Newsletter: Attract Partners Faster with an Ideal Partner Profile 🧲 ; How to do Cause Marketing with Airports 🛬 ; The Role of Personal Decision Drivers in B2B Buying 🧐
Let’’s recap!
Last month, we covered some solid strategies for ramping up your nonprofit’s lead generation for this final quarter.
First, I outlined nine actionable ways to attract more and better leads.
Then, I shared three compelling reasons your partnership team should publish a lead-generating newsletter.
Last week, I dove into the essential sections every partnership newsletter needs for maximum impact.
👉🏻 👉🏻 This week, we’re exploring ChatGPT and how it can help you craft an Ideal Partner Profile (IPP) to attract the right partners faster.
If you’re new to ChatGPT, here’s the deal: it’s like having an extra (wicked smahht) brain in the room, giving you fresh ideas without the hassle.
Here’s a step-by-step guide with examples tailored to a veteran's charity, which is especially relevant since many of my current case study clients are in that sector.
Step 1: Start by Getting Clear on Your Mission and Goals
First things first, open ChatGPT. Tell it who you are, who you serve, and what you want in a partner. Try something like this:
“We’re a veteran's charity supporting veterans’ mental health, looking for corporate partners to help us fund and expand our programs.”
Then, ask ChatGPT:
“What criteria should we look for in an ideal partner for a veteran's charity focused on veterans’ mental health?”
ChatGPT will respond with qualities like shared values, commitment to mental health, and maybe even some industry suggestions. Bingo! You’ve got a starter list of qualities to work with.
Step 2: Use Case Studies to Spot Trends
If you’ve got a few partnership success stories, dig them out—they’re gold. With the paid version of ChatGPT, you can upload your case studies directly. If you’re using the free version, summarize each case study instead.
“Our charity teamed up with a fitness brand to raise funds through a charity race event for veterans.”
Now, plug these into ChatGPT and ask, “What trends or similarities do these partnerships have?” ChatGPT will spot patterns—like partners in health and fitness or companies with strong community involvement—and help you zero in on companies likely to say “yes” in the future.
Step 3: Dig into Specific Attributes
Here’s where you go from broad strokes to detail. Get specific by industry. For example, ask ChatGPT:
“What attributes should a partner in the healthcare sector have if they align with a veterans charity focused on veterans’ mental health?”
ChatGPT might suggest targeting healthcare companies with mental health programs or services tailored for veterans. Write these down! Now, you’re looking for the right companies in the right industries.
Step 4: Find the Partner’s “What’s in It for Me?”
A great partnership is a two-way street. ChatGPT can help you determine what benefits your partner might expect so you can frame the pitch accordingly. Ask:
“What would a corporate partner in the tech industry gain from partnering with a veterans charity focused on veterans’ career training?”
ChatGPT will highlight perks like brand loyalty in the veteran community, employee engagement opportunities, or positive brand association. These insights give you talking points to emphasize during your pitch.
Step 5: Give Your Profile a Memorable Name
This is where you add a little brand magic. Giving your IPP a name makes it real—and memorable. When I worked at a safety net hospital, we called one profile “Bootstrappers” for people who grew up poor, made it big, and understood the need for a safety net. It was easy to remember, and everyone knew what kind of partner we were going after.
For a veteran's charity, you could try names like “Resilience Builders” or “Allies in Healing.” Need ideas? Ask ChatGPT, “What would be a good name for a partner profile focused on companies that support veterans’ mental health?” It’ll give you a few suggestions, and you can pick one that feels right.
Step 6: Let ChatGPT Pull It All Together
Finally, ask ChatGPT to put everything into a summary. Try something like:
“Based on the criteria, attributes, and mutual benefits we discussed, can you create a profile for an ideal partner for a veterans charity?”
ChatGPT will generate a summary with target industries, key values, and unique benefits, combining your IPP into one powerful resource. A clear, memorable IPP keeps everyone on the same page, helping you focus outreach efforts on companies most likely to say “yes.”
Using ChatGPT like this gives you a leg up, even if you’re new to AI. By the end, you’ll have a targeted Ideal Partner Profile ready to guide your outreach and connect your nonprofit with the right partners.
✍️ Partnership Notes
1. This article on fundraising at Melbourne Airport 🛬 got me thinking about how other airports have partnered with charities to raise money.
Denver International Airport (DEN): Denver introduced change collection containers at security checkpoints to support Denver's Road Home. Within a year, passengers donated over $82,000.
London Heathrow Airport (LHR): Heathrow has installed numerous donation points throughout its terminals, raising significant charity funds. The airport collected over £1.3 million through these efforts.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): In August 2024, DCA launched the Donate Don't Discard program, collecting unopened and gently used toiletries from passengers to benefit local nonprofits.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS): In collaboration with HMSHost International, Schiphol introduced donation bins for passengers to deposit small PET bottles. The returnable deposits from these bottles are donated to charities to fund clean drinking water projects in Africa.
London Stansted Airport (STN): Stansted collects unwanted foreign currency from passengers and staff. These funds are donated to local causes within a 20-mile radius of the airport, supporting sports clubs, pre-schools, and other local charities.
London Gatwick Airport (LGW): Since 2015, Gatwick has raised over £1 million for its charity partners through fundraising activities, including events and passenger donations.
2. Prospects are increasingly influenced by personal decision drivers instead of professional ones.
Look at #3 for 2024: "Active thought leaders in their category/sector." Thought leadership shot up from #20 in 2023! It aligns perfectly with what I’ve been saying these past weeks about publishing a corporate partnership newsletter to position yourself as a thought leader.
3. The timing could have been better, but this is cool. Tony’s Chocolonely partners with The Washington Post to give socially conscious chocolate lovers ‘Food for Thought.’
4. "Don’t buy Accelerist software!” Accelerist CEO says it best: "Sometimes, you need more than just a system—you need people."
😇👫 Purpose People is a new, 'non-agency' solution that brings strategy, support, and expertise to your corporate fundraising. Before you invest in tech, leverage experts for 90% less than other agencies.
Click here to see how. 🤝 (🤝 = This is a sponsored link from one of SG's trusted partners.)
🤑 Marketing Your Cause
1. Copywriting guru Tom Ahern shares the nine spots on a printed page where you can grab a supporter's attention.
2. How Florida's Suncoast Humane Society used ChatGPT to launch a fundraising campaign featuring Max the dog and Whiskers the cat, raising $36,000. 🔒(🔒 = This article is behind a paywall, but I can email it to you)
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause
1. Director, Corporate Initiatives, Alzheimer’s Association, Dallas, TX ($125k - $150k)
2. Corporate Partnership Associate, Boston Medical Center, Bawston
🧠🍌 Brain Food
1. Unlike in 2020, Nike, Under Armour, and Absolut have not encouraged voting this election cycle. Sad, but I get it. But be sure to check out one company that did: Online sleepwear company Petite Plume. Proceeds from their campaign benefited I Am a Voter, a nonpartisan organization aiming to educate and mobilize voters.
2. Many companies kept quiet before the election, but if civil unrest follows, that could quickly change. (Scroll down to Are Business Leaders Ready to Speak Out?)
2. Indie folk band Bon Iver performing the patriotic 1862 classic Battle Cry of Freedom gave me goosebumps! 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
