Development of Successful Nonprofit-Corporate Relationships: The RelPro Advantage

In order to achieve their mission, many Nonprofits rely in part on the relationships they build with companies in the private sector. Whether these relationships are collaborative, where both organizations work together to achieve the same goal, or one based on the corporation providing expertise or resources, they are a valuable, and for any Nonprofit company to continue its work.

So how are these relationships forged? There’s no process that is universally recognized as the end-all be-all way to form bonds; each company has a method that is at least in part unique to them. For the environmental consulting group CDP, the process involves discerning the right contact by sector, company structure, and internal integration of sustainability, engaging with the contact in an introductory phone conversation, and providing key updates and finding additional opportunities to improve the relationship going forward. For the homelessness-activist organization Family Promise, the approach centers around companies with a history of philanthropy and has the similar values to them. As they put it: “Our flexible model allows us to assess the needs and goals of a corporation and align it with our vision in a way that enhances the provision of services to families.”

An important point to recognize in both cases is the necessity of information prior to reaching out; this is where RelPro gives users an advantage. Our platform provides Nonprofit companies and fundraising teams with actionable intelligence to target potential corporate partners and stay up to date with weekly alerts. An organization can keep tabs on what is changing within corporations, see what personnel has shifted, and help companies understand who is the best contact to move a conversation or idea forward. As a representative from CDP put it: “RelPro’s advanced search filters and updated database make it easy to find the right contact to kick off our relationship.”