Commit to a charity partnership
When done well, a corporate charity partnership can be brilliantly beneficial to both parties.
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1. Agree a partner
Choosing a charity partnership can feel a bit daunting if it’s not something you already do. However, it doesn’t have to be onerous and can start small. Listen to your teams and identify charities that your business may already have informal relationships with. The great thing about early childhood organisations is that they are likely to be meaningful to many of your employees.
Ensure that the values and ethics of both organisations are aligned. This alignment fosters a genuine partnership and authenticity in messaging, vital to achieve positive impact.
Both the charity and the company should agree a well-defined purpose for the partnership, it might include employee engagement, brand awareness alongside more traditional fundraising.
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2. Decide on your goals and activity
The more you put into the partnership the more both parties will benefit. There are lots of opportunities which provide value to your employees and impact for society:
- Fundraising events – either create new events or incorporate into events you already have in your calendar
- Match-giving – encourage employees to raise money by matching their efforts
- Employee volunteer opportunities – employees can guide and support individuals served by the charity, fostering personal and professional development
- Skill based pro-bono work – providing your expertise in a thoughtful way
- Awareness raising – use your channels, internal and external (e.g. socials) to spread the word
- Mentorship – find opportunities where employees can guide and support individuals served by the charity, fostering personal and professional development
- Joint research projects – collaborate on research projects relevant to the charity’s goals, using the corporation’s resources and expertise to drive change in the community
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3. Invest in relationship and communications
It’s really important to establish a partnership with both charity and corporate on equal footing. Get to understand each other’s strengths and where support is needed on both sides.
Regularly evaluate the partnership’s effectiveness using established metrics. Gather feedback and make necessary adjustments to ensure that the partnership remains productive and beneficial for both parties over an extended period.
Set a calendar of communications and activities to maintain momentum. It’s really vital the partnership is lived through every part of the organisation and visibly supported by the leadership team.
Case study: Deloitte
The partnership between Teach First and Deloitte is part of a long-term shared vision to address educational inequality in the UK. For over 15 years the partnership forms part of Deloitte’s 5 Million Futures ambition.
Shared mission: Both organisation share a commitment to improving educational opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
Strategic collaboration: The partnership was formed to leverage Deloitte’s expertise in training, development, and business acumen, combined with Teach First’s knowledge of the education sector.
Programme development: The collaboration has involved developing programmes designed to enhance leadership skills among teachers and their impact in schools. As part of the work with The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce the programme has added additional support for the early years.
Volunteering: Deloitte employees are encouraged to volunteer their time and skills to support Teach First initiatives, helping to build educational programs, provide mentorship, and offer career development support to students.
Funding: Deloitte has provided financial support and resources to help Teach First scale its impact and reach more schools and students.
The partnership highlights how collaboration between corporate and non-profit organisation can amplify efforts to make a difference in society and for early childhood.
Why this matters
It is in businesses’ interest to address the early childhood education and care challenge that many of their employees are facing, by acknowledging the important role it plays in their employees’ lives and considering any support they can provide.
Improve early childhood education and careRelated actions
