How can I close that sponsorship deal? This is the question that keeps many fundraisers and executive directors up at night. On today’s episode, Charmaine Hammond, partnership development expert at Raise a Dream, shares with us an easy-to-follow, 7-step framework for building long-lasting partnerships.
Myths that Charmaine wants us to leave behind
- You have to shoehorn your nonprofit into a partnership. Have a discovery call with a potential partner and assess if there is an alignment before proceeding further. You don’t have to pursue a partner that has no impact alignment with your organization.
- If there is a problem with partnership deliverables, let’s not report the problem until the point of no return. Engage your partner early on with the problem and invite them to be part of the solution. Your partner is invested in the success of the partnership just as you are.
Charmaine’s tips on building partnerships
- Go beyond the obvious for partnership research. Try to see where your partners are speaking, what social media engagement they are doing, and what campaigns they are involving themselves in.
- Let the partners/sponsors tell you what to include in a proposal. Ask them explicitly what would be helpful to include, what should not be included, who else will be involved in the decision-making process and viewing the proposal, etc.
- Continue to consistently engage your partners after the partnership is concluded. Get in touch with partners and see how they’re doing. Keep tabs on what initiatives they’re engaged in. Share program updates from your side. Keep in touch with them and the relationship will flow organically.
Favourite quotes from this episode
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“I don’t want any surprises when potential partners read the proposal and contract I send over. So when a potential partner asks for a proposal, I say absolutely, I can put it together, and ask these questions: What would you like me to send you? Who else is going to be looking at it just you? Okay. Oh, you’ve got to bring in some other team members, what will they want to see? How many pages? What do I not need to cover? What do I need to ensure is in there for you to take this forward and sell it?”
“What I have learned is the earlier you bring a possible issue forward to a partner, the more support you get in the solution, because nobody at this point wants to see failure. Everybody is committed to make the partnership successful. So, let people be part of the solution.”
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Resources from this Episode
