I have 2 older brothers who are chefs. They’re a great source of how-to information when Google lets me down. What’s the herb flavour in the fish cakes we used to get from the takeaway as kids? It’s tarragon. They’d be appalled at how blunt I let my knives get. My test for a sharp knife: can you slice cherry tomatoes with it? I’m failing! I might as well be using a spoon to cut them.
They say a bad workman always blames his tools. But what if the workman didn’t know there were better tools available? If you want to sharpen your partnership game, you need the right tools. One of the most important tools is your pitch deck, or credentials document. Using a case for support for partnerships is like trying to slice tomatoes with a spoon—the results are far from ideal.
Let’s look at the primary reasons a corporate might want to support a charity. I like to group them into three key categories:
Marketing – attract and retain customers, differentiate in a crowded marketplace, increase footfall and web traffic, emotional brand engagement, competitive pressure, social content, etc
Employee engagement – improve their employee value proposition, increase staff engagement scores, attract and retain top talent, etc
Social purpose – social license to operate, social impact, demonstrate values authentically, vested interest in the success of your programs, improve ESG scores etc
How does a case for support address these motivators? A case for support lists your programs and asks them to pick one. It’s great for major donors but is absolutely the wrong tool for corporate partnerships. To be successful in corporate partnerships, you need to demonstrate the value you bring to a partnership. How will you help them solve challenges in these 3 areas or further their ambitions? Here’s the structure for a credentials document:
Who you are: A brief summary of who you are, who you represent, your specialist expertise, and any external recognition like awards or achievements. You boost your credibility by sharing external validation of your greatness. Beyond Blue had a testimonial from the then health minister – do you have something similar?
Your ambition: What is your vision for an ideal future? Do you know the solution to your societal issue? What goals do you have to achieve this? Paint a vivid picture of success and by when. Ideally, this should be five years or further into the future. I know it’s hard but if the millennial development goals could do it for world poverty, you can too.
Why you need support: Summarise the issue concisely and with impact. Use some well-chosen statistics to highlight the urgency of the problem. Why should someone who has never cared about your cause care about it now? What is the burning platform? Describe how partners, beyond funding, contribute to your overarching strategy.
What you have to offer: This is your greatest hits page/ pages. Include stats around brand awareness, PR value of media coverage, ambassadors, social media following and engaged niche audiences. Feature screenshots of articles in major mastheads or popular social media posts. This is your proof for a substantial ROI for marketing objectives.
Ways to partner with you: Outline the various ways to partner with you. What do you need to further your mission? How does what you’re asking for contribute to your beneficiaries? Why are these needs crucial to your overall strategy? What activities do you have for their employees to participate in?
Case studies: Provide examples of successful collaborations. Detail the benefits a partner received through a partnership with you. Include compelling statistics and testimonials. If you are pitching to a retailer, include a retail partnership. Include a case study that has multiple pillars of activity. Importantly, detail what the partnership did for the business, not just for your charity.
Final impression: End with a striking hero image of one of your beneficiaries. State the crucial role partnerships play in your success. Include a compelling call to action and your contact details.
A credentials document should inspire and excite. Engage minds with compelling statistics and proof, and touch hearts with powerful stories of hope overcoming adversity. If you’re using a case for support, your partnerships will likely remain philanthropy-based—tapping into the smallest budget within a corporate. By shifting to a well-crafted credentials document, you open doors to more strategic, substantial collaborations. We’ve seen firsthand the difference it makes. So, take the step to elevate your partnership program, gather the necessary information, and secure more valuable and sustainable partnerships.