HOTLINE

Answers to Readers' Questions About Corporate Sponsorships, Planned Gifts, and More

The Chronicle's Philanthropy Careers asks its readers to submit questions about job hunting, recruiting, and management challenges in the nonprofit world. In our monthly advice column, we respond to some of your inquiries with tips about resources and wisdom from experts in the field.

Q. Is there a good guide for designing and building corporate-sponsorship packages for nonprofit groups?

A. An effective corporate-sponsorship package is all about bottom-line results, says Colette Phillips, a communications consultant in Needham, Mass., who assists charities with corporate sponsorships and partnerships. Ms. Phillips says that corporations are looking for "long-term partnerships with a high return-on-investment."

A company views a sponsorship as an investment in either its brand image, its relationship with consumers, or both, and so it makes sense to do your homework to find out which consumers a business wants to attract, and how your charity and its donors match up with this market profile. For example, Ms. Phillips points to Reebok's partnership with the American Heart Association this year. "To help fight heart disease and combat obesity, Reebok launched a campaign which my company named 'Wear Your Heart on Your Feet, '" she says. In May, she says, anyone who visited Reebok's Web site and donated at least $25 to the American Heart Association received a pair of DMX Walking Shoes from the shoe company. Reebok committed up to $1-million worth of shoes to the project, says Ms. Phillips. The American Heart Association's mission of battling heart disease through reducing obesity, she says, is a good fit for the fitness-shoe manufacturer.

Also keep in mind that corporations are focused on results, and will want to be able to show that their sponsorship dollars are creating a measurable benefit for the charity, says Ms. Phillips. For example, can you show that the sponsorship brought in more volunteers, improved your group's reach to vulnerable populations, or lessened the stigma associated with a particular disease?

For this reason, it might make sense to go after a multiple-year commitment from a corporation as opposed to a one-year sponsorship, says Kae Moore, vice president for advancement at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, in Interlochen, Mich., which works frequently with corporate donors. "Corporate sponsorships should take a long-term approach, [so that all parties] can really understand the impact their giving is making on the company and the nonprofit institution," says Mr. Moore. It can often take time for the results of sponsorship dollars to bear fruit, and multiple-year commitments lessen the pressure to produce quickly. Of course, he adds, you should still provide the corporate sponsor with annual assessments and reports.

To learn more about corporate sponsorship design, Ms. Phillips recommends these books: Made Possible By: Succeeding With Sponsorship, by Patricia Martin (Jossey Bass, 2003, $30) and Cause Related Marketing: Who Cares Wins, by Sue Adkins (Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999, $39.95). As for online resources, see this previous Philanthropy Careers article about ethical dilemmas that sponsorships can create for charities. You might also find this step-by-step guide for finding corporate sponsors helpful.

Q. I read somewhere that a significant percentage of donations are planned gifts. What's the exact number?

A. Bequests accounted for 9 percent of all giving in the United States in 2003, or an estimated $21.6-billion, according to "Giving USA," an annual report on charitable giving in the United States compiled by the Giving USA Foundation, a unit of the Trust for Philanthropy of the American Association of Fundraising Counsel, in Glenview, Ill. It's a relatively small piece of the total philanthropic pie, compared with donations from living individuals, which account for 74.5 percent of all private gifts, or donations from foundations, which account for 10.9 percent of all gifts, according to the report. But the share of donations given by bequest is climbing, increasing by 10.3 percent since 2002, the report said, due to an increase in household net worth, and also to the distribution of a few large estates. The Internal Revenue Service has more data on planned gifts.You can read more about donor trends here or get a copy of the report yourself by going to the American Association of Fundraising Counsel's Web site, calling (888) 544-8464, or writing to AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy, P.O. Box 1020, Sewickley, Pa. 15143-1020. Paper versions of the report cost $65 each; a CD-ROM version is available for $135.

If you would like to learn more about planned giving, check out the National Committee on Planned Giving, and also the Foundation Center's list of resources on the subject.

Q. I am moving to New York from London, where I had extensive experience working with elderly volunteers and managed a national fund-raising board. What are the best ways for me to apply this experience in the U.S. nonprofit job market?

A. Your experience with elderly volunteers could serve you in good stead over the coming years. As the nation's 78 million baby boomers enter their 60s -- the eldest boomers are now 58 -- the number of older Americans, and their prevalence in the volunteer pool (along with their need for services), is expected to soar. By 2010, the number of American older than 65 will total 39 million, an increase of 17 percent since 1995. Between 2010 and 2030, the population aged 65 and older is expected to grow by 75 percent to nearly 70 million, according to projections from the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Aging.

But while your skills are in growing demand, you will still need to convince employers that you can bridge the subtle differences that exist between charities in different countries.

"People worldwide share common traits -- but cultures can be quite different," says Ann Lacour, director of development for Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, which works on many projects benefiting seniors. "It is important that you show you are capable of moving between different cultures and that you understand the different standards inherent in them," she says. (For more on bridging cultural gaps, check out this previous edition of Hotline, and this profile of an American fund raiser who works for a London charity.)

Ms. Lacour suggests that you start your job hunt by searching for nonprofit organizations that most closely match your previous experience. Perhaps there's an American branch of the organization you worked with in Britain? "Be sure to clearly relate your overseas experience to the local need," she advises. "Don't focus on geography. Focus on your skills and successes instead."

You might make your job hunt easier if you augment your London experience by building a track record with a charity in the United States through volunteering. To find nonprofit groups in your new hometown, check out the opportunities that you can search by ZIP code at Volunteer Match or Volunteer Solutions.

Q. I'm currently serving in the U.S. Navy and would like to enter the nonprofit field when my tour of duty is up. One option I'm considering is starting my own charity. Can you direct me to resources that would help me learn more about fund raising, program development, and finding a mentor?

A. Before you launch a new charity, make sure that there aren't organizations already tackling your chosen mission, advises Christopher Cullen, executive vice president for marketing and communication at the American Legacy Foundation, in Washington. Mr. Cullen served in the U.S. Navy after college, and went on to a career in business before making the switch to the nonprofit world. "Comprehensively scan the 'issue landscape' before starting," he urges. You'll want to know who's out there, he says, and who your "natural competitors" are for financing and positioning.

In fact, a good way to gain firsthand knowledge of the nonprofit landscape is to land a job at a charity that works in your area of interest. For more information about searching for employment, check out Philanthropy Careers' Job Seeker's Primer for information about navigating career fairs, talking to recruiters, crafting a perfect cover letter, and more. Find advice on making the transition from the military to the job market on Transition Assistance Online, a Web site specifically for service personnel who are re-entering the civilian world. Also, be sure to tap into the career resources that are available on your base.

Before you leave the service, you might be able to get a jump on your nonprofit career by volunteering at a charity that works in your area of interest. The best way to get to know people who make hiring decisions is to volunteer -- and it's also a good way to view how charities operate up close. (You might even find yourself a mentor this way.) A previous edition of Hotline addressed how to turn a volunteer position into a paid position.

If you decide that you really would like to start your own charity straight away, Philanthropy Careers has compiled a list of resources that can point you in the right direction.

Got a question about job hunting, recruiting, or managing in the nonprofit world? Send it to us at hotline@philanthropy.com.