s corporate partner programs

  • Corporate partner relationships all look different, at GlobalGiving we are flexible, ex: some companies like gift cards, some like employee giving and some prefer cause-marketing

Suggestions for making your project attractive to corporate partners 

  • Donors spend on average 30 seconds looking at a project page. Keep your page visually attractive by making sure your main photo is in high resolution, close up and that your project title is inspiring and catchy
  • Cross-list your project accordingly by choosing all themes which apply
  • Strive to be a Superstar! Make sure your project is active and visible by taking advantage of GlobalGiving’s Project Rewards program
  • Find additional tips for taking advantage of corporate partnerships here
  • Find more information on GlobalGiving’s Partner Rewards Program here.

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Introduction to Corporate Giving

Posted by Alexis Nadin on June 26th, 2012

This June, GlobalGiving is hosting a three-part webinar series on corporate giving. On Thursday June 14th we were pleased to have guest host, Kim Patton from the Foundation Center, join us for the first webinar in the series! Kim answered questions about corporate giving and offered suggestions for how your organization can create corporate partnerships. If you missed Kim’s webinar you can find some highlights below as well as links to her slideshow and discussion:

Listen to Kim’s presentation here and view the slides here.

Are you wondering if corporate partnerships are right for your organization and how your organization can find a possible corporate match? Kim suggests you reflect on the following questions:

  • How does corporate fundraising fit into your overall fundraising plan?
  • What are the types of companies with which you do/don’t want to work?
  • How will your various constituents react to a potential corporate donor?
  • How much time and effort can you put into securing corporate partnership?
  • Does your organization have volunteer opportunities for corporate employees?
  • Do corporate employees benefit from your organization’s work?

Putting your organization in the best position for securing corporate sponsorship

  • Utilize the contacts you have in the corporate world, network
  • Know what corporations are working in your community
  • Gauge your organization’s capacity to publicize corporate support

Finding corporate partners

  • Find companies located near you
  • Find companies which may be interested in your work, for example: Is the company’s work geared towards women?
  • Find companies providing the type of partnership that you need, example: volunteers, in-kind donations

How to approach a corporate supporter

  • Find out who in the company is the best person to speak with
  • Find an employee who is passionate about your cause
  • Come up with talking points that will help you connect

Resources to help with your corporate sponsorship search

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