Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors mentees singing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Dive into the world of impactful corporate-nonprofit partnerships, and learn how organizations are creating deeper, more meaningful social change when they genuinely join forces for a common cause.
The term “partnerships” often gets lost in translation in the world of corporate social impact.
Many claim it.
But few practice it beyond the old funder-charity model.
This article shines a light on the essence of true collaboration. Our goal is to show what happens when corporations and nonprofits genuinely unite, and how that synergy transcends conventional philanthropy.
So let’s dive into some stories where real partnerships are at work, and let’s discover how such alliances are not just ideal but are actively creating a more inclusive future—in our communities and throughout the world.
The Chobani-Unstuck partnership
Let’s talk about Chobani and Unstuck—a partnership that exemplifies the beauty of corporate-nonprofit collaboration.
Several years ago, the tasty Greek yogurt company took a remarkable step forward by partnering with Unstuck, an organization whose mission is to support job generation for refugees. This collaboration extended Chobani’s long-standing practice of refugee employment and was aimed at encouraging suppliers worldwide to hire refugees.
The partnership also set a precedent for businesses everywhere for hiring refugees
Chobani’s founder, Hamdi Ulukaya—himself an immigrant—has passionately advocated for providing opportunities to refugees since the inception of his company.
Unstuck, an organization dedicated to creating employment opportunities for refugees, works closely with companies to integrate refugees into their workforce.
By leveraging Unstuck’s expertise and resources, Chobani was able to offer a blueprint for how companies can use their influence over supply chains to directly create social impact. Specifically, the partnership highlighted how businesses can provide job opportunities for a group of people most of society tends to ignore.
“This is not a charity-product—we are not making a donation—but instead the purchase of the product inherently provides jobs for refugees working at our fruit suppliers,” Niel Sandfort, Chobani’s Chief Innovation Officer, said in an interview. “Unstuck has the potential to make a meaningful impact on the refugee crisis, so the more brands that come on board, the bigger the impact we can make together.”
This synergy between corporate resources and nonprofit expertise demonstrates the immense benefits that emerge when organizations join forces for a common cause.
Macy’s partnership with Big Brother Big Sisters
In a similar vein, the collaboration between Macy’s and Big Brothers Big Sisters showcases the incredible impact of corporate social responsibility when it is fueled by genuine partnership.
Macy’s Mission Every One initiative represents a comprehensive commitment by the retail giant to address critical social issues, and foster a more inclusive and supportive community for all across their business
Big Brothers Big Sisters, on the other hand, is dedicated to nurturing young people through meaningful, monitored mentoring relationships with adult volunteers.
Recently, Macy’s, with its iconic status and vast reach, offered Big Brothers Big Sisters an unparalleled platform by inviting 30 mentor-mentee pairs to participate in the celebrated Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Big Brothers Big Sisters even held a nationwide talent search to find the adults and young people who got to perform on the fan-favorite Singing Christmas Tree float.
In turn, Big Brothers Big Sisters vividly illustrated Macy’s commitment to creating spaces where everyone is encouraged to express their authentic selves and achieve their highest potential.
“We cannot let go of how impactful it was for other Littles, other Bigs and our network to see their mission out loud and to be empowered by Macy’s,” Deb Barge, Chief Development Officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters, told us in a recent podcast. “We have heard story upon story that Macy’s gave us a moment—and it has now rippled across our entire network—that, if you can see it, you can believe it.”
The question then becomes: How do such impactful partnerships form? What makes them thrive? And what implications do these collaborations have for you as a leader in charge of leading corporate social impact partnerships?
Insights from a partnership pioneer
In seeking answers, we turned to our own Engage for Good CEO Muneer Panjwani, an expert with more than 12 years in fostering successful corporate-nonprofit partnerships that have raised over $130 million from some of the biggest companies in the world.
At the heart of Muneer’s insights is the idea that, while companies can initiate CSR campaigns on their own, the essence of successful collaborations lies in mutual value exchange with an expert nonprofit partner.
These collaborations are not about delegating charity work, he said, but about leveraging each other’s strengths for the greater good.
For example, Muneer recalled the premise on which he built the corporate partnerships program at The Trevor Project: Build partnerships not just around financial contributions but also around identifying valuable assets of each partner to have a deeper impact on the lives of LGBTQ youth.
This involved Trevor’s experts providing guidance to corporate partners on authentic engagement with the LGBTQ community, ensuring campaigns were impactful and well-received by their partners and stakeholders
“Many of the conversations we had were focused on, ‘What are your business goals?’ ‘What internal pain points are you trying to address?’ ‘It’s great that you want to give us money to support LGBTQ youth but, ultimately, how is this also going to help you?’” Muneer said. “When you start that conversation, they start telling you, ‘Well, actually, we’re trying to reach the LGBTQ population in a way that feels more authentic so we’re not rainbow-washing, or we want to address the intersectionality between trans people and their increased risk of suicide.’”
Forging successful partnerships extends beyond recognizing each other’s mutual benefits. It involves reimagining the nonprofit as a strategic partner rather than a beneficiary.
That’s why Muneer advises it’s important for nonprofits to recognize their worth and negotiate partnerships that reflect a balanced exchange of business and cause value. This reframe from charity to strategic partner transforms the dynamic, encouraging a more equitable and effective collaboration that leads to mutually shared benefits
7 essential strategies for a successful partnership
Here are seven strategies recommended by Muneer to build mutually beneficial partnerships:
Seek partnership, not charity
In early conversations, seek to understand the pain points and needs of each partner. Then identify assets each partner is bringing to the table to solve those challenges.
This transparent exchange is foundational to any impactful sustaining partnership.
Set a new standard for success
Try not to get stuck in old frameworks of nonprofit and corporate partnerships. Once you’ve identified shared challenges and opportunities, become agile and creative to build new approaches that combine the various elements of the partnership. Set a new standard for integrated partnerships at your organization.
Chase impact milestones
Agree on metrics that go beyond financial contributions to include milestones that track progress toward your goals. Whether that’s an employee engagement program or pro-bono consulting project, create milestones that help you celebrate and communicate your success throughout the partnership.
Pivot, pivot, pivot
Strong partnerships often come from facing unique challenges together. Be honest when problems arise, maintain a solutions mindset, and pivot together.
Transparent problem-solving is undervalued and under-delivered in nonprofit and for-profit partnerships. Demonstrate you can get through hard times together, and the partner will respect you even more.
Money can’t buy agreement
Keep your mission-centered North Star in sight and don’t let money influence decisions. Create a framework that clearly outlines who the decision-maker is for which element of your partnership. Empower your team to push back or say no when necessary to maintain mission integrity.
Push back and say no with clear reasons and bring new solutions to the table to move forward.
When in doubt, reference your agreement
Agreements should clearly list responsibilities and deliverables of each partner. Get specific: How many social posts will you do? What type of employee engagement is included. What is the financial agreement and how will it be paid? What happens if things don’t go as planned?
Frontloading this information during contract negotiation will set you up for success when challenges arise during execution.
The end is the new beginning
Build a closing report that outlines how your partnership reached the goals you agreed upon. Include reliable data, heartwarming testimonials, challenges you faced, what you learned from them, and ideas for continuing the partnership.
Present new ideas for a partnership that reflect the learnings from the previous partnership and ask, “How can we continue our partnership?”
Remember: It’s better to treat the partnership as a mutual exchange of value, not a one-sided charitable endeavor. It’s all about having a shared purpose that guides your collective efforts.
In Muneer’s words, the magic happens when both entities see each other not just as a means to an end but as integral partners striving toward a common business and impact goal.
So, as we step forward to forge new partnerships or deepen existing ones, let’s keep our shared “why” at the forefront and let’s make some magic happen—not just as allies but as the architects of a brighter, more inclusive world.
