What to consider when shortlisting and nominating
What are the aims of your charity partnership? Do you want to engage employees, enhance your brand or support a cause related to your business? Deciding this will help you develop criteria for the types of charities your business can partner with. Then ask yourself:
- What’s the charity’s impact on the community?
- How big is the organisation, and what impact can your business have on it?
- Will you be a small fish in their big pond, or do you want to be the primary funder?
- How well does this organisation fit your chosen themes?
- Does the charity fit any geographical requirements?
- How well does the cause relate to your business activities or commercial strengths?
- Does the charity offer any engagement and volunteering opportunities for your employees?
- Does the charity have fundraising events you can piggyback onto?
What are the components of a relationship that would create a successful selection process and partnership? Consider:
- What are the charity’s objectives in this partnership?
- How long are you planning to be involved for?
- Is there a dedicated volunteering manager?
- Is the charity realistic about what your involvement will achieve for them?
- How good is the charity at monitoring funding and reporting back effectively?
- Is there a conflict of interest between your company’s work and clients and the charity’s work?
- Does the charity have any other corporate partners, and are any of them your competitors?
- Is the charity an inspiring communicator?
Possible stages in the selection process
The charity selection process can take between three and six months from research to selection. Try to be realistic about the timeframe before communicating deadlines to your stakeholders. Here are the steps to expect in the process:
- Online research/conversations with a broker*
- Application form for charities
- Meetings with charities
- Selection by charity committee or responsible business team
- Employee vote (if applicable)
- Agree partnership terms
- Launch partnership
- Interim review of partnership
*A note on brokers: you often pay for a broker service, but they do have some advantages. They’ll often have established relationships with charities, which can take the strain off the selection process. Brokers have in-depth knowledge of community needs and can offer advice. And some charities only use brokers to find corporate partnerships.
Three suggested routes to choosing a charity
Ask employees to nominate a charity
