How Can You Make the Most of Your Not-For-Profit Partnerships?
Partnerships with not-for-profit organisations are a main focus when it comes to corporate sustainability efforts. While there are many ways to give back to the community and the planet, working with established not-for-profits is a default move for organisations.
Here are our tips to make the most of these partnerships!
1. Embrace a shared vision
Your business and your not-for-profit partner need to want to achieve the same goal in the same manner. For example, if your business is looking to partner with an organisation working with remote and rural communities, ensure that this is their overall goal. It is also necessary to ensure your ideals are lined up. If your organisation is committed to systemic policy development, then it is important to stay away from not-for-profits who working solely on a donation model. Additionally, if your organisation works primarily with middle-aged conservative clients, you will need to ensure that you are not partnering with an organisation which primarily targets liberal youth.
2. Launch a joint campaign
The most effective partnerships can be found in joint campaigns. This is because the campaign can specifically be tailored towards the cross-sections of your organisation and your partner organisation. Joint campaigns can provide a platform for creativity and an avenue to try new approaches and measure their effectiveness when it comes to marketing your sustainability to your consumers. It is important to note that the overheads are slightly greater when it comes to launching a joint campaign; however, if done right, this can pay-off in the long-term for your organisation, your partner organisation and the wider community.
3. Don't be afraid to ask your partners to support you in supporting them
If you are working on a campaign in which a specific amount of every purchase with your organisation goes to your partner organisation (eg. $0.05 in every dollar) or if every certain number of purchases from your organisation, you donate something to your partner organisation, it is in your partner's best interest to support your work publicly! Ask them to post information about the campaign on their social media and / or website or even in their email marketing to spread the word about the work you are doing. Also don't be afraid to ask for further facts and information for you to share with your clients and stakeholders. The more informed your organisation is about the cause you are supporting, the more you can spread the word and make an impact!
4. Report back on the impact of your partnership
A partnership with a not-for-profit should not be continued if it is not benefiting neither your organisation, your partner organisation nor the broader community after a few different approaches. Therefore, it is important to measure the impact of your partnership on economic, social and environmental sustainability. It is also vital to measure the effectiveness of certain areas of the campaign - for example, social media marketing, blogging, email marketing. As with all business decisions, the results will guide you as to what you should be doing more or less of.
If your organisation is interested in entering a partnership with a not-for-profit or further developing your existing partnership, contact a member of our team today!
This article was originally published on the Strategic Sustainability Consultants website.
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