In tough economic times many charities find themselves under pressure. You are juggling increased demand with smaller budgets, and trying to engage companies who are facing challenges too.

Our new research, based on a survey of over 50 charity leaders, delivers a clear message: the charities that win in tough times aren’t just resilient – they’re bold.

The Reality Facing Charity Leaders

The data reveals a challenging picture:

• 40% of charities are significantly or severely impacted by current economic conditions.
• 80% say corporate partnerships are very or extremely important to their fundraising.
• However, fewer than 20% are confident of hitting their corporate partnerships targets this year.

In other words, corporate partnerships have never been more vital – or more difficult to secure.

The Barriers Are Real – But Not Insurmountable

Charities told us their biggest barriers to building corporate partnerships are:

• Low brand awareness (56%)
• Difficulty engaging companies (35%)
• Lack of internal support – only 32% said their Trustees and colleagues are fully on board.

With corporate partnerships teams often under-resourced and under pressure, it’s easy to fall into a reactive mode. But our research shows that the charities who are achieving success are adapting their approach.

What Sets the Successful Apart?

The top-performing charities are taking bold, strategic action:

• 66% are focusing on value for the company
• 64% are being more creative in their approach
• 53% are activating their networks by asking Trustees, colleagues and partners for warm leads.

The results speak for themselves – the most successful strategies are those that show clear commercial value and creativity. These are the charities acting like customer-focused innovators – not passive recipients of goodwill.

A Clear Call to Action

If your charity is struggling to get the attention of companies, you need to rethink your approach. That doesn’t mean chasing quick wins or mass mailing companies. It means investing in genuine partnerships that deliver shared value.

Use this link to download our research report

Ready to Be Remarkable?

We’re working with a cohort of charities ready to go further, faster. If you want to:

• Build bold, creative, commercially smart partnerships
• Gain buy-in across your organisation
• Turn corporate partnerships into a strategic advantage

Contact us:

Jonathan Andrews – jonathan@remarkablepartnerships.com
Peter Chiswick – peter@remarkablepartnerships.com
Georgina Oxlade – georgina@remarkablepartnerships.com