Talks and Presentations (past, present and future)

Fund Raising for Not-For-Profits

Barnett Marketing Communications’

“Crash Course”

Not-For-Profit Guide to

“Profitable”

Corporate Fund-Raising

I.       What is “Corporate Fund-Raising?”

A mutually beneficial, financially-related partnership between a for-profit corporation and a not-for-profit organization

A working alliance between a company and a not-for-profit where both groups have needs and goals met through that alliance

“Selling” organizational good-will (image, credibility) in exchange for financial or related support

Supporting the “cause” by enlisting natural allies to work with you

II.                   Goals & Objectives

A.      Know where you’re going so you know when you get there

A goal is “Reducing teen drug use”

An objective is “Reducing teen drug use by 25% within four years by involving five million parents in a re-born coalition against drugs”

B.      Revenue targets

C.      Non-Revenue targets – office space, travel support, sponsored PSAs, etc.

D.      In-kind support

III.                 Tracking and Measuring –

A.      Know who is really supporting you

B.      ROI – Return on your fund-raising Investment

C.      Balancing the cost and results of corporate fund-raising

IV.                 Identifying Corporate Prospects

A.      Who shares your cause or issues?

B.      Who has a financial incentive to support your cause or issues?

C.      Who do you know?

D.      Who do you admire?

E.       Who do you have access to?

V.                  Creating the Corporate Partnership!

A.      Identify your “partnership” assets

Name Recognition

Issue Identification

Credibility

Access

Branded Product Identification

Club Hero/Camp Hero

Drug Legalization Book

Coke Beeper

B.      Identify what your corporate partner might need

Image support/enhancement (personal/ego-trip or corporate)

Being identified with the right side of an “issue”

Access

Product Branding

C.      Know your prospect

Know their corporate history, corporate leadership and their financial strengths

Know who they support – or have supported – through charitable giving

Review their annual report (and 10K) – get reports from your broker – talk to people who know them and have done business with them

D.      Trading what you have for what you need

Creating opportunities

(Voyager/Archer Daniels Midlands example)

E.       Approach them with a plan

The issue isn’t that you need money – the issue is the mutual benefits that derive from an alliance of interests

Show them how you can work together – don’t make them figure it out

F.       In-Kind Support

Corporate Sponsorships for PSAs

Corporate Sponsorships for office space, staffing support, travel, etc.

G.      Reinforce the Partnership (the fine art of saying thanks)

Creating appropriate “thank you” opportunities

                Awards and Plaques

                Presentation events

“Thanking the boss”

VI.                Cause Marketing

A.      Corporations Advertising in support of non-profit organizations

B.      Win-Win relationships – companies make more money for themselves – and their beneficiaries – by supporting causes

89% of public believe it is important for corporations to support positive causes

                78% of public more likely to buy to support cause

                66% of public would switch brands to support cause

                54% of public would pay more to support cause

VII.              Identifying Potential Corporate Partners

A.      Begin with Board Members

                Can their companies become corporate partners?

Do members of their “network” have the potential to become corporate partners?

Can board members identify other “corporate angels?”

B.      Create a Fund-Raising Advisory Board

Target corporate Opinion Leaders – those who can raise money with a phone call

(South Carolina Health Foundation example)

Target corporations who “need” what you have to offer (Texaco/NAACP example)

Target corporations with an affinity for your cause (natural partners)

C.      Treat it like a corporate marketing program

Identify target audiences

Create targeted goals

Set a defined time-frame

Set a fund-raising program budget

Assign responsibilities

Create and implement tracking systems to measure success

Reward and reinforce success

D.      Building Alliances Carefully

Select your partners like you would your spouse

Look for integrity

Look for shared commitment

Look for long-term fidelity

Look for common values

Look for “mutual attraction”

Make sure you don’t give them a “headache”

VIII.            The Seven Deadly Sins of Corporate Fund Raising

1.       Guilt – it’s a Four-Letter Word

Give them logical reasons for wanting to support you

2.       Entitlement – We “deserve” your help … and you are obligated to give it to us!

It’s not true – they don’t owe you anything – instead, make it worth their while, by creating a win-win partnership

3.       One-Way Street – help us … but don’t expect anything in return

It has to be a partnership with mutual benefits

4.       “Baffle them with BS”- give us your money, but don’t ask us where it goes …

Be prepared to be accountable … and that means detailed financial reports – hey … it’s their money!

5.       Playing (corporate) Favorites

All corporate partners are valuable, and need to be treated with respect

6.       Putting the search for corporate support ahead of the organization’s mission

Don’t do like the March of Dimes did – when their disease was cured, they went out and found another … and lost their mission and their soul

7.       “Show me the money …” – doing anything sponsors want as long as the money keeps flowing in

Avoid selling out your organization and its good name for mere financial support, instead, stand up for – and do – what is right 

·        Facilitating Retreats – for Board and Senior Management – Strategic Planning, Positioning and Competitive Response

·        Public Relations for Not-For-Profits

·        Fund Raising for Not-For-Profits

·        Using websites for hospital marketing and public relations

·        Preparing your CEO to meet the press and the public

·        Media Training

·        Marketing 101

·        PR 101

·        Marketing Channels

·        Effective Public Relations for Independent VARs

·        FAQ, Opinions and Observations

·        Top Ten