Did you know that Network for Good sees online giving activity spike by factors as high as ten in the days following a large-scale humanitarian or natural disaster?

That’s just one insight Network for Good has gleaned from our over 10 years of experience powering disaster response giving campaigns. We also know that in the wake of a natural disaster, American companies are extremely generous, offering funds, product donations and PR attention to the relief effort. That generosity can extend further if companies have established partnerships with nonprofits involved in the response. 

Your organization performs a vital role in the corporate responsibility ecosystem: you extend the reach of your corporate partners into the community and facilitate their good works. In times of disaster, your organization may be called upon to provide much needed relief and rebuilding assistance. As an organization on the ground, you have a deeper understanding of the need and scope of the response for the disaster at hand and are in a position to advise corporate partners on how they can help in the most effective way. But you have to build a strong relationship with those corporate partners in advance to be in a position to truly guide their donations. 
 
Here’s how to build a deeper relationship with corporate partners. Seek corporate partners who:
 
  • share your values and respect your mission
  • value the assets and expertise you bring to the partnership
  • invest their resources (beyond $) to help with communication, training, program supplies etc…
  • hold you accountable for how you use their philanthropic investment
  • take a long-term approach to partnership and seek to evolve the relationship over time
  • have ties to the community in which you serve (partners can be local, national or global)
  • champion your cause and celebrate your partnership’s accomplishments with their employees, customers and stakeholders
 
Don’t wait. Now is the time to start building deeper partnerships with companies so you are ready when the next disaster strikes.
 
This content was funded by a generous grant from Cisco Systems, Inc.