When entering into a charity partnership, companies should think about what they can offer their chosen charity beyond financial help.

Likewise, charities should look beyond financial investment to the skills and expertise that a company is able to offer.

Social change agency, Forster Communications, suggests that a short-term, financially-focused vision can hamper a corporate and charity partnership. It’s not just the charity that benefits from a business’ non-financial assets, the business can also further its own goals through strategic partnering.

As well as the wider positive impact that a charity partnership has, it should benefit both the company and the charity. For companies, a charity partnership can be a valuable communications tool, both internally and externally.  

A Forster Communications study consulted with 28 separate charities; 70% of those surveyed said that the money on offer is the most important aspect of a partnership, and 90% would accept a partnership on the basis of funding alone. However, the study also shows that charities are selective about who they partner with, every charity said that it would consider a potential partner's brand values before making a decision, and over two thirds have rejected companies due to negatively perceived brand associations.

George Ames, head of the Forster’s Activation practice says, “Charities are currently caught between an urgent need to fundraise to support existing services and the desire to build longer term, solution orientated partnerships for change. While the potential for corporate-charity collaboration is clear, the reality is often frustrating with the majority of relationahips still based on passive giving from business to charity.”

Many charities stated an interest in partnering with a tech company that could potentially offer expertise in that space. Digital literacy remains a highly sought-after skill, and digital professionals are a valuable resource that companies can offer.