san francisco fundraising summit october 26, 2010 finding corporate funders: the art of successful...

San Francisco Fundraising Summit

October 26, 2010

Finding Corporate Funders:

The Art of Successful Research

Presenters: Y'Anad Burrell, Damon Krytzer, and Pat Bregant

Finding Corporate Funders: The Art of Successful ResearchTuesday, October 26, 2010

How to gain access to key personnel & decision makers and garner

their support.



Build Strong Relationships



• Meet with your local officials – supervisors, councilmember, chiefs of staff, city treasurer, assessor,…

• Know your constituents.

• Break the taboo and ask your peers, “Who is funding your non-profit and who is your contact?”



Self-Interest or What’s in it for them?



Do your research on what the corporation is doing in the community.

• Does management encourage employees to volunteer?

• Is there an employee giving program?

• What is their “product” and who/what does it impact?

• Do they have a specific philanthropic arm with specific giving areas?

• Can you help them promote their agenda?



Know the leaders of the organization and find out their personal interests.

• Do they live in your city?

• Participate on community boards?

• What do they do for recreation/fun?



I. Advancing their business objectives• A. Do you share an audience/constituency?• B. Would companies want to connect with

your constituents?

• C. Do you address issues of interest to a company?


The Psychology of Corporate Giving


II. To increase corporate visibility• How visible are you in the

community?• How big an audience do you have• How do you get your name in front

of the public?


The Psychology of Corporate Giving (cont.)


III. To benefit their employees

A. Do corporate employees benefit from your work?

B. Do you have volunteer opportunities for corporate employees?




IV. Corporate Citizenships• How do you strive to enhance the local

community, making it a more attractive place to live and work?

• How deep is your network of community leaders, those with whom corporate executives would want to associate?




V. Besides $$$, what are corporations giving?

A. In-Kind Contributions

• Product/equipment donations

• Donated services

• Use of facilities



V. Besides $$$, what are corporations giving? B. Employee Involvement

• Employee volunteer programs• Executives on loan• Board service



V. Besides $$$, what are corporations giving?

C. Sponsorships & Cause Related Marketing

• Sponsorships

• Cause-related marketing– Public association of a for-profit company with a

nonprofit organization, designed to promote the company’s products/services and to raise money for the nonprofit.



VI. Creative Ways To Find Corporate Sponsors


Natural Funding Sources

• Close fit strategic investors– Who has a reason to participate?– Nestle need for cedi– Must be impactful

• Close geographic with interest– Commercial interest– Ex. Community banker or service business

• Close demographics or natural grouping– You serve a narrow “community”– Ex. Foster parents, music lovers and women's’

interests


Not-So-Natural Funding Sources

• Too big– Need localized link or contact

• Too broad– Just because they are local doesn’t mean they

will care

• Competing interests – So similar they are looking at the same market

• No $


Approach

• Like a business plan pitch– Describe what you to do in three to four

sentences – Describe the market for your initiative– What is the current “pain”?– How do you improve the situation?– Is your solution scalable; who and how?– Why you?


san francisco fundraising summit october 26, 2010 finding corporate funders: the art of successful...

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