Companies give again to communities and people via charities regularly. Nevertheless, many of those profit-to-non-profit relationships don’t final lengthy. Over time, they break down for a wide range of causes, from lack of communication to a misalignment of priorities.

Molly MacDonald is the founding father of Pink Fund, a breast most cancers non-profit that helps cowl residing bills for people who find themselves managing a good finances whereas in energetic therapy. The group has a stable observe report of partnership success. MacDonald not too long ago shared some ideas and insights into how her charity has efficiently solid skilled, organizational relationships over time.

Lining Up Worth With Wants

It’s necessary for companies to see the worth of partnering with non-profits and what manifestations that worth can take. Companies know that by giving again, they’re attempting to perform two issues: being good group members by bettering the lives of the much less lucky and elevating their very own model’s profile.

After all, this could happen via donating generic lump sums to name-brand non-profits. However MacDonald suggests that companies ought to search for methods to line up their very own choices with particular charities’ wants. “Companies, via their advertising and marketing, could possibly attain those that want the actual companies or help the charity gives. For example, our partnership with Snap-on Instruments places us on the drag races, the place individuals who might have our assist, discover out about us there via the branded race automotive, bulletins, and interviews with the motive force, Cruz Pedregon and Pink Fund CEO.”

MacDonald provides that these partnerships generally is a win/win proposition. Nevertheless, to ensure that that to occur, organizations should design them correctly with readability and accountability.

Setting Clear Expectations

It’s additionally necessary to consider what you need from a non-profit partnership as a model. It’s equally necessary for non-profits to judge what a possible enterprise would need from a partnership.

“Some need nothing,” MacDonald explains, “Others need social posts, blogs, branding, and activation alternatives to show their product. It is very important establish what the enterprise companions need and ensure you can ship earlier than agreeing to any sort of partnership.”

Pink Fund founder provides that this goes past the start of every relationship, “We’re all the time on the lookout for methods to boost the partnership and point out our companions and thank them on our social platforms, in addition to activations round occasions.”

If companies and non-profits alike go into every partnership with clear expectations in place — even when these expectations are that you really want nothing — it paves the best way for a long-term relationship that satisfies each events concerned. Forbes contributor Patrick Hull echoes the significance of setting expectations in enterprise. The serial entrepreneur explains that “individuals, together with enterprise companions, can’t learn my thoughts. I imagine enterprise companions ought to constantly set their expectations with one another.” The identical applies to non-profits, as properly.

Going to Workers for Enter

Charity shouldn’t solely happen on the C-suite degree. It’s additionally necessary to look additional down the org chart.

You’ll be able to all the time help a company, equivalent to serving to a breast most cancers charity by donating towards analysis. However probably the greatest methods to construct a significant partnership between non-profits and for-profit manufacturers is by going to your staff.

“Company match applications are nice,” MacDonald declares, “They honor the staff’ philanthropic spirit whereas doubling the donation. We now have some nice partnerships the place breast most cancers is the main focus, however staff can contribute to a breast most cancers charity of their alternative, however the for-profit makes a bigger matching donation.”

Aligning With the Mission

Whereas expectations and figuring out value-added partnerships are necessary, MacDonald identifies one merchandise because the primary factor to prioritize when constructing partnerships between companies and non-profits. “Do they LOVE the mission? Does it align with their enterprise mannequin?”

For example, MacDonald factors to Pink Fund’s 12-years-and-counting partnership with Ford Motor Firm via their Breast Most cancers Consciousness initiative, Warriors in Pink. Ford acknowledged that transportation is a significant barrier to therapy adherence. Because of the partnership, donations from Ford are used solely to offer transportation help by making automotive funds to affected person’s collectors.

A brand new partnership for Pink Fund in 2022 was a round-up on the money register marketing campaign, carried out by Fleet Farm’s 48 shops in 5 states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. “The October partnership far exceeded our expectations, as Fleet Farm made vital investments in coaching their cashiers and advertising and marketing and promoting Pink Fund. They helped to unfold the information of our program to individuals in rural areas who might not have recognized about us. When an organization shares a mission, they’ve the power to teach and inform the general public of potential sources. They grow to be our marketer for gratis to us.”

Purchase-in on a missional degree is a key driver behind a wholesome and extended enterprise and non-profit partnership. Whether or not it’s aligning mission statements, setting expectations, or figuring out one of the best ways a enterprise can help a non-profit’s targets, there are a number of methods to make sure that a partnership can go the gap. The necessary factor is that leaders on either side acknowledge the necessity to make investments on this up-front effort within the first place.