Corporate
Partnerships
for Nonprofits

A corporate partnership is an ongoing program that bridges the gap between the nonprofit and business worlds, helping both sides achieve their goals in socially responsible ways.

Each corporate partnership is unique. It is built on the values a nonprofit represents and the goals it aims to achieve. The right corporate partner not only expands your organization’s reach, but helps you diversify your revenue at a time when demands on traditional donors are higher than ever.

With the right corporate partnership, a nonprofit realizes benefits to secure its future:

• Recurring and reliable new revenue streams
• In-kind contributions from the partner organization
• Volunteer help from corporate employees
• Matching gifts and future donors

By combining diverse, yet complementary organizational strengths, you and your corporate partner can reach more people and do more good. A corporate partner helps amplify your message and give it greater visibility, often with little or no advertising or marketing spend from the nonprofit partner.

van Dillen Partners (vDP) is a boutique consultancy that leverages our strategic expertise to align partner organizations and develop mutually beneficial programs. The precise form nonprofit corporate partnerships take is optimized to make the best use of partners’ skills and assets.

For example, a computer hardware manufacturer may partner with a nonprofit in the education sector so laptops that would otherwise be destroyed find their way into classrooms. The corporate partner ensures all standards of safety and manufacturing quality are followed, while the nonprofit negotiates requirements with school boards to ensure acceptance.

Such a scenario might represent a savings of millions for a school district budget. At the same time, the corporate partner can attract socially responsible investors by highlighting the tangible social benefits of its corporate engagement strategy.

The nonprofit, in turn, receives press attention, reduces expenses that are absorbed or eliminated by the corporate partner, and connects with new donor communities.

Every day, from coast to coast, nonprofit corporate partnerships are unfolding that position nonprofits to serve more people and realize benefits for the community within days or weeks, not months or years.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is one of the most pressing concerns facing today’s businesses. Fortune 500 firms spend $20 billion annually on CSR. But the importance of CSR isn’t limited to large multinationals. Today’s customers actively choose companies that reflect their values. 

It was not long ago when the values a business stands behind were reflected in private donations that were rarely discussed. Now, commercial enterprises of all sizes are being asked to articulate their values on a broad range of subjects, from the environment to education to women’s rights.

As Millennials and Generation Z grow their share of the economy, this trend will only continue.

It may come as no surprise many for-profit enterprises are poorly equipped to navigate this new terrain. CSR figures again and again in companies’ search for board members, but few have led a corporate engagement strategy with direct, immediate impact. It has never been more vital for them to call on the expertise and perspective accessible through corporate partnerships with nonprofits.

With appropriate advice and internal preparation, nonprofits can reap lasting benefits by applying their skills and insights in the expanded arena a corporate partner provides. There is never any need to compromise your mission or values, as partner candidates are thoroughly vetted.

As the corporate partner uses its communication platform to spotlight its CSR, it draws attention to your organization and initiatives – including those far outside the scope of the corporate partnership. This creates outreach opportunities to find donors and volunteers.

Most expenses are borne by the corporate partner, giving extraordinary flexibility to the nonprofit. With clear rules, repeatable processes, and a mature interface to the corporate world, nonprofits may have multiple active partnerships. van Dillen Partners sets your trajectory for success from the start.

van Dillen Partners didn’t invent nonprofit corporate partnerships, but we are committed to taking them to the next level. Celebrating more than 15 years of impactful, results-driven work, we strive to connect the nonprofit and for-profit worlds, elevating both for the common good.

Barclays and Hewlett Packard are just two examples of large enterprises with sincere commitment to positive change through socially responsible corporate engagement strategy. Nonprofits we have worked with include Khan Academy, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and further leading lights in education, conservation, and other areas of compelling interest to people and the planet.

Our work has yielded unique insights, enabling us to simplify and accelerate the complex process of partnership development so you stay focused on what you do best. You can skip months of onerous work and the miscommunications, false starts, and rejections that result from going it alone. van Dillen Partners will make sure you get the most out of your corporate partnership opportunities.