Corporate partnerships are a growing focus for many charities. And when done right they can be incredibly beneficial to both the charity and the business.

According to research from New Philanthropy Capital, 41% of charities expect to partner more with private sector organisations in the future.

Corporate partnerships benefit charities through an increase in funding streams, gaining knowledge of the corporate sector, and sometimes even dedicated mentoring support.

Businesses also benefit from creating an impact in the areas that matter to their employees, meeting corporate social responsibility goals and gaining knowledge of the charitable sector.

But what’s the best way to incorporate charity into business?

How to partner with charities?

Before you start, consider what causes are most important to your organisation.

Perhaps there’s a cause within your sector that could use your support, or perhaps your team is passionate about a particular area. Knowing what matters to your organisation will help you to create clear CSR goals - and stick to them.

Brevio allows you to set your funding criteria and matches you with suitable non-profit organisations. You can start by setting your search filters here.

Make it an equal partnership.

NPC’s guide to building impactful corporate partnerships cautions that “partnerships between charities and businesses create a power imbalance.”

Their advice is to ensure both parties are open with each other about their expectations and what they hope to get out of the partnership. Regular communication, investing time and embracing differences will all help to create a more balanced partnership.

Let data guide your decisions.

It can be tempting to follow your heart when it comes to giving. But whether you choose to invest your money, time, or services, you want to know that your support is going to make a difference to the charity you partner with. That’s where the data comes into play.

Brevio’s Insights & grant builder tool offers you a user-guided journey that delivers real insights while you build your criteria, to help you identify the causes, beneficiary groups and locations in need of funding.

What does a good partnership look like?

One recent example we love is the partnership between Deliveroo and Switchboard LGBT+. The two teamed up to mark the anniversary of the first ever Pride event by selling ‘alphabet soup’ to raise funds for Switchboard LGBT+.

Another great example is the partnership between comparethemarket.com and multiple charities - including The Charlie Gard Foundation, 4Louis, and Kidney Research UK. Data experts from comparethemarket.com used their company volunteering day to teach data skills to the charities as part of their Data4Good initiative.

Have you had a successful corporate-charity partnership? We would love to hear about it, email [[email protected]] and let us know what made it work.

Are you a non-profit in need of advice on how to form corporate partnership? Find out more here.