As a nonprofit founder or staff member, you know that working in the nonprofit world can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. Fundraising challenges, staff shortages, and technology issues can derail your efforts to work toward your mission.
However, it’s not a battle you have to fight alone. Many other organizations in your community face the same struggles and have unique wisdom to share. By seeking partnerships with these charities, you can maximize your strengths and benefit from shared camaraderie.
Partnering with other nonprofits allows your organization to:
- Strengthen ties with your local community.
- Access a broader audience of potential donors and supporters.
- Get valuable insight into the experiences of similar organizations and lessons learned.
Let’s explore four ways your nonprofit can partner with other charities to maximize fundraising and increase support for your initiatives.
1. Co-host events with similar charities.
Events allow you to engage with your nonprofit’s community and spread awareness of your mission to new audiences. By teaming up with other nonprofits in your area to co-host events, you benefit from sharing planning resources, supplies, and software solutions to make the event management process more efficient.
Work with organizations with a similar mission to your nonprofit so that your event can have a cohesive message and reach a new audience of supporters already interested in your cause. For example, if your animal shelter teams up with a local wildlife conservation organization, you can access a new audience of individuals who are already sympathetic to the plight of animals in your community.
With the support of a nonprofit partner, you can host fun and engaging community events such as:
- Educational workshops or webinars: For instance, your mental health advocacy organization may partner with a substance abuse charity to create a webinar on identifying poor mental health warning signs in youth populations.
- Festivals or fairs: Collaborate with multiple businesses and fellow charities to host a seasonal festival or fair, such as a winter holiday market or summer music festival.
- Fundraising 5K events: Partner with other local nonprofits and community businesses to sponsor a 5K race event at a local park.
- Community dinners: For example, your community foodbank could partner with other local charities, such as homeless shelters and soup kitchens, to host a Thanksgiving meal.
Optimize the event experience for you and your partners by creating shared promotional materials branded with the logos of each group involved. Promote your event to a broader audience by posting regularly on social media (at least once daily in the week leading up to the event) and sending frequent reminder emails.
2. Offer recommendations.
All nonprofits aim to maximize their return on new investments made to further their missions. Before you make your next investment, seek advice and recommendations from fellow nonprofits who have made similar investments about whether they think the expenditure was worthwhile.
Here are a few areas where you may seek guidance from other nonprofits:
- Software: For example, your nonprofit may seek CRM advice and guidance from other organizations that recently underwent a software transition. Bloomerang’s nonprofit CRM guide recommends asking trusted nonprofit sources and referencing review websites like G2 or Capterra for reliable, unbiased input.
- Consultants: Choosing the right consultant for your nonprofit ultimately depends on your unique needs. However, you can narrow down your options by asking fellow nonprofits for recommendations based on their experience with fundraising, marketing, or other consultants.
- Corporate partners: Accessing insights about which businesses in your community are willing to sponsor nonprofit events or programs allows you to streamline your efforts to find corporate partners. You can focus your outreach efforts on businesses with the most robust corporate social responsibility programs, driving a higher return on investment for your outreach.
- Grant sources: Other organizations can offer advice about grants your organization may qualify for. They can share details about what the grant funders are looking for and what the experience of applying for and using the grant was like.
Your nonprofit should be equally willing to offer advice and guidance for different types of investments. This cooperation allows you to form more genuine connections with your partners. Be specific about what you liked or disliked about each opportunity, from the software features you use most to the pros and cons of your consultant partnership.
3. Cross-promote your initiatives.
Hosting collaborative fundraising campaigns with other nonprofits helps get your message across to a broader audience than working alone. For example, your wildlife conservation organization could partner with a climate change advocacy group for a “Save the Turtles” initiative. Or you can host a joint peer-to-peer fundraising campaign where donations flow to both organizations.
With your partner organization’s help, create co-branded marketing collateral for channels like:
- Social media: Create infographics, short video clips, and an original hashtag to promote your campaign.
- Email: Design emails that explain both organizations’ missions and how donations will support your joint goals.
- Direct mail: Send direct mail materials like letters or postcards to describe your campaign and explain how recipients can show their support.
Directly promote your partner by tagging them in social media posts, linking to their website in emails, and including a QR code to your co-branded campaign landing page on any physical materials.
4. Share resources.
In times of crisis or need, your organization will benefit from having a community of other nonprofits to lean on for support. Foster these partnerships by sharing resources with other organizations, such as:
- Event space: For example, your nonprofit could donate the use of its large meeting room for a smaller organization to host its quarterly board meeting.
- Supplies or equipment: Amid product shortages or delivery disruptions, your organization could reach out to other local nonprofits to share tools and resources you already have.
- Fundraising best practices: Learning from experience is the best way to continuously improve your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts. Ask other organizations for tips on everything from donation form design best practices to boosting website conversions.
- Volunteers and staffing: Sharing volunteers or staff members can be essential, especially during labor shortages or crises. Use your volunteer management system to identify highly engaged current volunteers who may be interested in supporting other local organizations in times of need.
If you receive resources from another organization, show gratitude by creating hand-written thank-you notes or gift baskets. These efforts will help foster long-term relationships that benefit your organization for years to come.
In the case of nonprofit partnerships, the aphorism “a rising tide lifts all boats” rings true. When nonprofits in your area work together, you can maximize your joint success and better serve your entire community. These tips will help you approach these relationships with an eye toward long-lasting benefits for all parties involved.
