The true value of charity partnerships

We share our insights on the true value of charity partnerships for businesses. What is a charity partnership and how can they benefit both corporate and charity?

What is a charity partnership?

A charity partnership is a collaboration between a business and a charity who share a passion and commitment to sustainable social change.

What are the benefits of a charity partnership?

Allows businesses to explore opportunities beyond monetary value
Engages stakeholders through a new approach that demonstrates corporate citizenship
Offers both sides the opportunity to scope and capture new sources of value and pilot innovation
Provides opportunities to incubate innovative products and programmes

How do businesses support their charity partners?

How a business collaborates with a charity is dependent on the desired outcome and objectives of the partnership, the resources available and the scale of partnership. For example, a charity partner may have a singular fundraising focus with a business that equates to an annual corporate donation and employee fundraising.

However, more and more charity partnerships are exploring alternative sources of value and are becoming multi-layered, with people, product and profit. When a business and charity work collaboratively they can create a real social impact through for example, volunteering, product donation, asset sharing, and corporate and employee donations.

How can a charity partnership work in the real world?

Below are some recent examples of successful charity partnerships that we’ve been involved with:

ASOS and Seed of Hope

We supported ASOS in developing a partnership with a non governmental organisation (NGO) in Kenya that creates new opportunities for women in the apparel sector.

Funding and expertise shared by ASOS enabled NGO Seed of Hope to establish new centres which offered better training to women, empowered participants and increased opportunities for employment in the apparel sector.

Result: A dynamic partnership with shared goals, clear governance and actionable plans that created value for both the business and community.

Allianz

We worked with Allianz to identify a new charity partner that created value for the company and the communities in which it operates.

This involved facilitating workshops with CSR representatives to define aims, selection criteria and partnership outcomes, identifying potential charities, and structuring presentations with charities.

Result: A new strategic partnership that engaged employees across offices, and created value at both national and community level.

WE CAN HELP YOUR COMPANY FIND A CHARITY PARTNER

To find out more about how we champion and support charity partnerships, visit our Corporate advisory page or contact the team at corporate@cafonline.org.