TREND ALERT: Corporate Trends and How to Leverage Them

With all that’s been happening and the rapidly shifting news cycles over the last five years, you may not have noticed a few trends in the corporate world that can have a positive impact on your organization.

“YAY! Good news,” you might be thinking.

Yes, it is good news. 

During my 30+ year career working with corporations directly or advising organizations on their partnerships with the corporate sector, sponsorship and collaborations with nonprofits, associations, and other entities have ebbed and flowed. Sometimes popular strategically, and other times, not so much.

Now is the most engaged and committed I’ve ever seen the corporate sector to creating an impact. Is it perfect? No. But is there movement and activity? Yes.

And in that space are new or expanded opportunities for your nonprofit organization or association, depending on the focus of your work.

Insights: Bower & Co. Study

Like many of us throughout the pandemic and earlier, we felt overwhelmed by all the change happening in our society. 

Climate disruption; the pandemic; police murdering George Floyd (and others) and the call for significant progress to racial equity and justice; immigration; a violent coup attempt to intervene in the peaceful transfer of power; gun violence and mass shootings; inflation; war in Ukraine; and other issues.

Seeing the progress many corporations have been making in their attempts to make a social or environmental impact, I began to wonder how—in the face of all this change, turmoil, and division—exactly corporations are prioritizing their efforts.

And what is the impact on nonprofit organizations and certain associations. 

Afterall, there are so many initiatives and issues that need to be addressed, and we still haven’t resolved long intractable issues from decades and even centuries ago.

To find out, during late 2021 and into the first quarter of 2022, Bower & Co. conducted a qualitative study to get some answers.

I interviewed primarily business-to-business companies in banking, consulting, architecture, engineering, healthcare innovation, legal services, food manufacturing, insurance, automotive, and others. The executives with whom I spoke represented a wide range of corporate interests: marketing, business development, consumer services, HR, general counsel, and the C-Suite itself.

Here are just four insights that may have relevance for you. 

Nonprofit partnerships are important. 

This may seem trivial and hardly an insight, but I encourage you to really take this in. For example, corporations want to have an impact in whatever areas they focus (and not all do focus, which is problematic, but that’s a different story.) But their core competencies are not in your nonprofit mission area. Therefore, they need nonprofit organizations as partners to achieve that impact.

Employee engagement is a door opener. 

Across the board with every company I interviewed, leadership encourages employees to volunteer, serve on boards, or contribute in whatever way is meaningful to their community. This encouragement plus autonomy to choose leads to more meaningful contributions by employees. 

Through these employees is your opening to that corporation because they may encourage their colleagues and leadership to join a volunteer activity, attend an event, or donate to your organization.

Big fish, small pond. 

You probably know that some organizations focus their giving in particular areas. Those that do (among those I interviewed) prefer being the big fish in the small pond when contributing. They don’t want their donation to be a drop in the bucket to—and thus be ignored by—a giant, global nonprofit. 

So, if you think you’re too small, think again. How can you leverage your size and attract some big fish?

Mission marketing is more important than ever.

Butt most are not doing it, missing enormous opportunities. You communicate about your mission all the time. Can you leverage this capability to greater effect as value for your sponsors?

These and other insights provide you with an opportunity for leadership—to be a thought leader in your area of expertise, to engage your community’s business sector in issues that are relevant and urgent, and find ways to enable corporations to be on the forefront by your side.

You have more ways to connect with your business sector than ever before. This means allies in your cause, more revenue, expanded visibility, and a lever to have a greater impact, if you find the right places to apply pressure.

If you want to learn more, please join me at the Bridge Conference. 

In my first session on Thursday, July 28, 2022, you’ll learn a multitude of ways you can expand your collaborations with corporations, along with pros and cons and expertise needed. This information will help you select just the right approach for your corporate strategy.

On Friday, July 29, 2022, I’ll share ideas about how to strategically convert your events into assets.

My co-presenter for both sessions is Jenara Gardner, Director of Development and Marketing at client Habitat for Humanity of Delaware and Montgomery County.