{"id":10507,"date":"2019-07-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/?p=10507"},"modified":"2024-05-08T21:39:48","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T21:39:48","slug":"corporate-social-responsibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/blog\/corporate-social-responsibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Grow Your Nonprofit Community With Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives + Tips From An Insider"},"content":{"rendered":"

As nonprofit professionals, we spend a lot of time thinking about building our community of supporters. We prepare elaborate donor engagement calendars. We formulate plans to connect with volunteers.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re always searching for the next board member or team of loyal advocates.<\/p>\n

We are always thinking about relationship building.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But sometimes, we overlook an entire segment of supporters: businesses.<\/p>\n

The for-profit world is responsible for roughly 5% of all nonprofit donations<\/a>, and the total amount of donations from corporations rose 3.5% from 2015 to 2016.<\/p>\n

That, my friends, is good news for all of us, even if you don\u2019t live near the headquarters of top corporate contributors like Wells Fargo, Walmart, and Microsoft.<\/p>\n

Businesses of all sizes and focuses often commit to support the \u201cadvancement of social good.\u201d<\/p>\n

All jargon aside, corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives benefit everyone involved. They offer *potentially* great publicity for the business, a way to positively engage employees, and, at the end of the day, the community benefits with the addition of all these added resources.<\/p>\n

Have I sold you yet? Well, before you start knocking on doors, it\u2019s important to understand how to find the best businesses to partner with.<\/p>\n

After all, these strategic partnerships are not just about your cause–as noble as it is. You have to find businesses that align their CSR initiatives with what you do!<\/p>\n

Of course, there\u2019s no better way to understand the world of CSR than to speak with a professional. That\u2019s why I connected with Susannah Berry, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Jackson<\/a>.<\/p>\n

She provided invaluable insight on topics like: Where do you find businesses to connect with? How do you develop the relationship? What are businesses looking for in a nonprofit partner?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive head-first into the world of CSR.<\/p>\n

What Do You Want? What Does Your Business Partner Want?<\/h2>\n

\"nonprofit-corporate-partner\"<\/p>\n

Just because your nonprofit is improving the world, that doesn\u2019t mean that every business (or person, for that matter) is ready to jump on your cause bandwagon. In fact, one of the most important considerations is alignment.<\/p>\n

What You Want<\/strong>: First, determine what YOU want from your relationship with a business. Are you looking for volunteer help? Do you want them to sponsor a specific initiative or event? Have a clear idea of what you\u2019re looking to get from the partnership before you start courting.<\/p>\n

What They Want: <\/strong>On the flip side, businesses also have goals.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t just want– they deserve to get something out of the collaboration. So, as soon as you know what you want from the partnership, determine what prospective business partners want. Search their website, talk to people in the community who work there, and clarify, before you even make the first contact, that you\u2019re a good fit for one another.<\/p>\n

According to Susannah, \u201cWhen I look for a cause to support, the most important factor is the alignment with our company\u2019s philanthropic goals. Specifically, Jackson looks to fund organizations that support strong families <\/em>and create economic opportunities. Working on partnerships within these priorities areas helps Jackson make a meaningful impact that we can measure and evaluate from year to year..\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In this case, a nonprofit working with animals or the environment may not fit into Jackson’s CSR plan, which is nice to know upfront, right? Thankfully, their philanthropic focus is clearly outlined directly on the Jackson website under the tab \u201cIn the Community.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s always nice to know what a business focuses on before you hit them up with an offer.<\/p>\n

In addition to meeting the company\u2019s CSR-specific goals, managers like Susannah also consider other factors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also look for opportunities to engage our employees in the work or cause,\u201d <\/em>she told me. <\/em><\/p>\n

She asks questions such as:<\/p>\n