BSR Insight | Getting the Most Value Out of Corporate-NGO Partnerships
About the Author(s)
Cammie Erickson, Manager, Global Partnership Development
Publication Date
June 12, 2012
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Companies entering partnerships with NGOs can contribute more than financial resources, such as employee volunteers, marketing support, or product donations. But not all NGOs believe these contributions are as valuable: At the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy Summit last week, Denver Frederick, host of WOR Radio's Business of Giving, pointed out that while 71 percent of companies think non-cash assets are more valuable to NGOs than cash, only 38 percent of nonprofits agree. There is often a mismatch between what companies want to donate, or think is most valuable, and what NGOs actually need. To ensure successful partnerships to tackle social and environmental issues, companies and NGOs must have honest discussions at the outset to define what is most valuable to each side. "Don't give us [just] what you want to give--or get rid of. Give us stuff we actually need. It's about having a dialogue." --Helene Gayle, CEO, CARE, on in-kind product donations from companies to NGOs, at the closing keynote of the CECP Summit (June 6, 2012)
About the Author(s)
Cammie Erickson, Manager, Global Partnership Development
With experience building innovative public-private partnerships, Cammie works primarily with foundation and government funders to leverage BSR’s impact in emerging economies... Read more →
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