What Friday, the 13th?! 😄
We all know what Friday the 13th means to many folks. But, for me, last Friday, March 13th, was great! I kicked things off by presenting a masterclass “The Art of Corporate Engagement”at First United Bank in McKinney, Tx., an event organized by Wendy Kidd, Head Boss of The Nonprofit Nook. Even with a 9 a.m. start time the energy in the room from a this great group of nonprofit leaders was truly palpable.
For 90 minutes ⏱️, I had the best time doing what I do with my nonprofit clients — talk corporate partnerships with nonprofit leaders who are out there in the trenches every day. The courtship. The strategy. The persistence. And yes, the victory when it all comes together.
After 37 years of knocking on those same corporate doors, I’ve got stories, lessons, and a few hard-won truths to share. And that’s exactly what I did. No fluff. No theory. Just real talk. Some of that real talk included:
· The current state of corporate giving, including a five-year look at recent trends
· Why nonprofits should conduct an internal readiness audit before pursuing corporate partnerships–and how to do that!
· The importance of organization-wide staff buy-in when building corporate relationships
· And why telling a corporation it “should” contribute to your mission is a “no-no” and rarely leads to a partnership
I truly enjoy these conversations, even after 37 years in those same trenches. Coaching this NEXT generation of fundraisers on how to successfully form meaningful corporate partnerships — is meaningful to me. And that’s the beauty of it all.
My heartfelt THANK YOU to Head Boss Wendy, for this amazing opportunity and for organizing this event. You made it easy to show up and have fun with it. 🫶 And, to my friend Manuel M. for bringing us together to make this event happen. Thank you, Manuel. 👍
Cheers to all the nonprofit leaders who showed up, personally greeted me, offered their support, and genuine gratitude for my message. You lifted me, and I THANK YOU! 🤝
If your nonprofit is lacking a compass for corporate engagement, feel free to connect or send me a message. ☕ Until next time!
