Strategic Corporate Partnership Development for Nonprofits
The Corporate Partnership Build
Designing and activating long-term, mission-aligned corporate partnerships that go way beyond sponsorships.
Most nonprofits don’t struggle because they lack passion, impact, or effort.
They struggle because the corporate world operates by a different set of rules.
The result?
A cycle of one-off sponsorships, reactive outreach, and missed opportunities for deeper, more sustainable partnerships.
The Corporate Partnership Build exists to change that …thoughtfully, strategically, and in a way your organization can actually sustain.
The Challenge Many Nonprofit Leaders Face
Corporate funding often feels frustratingly out of reach, not because your mission isn’t compelling, but because:
Sponsorships become the default because they’re familiar and fast
Corporate priorities feel opaque or constantly shifting
Internal capacity limits long-term thinking
Outreach feels more like pitching than partnering
Leadership knows something needs to change, but isn’t sure where to start
This isn’t a motivation problem.
It’s a structure and strategy problem.
The Corporate Partnership Build
The Corporate Partnership Build is a structured, done-with-you engagement designed to help nonprofit leadership teams:
Clarify what the right corporate partnerships look like
Position their impact in ways businesses understand and value
Move from transactional asks to relationship-driven collaboration
Build a repeatable approach that outlives any single partnership
This is not a generic consulting engagement.
It’s a focused build process - typically over 3 to 6 months - designed to create clarity, confidence, and momentum.
The 3-Phase Build Framework
Phase 1: Clarity & Alignment
What this phase does
Establishes strategic focus so your organization stops chasing misaligned opportunities.
We focus on:
Defining partnership goals aligned to mission and capacity
Clarifying what makes your organization valuable to corporate partners
Aligning leadership around what “right-fit” actually means
What gets created:
A clear partnership definition and direction
Priority focus areas grounded in real corporate dynamics
Shared internal language for partnership conversations
Why it matters to leadership:
Clarity reduces wasted effort and creates confidence in decision-making.
Phase 2: Partner Strategy & Positioning
What this phase does
Translates your impact into business-relevant value without compromising your mission.
We focus on:
Identifying the right types of corporate partners (not long lists)
Understanding corporate priorities, motivations, and constraints
Positioning your work in ways that resonate across sectors
What gets created:
A focused partner profile or shortlist
Clear value narratives for corporate conversations
Readiness for higher-quality outreach and meetings
Why it matters to leadership:
You stop guessing who to approach and stop second-guessing what to say.
Phase 3: Activation & Momentum
What this phase does
Moves strategy into real-world action and relationship development.
We focus on:
Co-creating partnership concepts that work on both sides
Supporting early outreach and partnership conversations
Building confidence, cadence, and follow-through
What gets created:
Pilot-ready partnership concepts
Momentum with real corporate conversations
A repeatable approach your team can continue using
Why it matters to leadership:
This work doesn’t live in a document; it turns into action.
What Leadership Walks Away With
By the end of The Corporate Partnership Build, organizations typically have:
Strategic clarity around corporate partnerships
A focused approach to identifying and prioritizing partners
Stronger positioning for corporate conversations
Practical tools, language, and frameworks
Increased confidence across leadership and development teams
Momentum that continues beyond the engagement
No inflated promises.
No silver bullets.
Just durable progress built on clarity and alignment.
How I Work
Collaborative, team-aligned enagement
Practical tools paired with real-world execution support
Tailored to your organization’s capacity and pace
I bring over 35 years of senior B2B sales and marketing experience into the nonprofit sector, not to “corporatize” your mission, but to help you engage the corporate world with confidence and credibility.
Is This the Right Fit?
The Corporate Partnership Build is a strong fit if you:
Want to move beyond sponsorship-driven funding
Are ready to think long-term about corporate relationships
Have leadership buy-in for strategic partnership development
Value clarity, collaboration, and sustainable growth
This might not best serve you if your current focus is:
One-off sponsorship sales
Short-term fundraising tactics
A fully outsourced, done-for-you solution
The Corporate Partnership Build - Your Next Step
A strategic, phased engagement designed for leadership teams ready to elevate corporate partnerships beyond transactional funding.
Let’s Start a Conversation
If this approach resonates, the next step is a conversation, not a pitch.
We’ll talk through where your organization is today, what you’re navigating internally, and whether The Corporate Partnership Build makes sense for your goals.
Supporting Engagements
In addition to The Corporate Partnership Build, I occasionally support organizations through focused engagements that complement or prepare teams for deeper partnership work.
These include:
Workshops & Training
Interactive sessions designed to help teams understand the corporate partnership landscape, align internally, and build confidence before engaging external partners.Facilitation
Guided conversations for leadership teams or boards to clarify strategy, explore partnership opportunities, or work through alignment challenges.Speaking Engagements
Keynotes and presentations for conferences, events, retreats, or leadership gatherings focused on modern fundraising, partnership strategy, and long-term relationship building.
These engagements are not replacements for The Corporate Partnership Build, but they often serve as helpful entry points or accelerators.
