Adapting to the new era of corporate strategic philanthropy
September 18, 1996; Canadian FundRaiser
The key word for both donations and sponsorships for the rest of the 90s will be partnership. Speaking at a recent Corporate Giving Seminar sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, Blair R. McRobie, Executive Director, Royal Bank of Canada Charitable Foundation told nonprofits to look for corporations to want more than a one-donation stand; to seek real relationships and to demand more involvement. Having received over 10,000 approaches and granted about 1200 requests last year, McRobie noted, "People requesting funding often use the words social marketing, philanthropy and sponsorship marketing interchangeably. Every corporation will establish its own definitions, but if you're sending a proposal, you should first find out how they define sponsorships and donations, and then tailor your proposal to fit their definition."
As McRobie sees it, with the Canadian climate making fund development and sponsorship marketing a fiercely competitive field, more corporations will be re-examining their budgets; how they invest their funds; and the causes with which they are identified. McRobie feels that corporate Canada will move to more clearly articulate and communicate its support and to develop guidelines and frameworks more focused on philanthropic giving. "Our preliminary research shows that corporations with a strategic focus harness at least 20% of their total marketing budget for their cause or issue."
Corporations are asking: What causes do our customers care about? What causes do our staff care about? What are our competitors supporting? Can we differentiate ourselves from the competition? What causes are relevant to our business? What causes have both community and national implications? You can expect more and more corporations to go through this exercise, and as charitable organizations and corporations get to know each other better, they will be able to be more helpful to each other. Surprisingly, very few nonprofits even try to find out what a corporation wants in a partner. "Winning proposals ask us who we are...what we want...what our objectives are. Those questions can come from a registered charity, a sports event or a cultural venue. Regardless, corporations will welcome them."
When it comes to relationship objectives at Nissan Canada Inc., no one partner takes over or dominates. "Each partner contributes their best efforts, and there is an awareness and sensitivity to each partner's reality," said Steve Coulahan, Director, Corporate Planning, and Chairman of the Nissan Foundation. With a clear understanding of goals and processes on both sides, up front planning and an avoidance of dependency situations, corporate and charitable mandates can be met. What's important to Nissan? Clearly-articulated goals and objectives; a point-person to talk to; accessibility to the charity; national reach (if not a national presence); and a desire and commitment for true partnership. "We all have to start moving our attention toward marketing and where the really big dollars lie for us," he said.
