What to know about seeking corporate support right now

Federal funding for nonprofits is in a state of flux, and the future of many government grantmaking programs is uncertain. Though many private foundation funders and individual donors have said they plan to step up their giving and address the current challenge, they won’t be able to fill the gap left by the loss of government grants.  

That said, as discussed in our recent webinar, Funding Beyond Federal: How to Diversify Funding to Ensure Stability in Uncertain Times, there are ways to bolster your nonprofit’s financial stability in current times. One way is to access corporate support. Here’s how to get started. 

Why seek corporate support now? Is it a good time? 

Fundraising from corporate sources has its own level of uncertainty. Corporate giving isn’t the largest of nonprofit funding sources ($44.4 billion in fiscal year 2024, compared with $109.8 billion from independent, community, and operating foundations), but data suggests it’s growing. A survey fielded by ForMomentum in February and March found the majority of companies surveyed (72%) planned to support about the same number of nonprofit partners in 2025 as before. Seventy-two percent planned to maintain overall giving; only 14% expected to reduce the amount. While there’s been a noted drop since 2022 in the percentage of companies listing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion as a top cause they support, the percentage of companies evaluating new nonprofit partnership opportunities as they arise has increased from 57% to 68%. In other words, companies are still interested in making connections. 

What do I need to know before I start seeking corporate support? 

So, what if you’ve never attempted corporate fundraising before? Here are some questions to consider: 

What motivates corporate donors to support nonprofits? The first step is to understand that there isn’t just one way to partner with a company. Corporate donors don’t just think about how to support nonprofits they favor; they often think of all the ways those nonprofits can help them connect with customers, recognize their employees’ interests, and show how valuable they are to the local community.   

How can corporate donors support your nonprofit? Cash donations through a foundation gift or a direct company award are just two ways in which corporations can partner with you. Companies can also donate items or services or work with you to give their employees volunteer opportunities. They can match employee gifts, sponsor events, or partner with you to promote both their products and your work (aka cause-related marketing). If you’re completely new to seeking corporate support, you can review our free Introduction to Corporate Giving course, which explains each of these potential partnerships. 

What are the first steps in seeking corporate support? 

Get a good sense of which companies you can approach: Companies often partner with nonprofits in communities where they have regional offices or stores. That’s where their customers and employees come from, and they’re interested in making sure their customers and employees stay connected. A good first step is to identify 5 companies with a local presence and research their corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and other community relations information. That means looking at a local business journal and/or using your local library’s free business database subscriptions to see what companies are located in your region and how they make gifts. Are there news articles about their sponsorship of a local event? Do they arrange for their employees to volunteer at the local food bank? Do they donate items they manufacture for the benefit of other nonprofits? This kind of research reveals their willingness and ability to give to your nonprofit—and, even more importantly, whether they’ve given to organizations like your own. 

Develop a sponsorship toolkit: A sponsorship toolkit should include audience demographics, visibility opportunities, employee engagement ideas, and metrics for measuring community impact. Essentially, it showcases what you have to offer a company that might support your nonprofit. The sponsorship toolkit is not just for securing event sponsors—it’s for itemizing all the ways you could be an asset to a corporate partner. Here’s a worksheet that will help you work through these questions and prepare you to take the next step. 

Create a pitch: Finally, once you’ve identified companies that may partner with you and clarified the benefits you can offer to those companies, the next step is to approach them. Often, corporate donors don’t have a formal application process; more likely, you’ll reach out to them through their community/public relations department and make a pitch. This worksheet will help you create templates and talking points you can use in phone calls, meetings, or emails to potential corporate supporters. 

Where can I learn more? 

Ready to start developing a plan to seek corporate support? There’s always more to explore and learn. Candid’s help articles offer detailed resources on sponsorship, cause-related marketing, and other corporate fundraising ideas.