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Tips on Reaching Corporate Funders

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1. Build Corporate Partnerships.

From Mario Hernandez

  1. Shift your posture from needing help to offering opportunity. Change “We’re looking for sponsors” to “We’re building a movement around [cause], do you want to co-author the story?”
  2. Ditch the gold-silver-bronze garbage. Create partnership experiences that feel custom-built. Fund an innovation lab, co-host a thought leadership series, or launch a branded scholarship program.
  3. Play offense on LinkedIn. Don’t expect them to find you. Go to them, name them, thank them.
  4. Build a Corporate Advisory Council. Once they feel bought-in, the dollars will follow.
  5. Make it ridiculously easy to say yes. Your ask should be crystal clear: “We have a $25,000 project funding gap. Here’s what you’ll get in return. Here’s how your brand will be celebrated.”
  6. Follow up like a human, not a robot. Send them micro-wins like “Just wanted to share, we hit 100 youth served this month!” or “This story made me think of your team’s values.”

2. Pitch a Mutual Benefit for Corporate Funding.

From Kevin L. Brown.

Corporations give $21 billion annually, most want a mutually beneficial partnership. Propose a two-way street across four dimensions:

Philanthropy:

  • You get: Thoughtful, strategic, aligned grants.
  • They get: A trusted home to invest their mandated giving.

People:

  • You get: Volunteers and expertise.
  • They get: A happier staff.

Platform

  • You get: New audiences.
  • They get: Strengthened brand positioning and powerful differentiation.

Product (In-kind Giving)

  • You get: Free resources and tools.
  • They get: To leverage their core business in the service of others.

Is the Grant Worth Going For? & What do Funders Want to Know?

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How do you decide what grants are worth your time?

From Lauren A. Burke

A matrix, essentially a scorecard, to help you rate how well your organization matches a grant criteria. It includes:

  • Issue Area
  • Geographical Scope
  • Connections
  • Application Lift
  • Amount of Funding

Six steps to finding the true costs of programs.

From Bridgespan

A Nonprofit Cost Analysis Toolkit: walks through a one-week to one-month process for performing a true cost analysis, which includes looking at indirect, or overhead, costs (e.g. administration, marketing, operations), not just programs.

How to approach funders for collaborative grants.

From: Amanda Davis

  • Why funders value collaboration
  • What they expect in proposals
  • Practical steps your nonprofit can take to successfully secure collaborative grants

Have these ready when that grant opportunity appears.

From Matthew Johnston

  1. Financial systems documented and audit-ready
  2. Program outcomes clearly defined and measurable
  3. Partnership agreements formalized
  4. Impact data collected and analyzed.
  5. Starting this capacity building doesn’t require massive investment. Begin with fundamentals every application asks for: create a simple logic model connecting activities to outcomes, establish basic data tracking, document your financial processes, draft template partnership letters, and compile organizational documents into a grant-ready folder.

Track the right numbers for nonprofit success.

From Allison Gregory

Metrics that cut through the noise and stabilize fundraising:

  • Board Giving & Fundraising Participation
  • Donor Retention Rate, New Donor Conversion, & LYBUNT* Recapture Rate
  • Donor Engagement Score & Recurring Donor %
  • Donor Lifetime Value & Average Gift Size

*Last Year But Unfortunately Not This

Differentiate your ask.

From Emily Gaylor

  • Renewed Donors: Ask for a second gift, an upgrade, or a targeted contribution to a special program.
  • Event Donors: Keep the ask simple and concrete – something like $50–$100 for a program that connects directly to the event they attended.
  • Current Donors: Remind them of their last gift and ask them to increase it by 50% or enroll in your recurring giving program.
  • Lapsed Donors: Reintroduce them to your mission, acknowledge their past support, and make a specific, emotionally resonant ask that matches their last gift amount.
  • Non-Donors (prospects): Make a simple, tangible first ask ($50–$100) tied to a visible outcome.

A graphic “Wheel of fundraising success”.

From Sarah Squire

Every spoke of the wheel, from systems and stewardship to messaging, needs:

  • Clarity of purpose
  • A roadmap
  • Consistency
  • Measurement
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

The Power of Strategic Prospecting

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Find the Right Funders — Not Just Any Funders

Join us for this Online Workshop | Tuesday, November 4, 9am-11am CST | $99 for One / $125 for Up to Four

– REGISTER BELOW –

Stop chasing “eligible” and start chasing “ideal” with smarter research and sharper insights

Finding the right funders takes more than checking eligibility boxes. Strategic prospecting means digging deeper into a funder’s past giving, geographic focus, values, openness to new grantees, typical grant sizes, key contacts and relationships, and nuanced language.

In this interactive workshop, you will gain practical tools that go beyond surface-level research and build stronger, more targeted prospect lists. You will also learn how to identify funders that truly align with your mission, increasing your chances of meaningful and lasting support.

Agenda

  • Welcome & Kickoff
  • Strategic vs. Basic Prospecting
  • Prospecting Tools That Work: Compare databases, see a live tutorial, and focus your search
  • AI and the Future of Prospect Research: Discover how artificial intelligence can sharpen and deepen your search
  • Framing Your Work for Funders: Position your mission to resonate with funders
  • Ask Us Anything: Bring your questions for an interactive Q&A

Who Should Attend

Our workshop is perfect for development staff, grant writers, nonprofit leaders, and board members—whether you’re with a large institution like a university or arts organization, or just getting started in your search.

For those ready to move beyond the “usual suspects,” this workshop offers tools to explore small family foundations, national foundations, and corporate funders. You’ll learn how to assess not just eligibility, but whether a funder is truly the right fit for your mission, values, and community.

Organizations of every size and budget will gain practical tools, insider insights, and connections to strengthen their fundraising strategy and secure sustainable support.

Takeaway Materials Include:

  • Presentation Slides & Video Recording
  • Packet of Prospecting Resources 
  • 990 Demo
  • Grants Calendar Template
  • Responses to the Workshop Q&A
  • Two-week Free Trial of Access Philanthropy’s Database of Funder Profile

Presenters

Steve Paprocki (he/him) has dedicated more than 45 years to philanthropy, serving as a foundation director, fundraiser, trainer, donor consultant, author, researcher, and lobbyist. A former program officer, foundation advisor, and research director for national and regional think tanks, Steve has worked with nonprofits across the U.S. and internationally, helping them connect with the right people at the right time to achieve their goals. He has authored more than two dozen books and directories on foundations and corporate giving programs and has taught philanthropy, fundraising, and communications in undergraduate and graduate programs for both business and nonprofit students. Steve holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas, and he continues to draw on his diverse experience and extensive network to strengthen nonprofits and the communities they serve.

Kirsten Gulbro (she/her) has more than 20 years of fundraising experience and more than $100 million raised for Minnesota’s nonprofit community, Kirsten is deeply passionate about supporting mission-based work. She’s worked for organizations with a variety of missions, including social services, education, arts and culture, workforce development, and environmental conservation. Kirsten holds a Master of Nonprofit Administration Degree from Metropolitan State University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Augsburg University. Her professional experience includes grant writing, corporate sponsorships, major gifts, special events, nonprofit communications, and prospect research.

Kathy Bonnifield, Senior Program Officer at the Piper/Proteus Fund, is an accomplished, connected leader with over 20 years of nonprofit and philanthropic experience building the space for and power of justice-based collective action—across the United States and globally.

As Senior Program Officer at the Piper Fund, Kathy works to unite groups across traditional divides to unleash the power of common purpose of protecting and advancing judicial integrity. In support of that mission, Kathy has spearheaded specialized trainings, messaging research, and shared-learning forums to expand the impact of individual organizations by drawing them into a larger community of advocates.

Her previous work includes advancing and protecting voting rights and election integrity as the Executive Director of Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota and supporting grassroots coalitions advocating for land and water rights in Southeast Asia and women’s economic advancement in East Africa as The McKnight Foundation’s International Program Administrator.

She is a University of Minnesota Humphrey Policy Fellow and has an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.

What Workshop Attendees Have to Say:
“I always enjoy your seminars – lots of info presented well.”

“Steve has an incredible wealth of knowledge. I appreciate his generosity in sharing what he knows. I always learn something new!”

“Some trainings just provide ideas, but you gave me the tools I need to go out and get started.”

“Having specific examples, and the various tips and tools you shared are also very appreciated.”

“The training was succinct and to the point!”

About Us

Our team of seasoned fundraising professionals brings decades of experience and a strong network of relationships across the philanthropic sector. Our insider knowledge provides a unique advantage: we understand funder trends, shifts in priorities, and gather insights that go far beyond what’s posted on websites or IRS 990s. By combining proven research techniques with real-time intelligence from our connections across the sector, we’ll help you make informed decisions and approach funders with confidence.

$99 for One / $125 for Up to Four

Small Family Foundation Workshop Survey

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