1. Fundraising Masterclass
How to approach the corporate sector
Kate Hursthouse
I’m here to share some secrets about corporate sector giving and how you can persuade them to support your campaigns.
Me – head up CR here at the firm. Started in the charity sector but I’ve been in-house doing CR for 10 years
The firm – the majority of staff are here in this building – approx. 1,100 – half are lawyers. We advise businesses and government, but also football clubs and fintech start ups

2. Led by community partners
How we give
Free legal advice
Volunteers
Led by community partners
Funding
In-kind
First question: how do we give to our community?
1 – pro bono / free legal advice: most valuable thing we can do
2 – volunteers – broad skills
3 – in-kind – this meeting room for e.g.
4 – funding: last thing on the list: it underpins our charity partnerships but it’s often not the primary driver
Fundraising masterclass / corporate sector

3. Our CR strategy Social impact Pro bono Community Employee giving
Charities
Individuals
Legal know-how
Education
Employa-bility
Local support
Staff-led fundraising
Supporting staff charities
Recognising giving
A broad overview of our strategy – nothing new, quite common in legal sector. (Corporates starting to evolve strategies towards having a social purpose)
Question 2: can you tell me what societal issues/causes are most relevant or material for our business?
1 – social impact: the umbrella aim of our activities
2 – Pro bono, Community, Employee giving: our three strands of work
3 – PB strategic areas
4 – Community strategic areas
5 – employee giving strategic areas
Fundraising masterclass / corporate sector

4. Our impact: pro bono Legal Toolkit and Masterclasses for Charities
Free legal guidance for charity professionals
Covers:
charity law
commercial contracts
data protection
intellectual property
Example
Fundraising masterclass / corporate sector

5. Our impact: local support
CoRe programme
Example 2
Fundraising masterclass / corporate sector

6. Getting corporate support
Collaboration
Time
Engagement
Foot in the door
Research
How do you get them to listen and then persuade them to give their support?
Tip 1: do some research - find out what the business has in it’s strategic priorities (if any)
Tip 2: find a way in: is there someone in your network who can make introductions? Someone with a bit of credibility? Can a local authority convene businesses or are there other business forums such as a chambers or others that can provide you with a platform to pitch your cause? Not always easy to find the right person to talk to
Tip 3: Once you get in front of them for that all important pitch meeting, don’t just ask for money. I’ve already said for us it’s not appealing just to give money. How are they going to make sure their staff and clients/customers know about their support of your campaign and can get involved? Think about creating a compelling offer – something that is going to create shared value
Tip 4: Give it time: these things can take a while to percolate in the business – have a long term plan and multiple touchpoints in the year to keep them warm
Tip5: Collaboration is key – small businesses will find it easier if there are a group of them working together rather than doing it in a silo (e.g. organising a fundraising event). They also won’t have dedicated people to coo0rdinate this so think about how you can best support someone who has the passion but not to know-how
Fundraising masterclass / corporate sector

7. Staff engagement and development
Magic ingredients
Strategic fit
Do what they’re best at
Business development
Staff engagement and development
Impact
WRAP UP: I mentioned at the start I would reveal the secrets of corporate giving but it’s really not a secret.
If you remember just five things, here are your magic ingredients to take away when thinking about what will make a successful partnership with a corporate (and that they keep giving you money).
1 – make sure you know what they are trying to achieve with their giving strategy. If they want to support local, you can give them the headline stats about the biggests social issues in their community – this will help them to craft their strategy and build a story
2 – what do they do best? How can you encourage them to contribute with expertise to make sure it’s a valuable partnership?
3 – what can you offer them in terms of business development > opportunity to build their brand amongst clients/customers doing something positive > provide opps for them to build relationships with clients/customers
4 – what can you offer for their staff recruitment efforts (Millennials) > staff engagement > personal and professional skills development
5 – make sure you can give them compelling take-aways so that they can articulate the impact of their involvement
Fundraising masterclass / corporate sector

8. Fundraising masterclass / corporate sector