“One of my colleagues walked into my office and said, “Dream ten, dream ten, Charlie, what’s that all about? Why is that logo up there?” And I said, “Well, there are companies that I would like to work with, and this is to prompt a conversation to say, do you know someone that works there? And could you get me through the door?”

Growing existing partnerships and winning new ones – these are the two main ways to increase corporate fundraising income for a charity. But they are easier said than done. Since joining her charity in a newly created role focused on corporate partnerships, Charlie (Charlotte) Richardson has grown partnerships income in both ways. 

In this interview she shares the techniques she learned on the Corporate Partnerships Mastery programme that she’s used to deepen relationships and add value with her charities’ partners – this has led to an increase in income of £100,000 in the last year with one partner – as well as how she’s found and built brand new partnerships – one worth £50,000 – from scratch.

We’d love to know what you think about these ideas! Thank you for sharing the episode, so it helps as many charities as possible. Charlie and Rob are both on LinkedIn.

Episode overview

Introduction to Medical Detection Dogs (00:02:47)  

Charlie outlines her role and the charity’s mission to train dogs to save lives with their sense of smell.

Key Learnings in Fundraising (00:04:14)  

Emphasising the importance of deepening corporate relationships for mutual benefit.

Leveraging Local Corporates (00:05:41)  

Exploring partnerships with local businesses to enhance fundraising.

Using Networks Effectively (00:06:49)  

Utilising volunteers and staff networks to connect with corporates.

Importance of Relationship Management (00:07:57)  

Building rapport through initial conversations rather than direct funding requests.

Success with the Dream Ten (00:09:27)  

Charlie’s “Dream Ten” strategy leads to a major partnership with a local company.

Collaborative Corporate Volunteering (00:12:26)  

Showcasing the mutual benefits of corporate volunteering for the charity.

Strengthening Existing Partnerships (00:13:09)  

Insights on enhancing relationships with long-term supporters for collaboration.

Building Trust Internally (00:17:04)  

Overcoming challenges in gaining internal trust while managing corporate relationships.

Evaluating Relationship Value (00:20:06)  

Discussing the increased value from deepening corporate partnerships.

Increased Relationships (00:20:17)  

Charlie highlights raising £100,000 through more effective conversations with an existing partner.

Corporate Partnerships Mastery Recommendation (00:20:58)  

Charlie recommends Corporate Partnerships Mastery course for new insights and networking.

Focus on Key Partnerships (00:22:49)  

Explaining how the “Dream Ten” strategy prioritises partners and streamlines fundraising.

Further Resources

Fundraising Bright Spots Episode 166 – Building a transformational strategic partnership, with Megan Marsden and Natalie Wood

Fundraising Bright Spots Episode 155 – Inspiring your corporate partners with Chris Salt

Fundraising Bright Spots Episode 150 – High Value Fundraising using LinkedIn with Michelle Benson

Building a million-pound partnership

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Need to transform your Corporate Partnerships or Major Donor fundraising?

To learn tried and tested techniques for growing corporate partnerships income, and get help in implementing them, check out our ever popular Corporate Partnerships Mastery. 

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