What to Do Before Pitching a Potential Corporate Supporter

Seeking corporate support starts with research.

Kevin Martinez, vice president of corporate outreach at ESPN, says about 90 percent of the solicitations he receives come from nonprofits that haven’t dug into his company’s philanthropic strategy and instead guessed at its preferred giving areas. A sizable number, he says, haven’t even visited the webpage where ESPN outlines how a group should apply for a donation.

Beyond that, many nonprofits don’t consider how their brand could help ESPN’s.

“Coming to us because you have a great mission is beautiful—I love that,” says Mr. Martinez. “But I can say no with the best of them. If you come to us with a strategic reason for why we should invest, you’re already 10 times ahead of everybody.”

If you’re looking for corporate support and starting from square one, think first: What companies might be attracted to my cause?

It could be a company that’s trying to establish a reputation in your market. It could be a company whose product or service aligns in some way with your mission. Supermarkets, for instance, tend to take a keen interest in anti-hunger campaigns.

“It’s good just as a general practice for the team to go through the process and make a structured decision about why we’re going after a certain company, as opposed to, they just have a checkbook,” says Chad Royal-Pascoe, vice president of corporate relationships at Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

After brainstorming, research the companies and their giving histories. If a company has a corporate foundation, look at its Tax Form 990. Some companies list past grants online. If it still feels like a match, think about how to approach that company and the person within the company who oversees corporate outreach.

“Ideally you’re going to say, ‘Who do we know who knows this person?’” says Chris Mann, City Year’s vice president of corporate partnerships.

Perhaps you have a board member with a useful connection. Maybe one of your longtime supporters knows someone inside the company. Mr. Mann says his nonprofit might invite a corporate prospect to an event and seat him or her near one of City Year’s executives. If all else fails, you can cold-call.

Finally, think of all the ways your nonprofit could partner with a target company. Think about its financial resources, its reach, the power of its brand, its corporate volunteers—everything. Boys & Girls Clubs of America, for example, has a six-point strategy for corporate engagement. The charity looks at consumer engagement, employee engagement, executive engagement, program impact, thought leadership, and local impact and engagement.

“We don’t have a full corporate partnership until we’ve hit all six of those,” says Mr. Royal-Pascoe.

He believes any of those six can be an “entry point” for a relationship, but that nonprofits should consider the full range of options when thinking about their corporate strategy.