If you have already seen our previous post on corporate donations, you know that they are something absolutely real and possible. What’s more, the impact a corporate donation can have on your cause is gigantic – when it happens, you know that any financial hardship you may have had is now over. However, when it comes to donations, especially by large corporations, the hard question to answer is ‘How to make them donate?’ It is process that needs careful planning and even more careful execution, but it is worth the efforts and that is why we have prepared a small guide for you to follow.

Step 1: Be clear

Any prospective corporate sponsor will want to know what their money goes for; therefore, you will need to be as clear and specific as possible when it comes to explaining what your aims are, how you plan to achieve them and who are you going to help.

Step 2: A good proposal

Everything you have in mind needs to be well documented. Write down a proposal and make sure you include everything essential in it – why do you need the money, what are you going to use them for, what events are you going to organise, what are your long-term plans etc. Again, make sure the information you provide in the proposal is clear, consistent and comprehensive.

Step 3: Mission statement

It is good to have a statement of your mission included in the documents. What you do, why you do it, how you do it, when you do it… If the corporation decides to provide the funding you need, they will find your mission statement very useful as they will be able to use the information in it in press releases, publications and on social media.

Step 4: Point out the benefits

Of course, in the ideal case no one will give expecting to get in return, but the corporations will be grateful if you point out the benefits for them. They will do something good, they will help people who need it, they will be seen as good corporate citizens, they will make a difference… If donating to your cause will bring them any other benefits, make sure you point these out as well.

Step 5: Ask for money

Don’t expect the corporation to know how much you need or want – ask them directly. Sit down, write your financial plan, calculate what you will need and present it to the corporation. If they decide to give you what you ask for – great. If they give you more, that’s even better!

Step 6: Approach the right person

It would probably be annoying both for you and for organisation if you call someone who can’t really help you and they redirect you to someone else who can’t help and they redirect you… Instead, find the number of the marketing department and call – don’t write an e-mail before you have introduced yourself over the phone!

Step 7: Do what you have planned

If you get the money, spend them as planned. Make sure you document everything properly and at when you achieve your goals, send a report to the corporation. They will appreciate you getting back to them and showing them that you have spent their money the way you promised to. They may even decide to fund you again if they like the results!

Step 8: Don’t miss opportunities!

Make a list of corporations and try asking each of them for a donation. Don’t give up if one or two or even a dozen refuse – maybe the last one will agree! Every corporation you decide to skip is an opportunity lost – by trying, you automatically increase your chance to get what you want with 100%.

All in all, you see that the proper relationships with corporate sponsors are not hard to build – they just require time and hard work. Just remember – be correct, brilliant and keep your word – if you do that and follow the steps above, corporate donations will be something easy to achieve.