Newsletter: 4 Partnership Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2025 [Special Edition]
Tomorrow is the big day. 🎺🎺
Accelerist's Brittany Hill and I are hosting a webinar tomorrow, January 30, at 2 p.m. EST on social impact and partnership trends. Together, we’ll explore the real drivers shaping partnerships in 2025.
👉🏻 👉🏻 I'm excited about tomorrow and already brimming with great insights to share, so I decided to publish this special edition of my newsletter to give you a sneak peek!
Remember, trends are better than predictions.
Think of a trend as a well-worn path forming because people are walking the same way—it’s visible and real.
A prediction is like guessing where that path might lead once it disappears into the woods—it’s informed by the direction of the path but not guaranteed.
Trends vs Predictions
Ok, so here are a few trends to whet your appetite.
✍️ Leading with Humanness. Thanks to technology, especially AI, we are all corporate partnership experts now - or aren't we?
In 2025, smart partnership teams will tap the power of authentic human connection in an increasingly automated world. While digital tools and AI provide efficiency and scale, the most impactful strategies blend these advancements with genuine, human-centered interaction.
Re-emphasizing the human element builds trust, fosters deeper relationships, and sets organizations apart in a crowded landscape, whether at the register, in partner communications, or through thought-provoking leadership content.
Trend proof point: Children's Miracle Network: Point-of-Sale Research Study 2024; Starbucks Returns to Hand-Writing Customers’ Names on Cups
How to bring this trend to life.
Incorporate personalized updates, live conversations, and tailored messaging to make partners feel valued.
Publish compelling, long-form insights that position your organization as an industry leader and resource for your partners.
Use AI for efficiency, but ensure the final product has a human touch, especially in communications and creative outputs.
Integrate human interaction with tech to maximize impact at customer-facing points (e.g., registers or digital interactions).
Bottom Line: Prioritize authentic, human connections in all your partnerships—from donor engagement at the register to personalized communications with corporate partners. Use technology to scale, but let humanity lead.
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🔍 Transparency and authenticity are king. In 2025, transparency and authenticity are no longer optional—they are expectations. Consumers, employees, and partners demand clear, honest communication about how resources are used, where impact is being made, and how organizations uphold their commitments.
Partnerships built on transparency foster trust, while authenticity ensures that messages and actions align with an organization’s true mission and values. In a crowded landscape, partnerships that embrace these principles will stand out as credible and trustworthy.
Trend proof point: Impact Professionals Share Their Predictions for Brand Purpose in 2025
How to bring this trend to life.
Create dashboards, infographics, and email updates that clearly show the outcomes of partnerships and the allocation of resources.
Evaluate your partnerships and initiatives regularly to ensure they reflect your organization’s core mission and values. Avoid overpromising or stretching claims.
Ensure your messaging is consistent across all channels, from internal communications to public-facing platforms.
Train employees to speak knowledgeably about partnership initiatives so they can authentically represent your organization’s impact to customers and donors.
Use storytelling to showcase real-world impact, making transparency and authenticity feel personal and relatable.
Bottom line: Be clear, consistent, and honest. Build trust by openly sharing how your partnerships create impact and ensure that your actions align with your organization’s values.
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🤫 Preparing for more quiet giving. In 2025, the spotlight is shifting from flashy, publicized campaigns to quieter, more discreet acts of giving that focus on tangible impact.
Quiet giving emphasizes authenticity, aligns with corporate values, and minimizes the risks of public backlash or accusations of "cause-washing." Companies are investing in locally focused, community-driven initiatives that reflect genuine care and dedication rather than a pursuit of attention or accolades. This approach fosters trust, loyalty, and meaningful connections with stakeholders.
Trend proof point: 3 Partnership Trends to Watch in 2025
How to bring this trend to life:
Work with local partners to pinpoint high-impact projects where corporate support can make a significant difference.
Avoid large-scale promotions of your giving efforts. Instead, use targeted, subtle communication, such as direct updates to stakeholders or reports highlighting impact without self-congratulation.
Focus on measurable outcomes to demonstrate the effectiveness of your initiatives.
Choose projects that align deeply with your organization’s mission, ensuring your actions reflect your values authentically.
Encourage employees to take the lead in identifying and supporting local causes, enhancing the authenticity of the company’s efforts.
Bottom line: Know your options when speaking to a partner or prospect. Focus on genuine, local impact and let the results speak for themselves. Avoid over-marketing your giving efforts and instead emphasize authenticity and meaningful outcomes.
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⚖️ Balancing profit with purpose isn't optional. In 2025, partnerships aligning business objectives with social impact goals will set the standard for success. Companies are moving beyond surface-level giving to integrate purpose into their core operations, ensuring their initiatives drive measurable social benefits AND business growth. This alignment creates impactful and sustainable partnerships over time as they address the needs of all stakeholders—shareholders, consumers, employees, and communities alike.
Trend proof point: Nutrabolt Partnership with Wounded Warrior Project Powers Sales & Social Impact
How to bring this trend to life:
Collaborate with partners to identify areas where business objectives align with social or environmental goals.
Co-create clear success metrics that track business performance (e.g., revenue growth, brand visibility) and social outcomes (e.g., lives impacted, emissions reduced).
Use case studies to demonstrate the real-world effectiveness of partnerships, showcasing both tangible results and human stories.
Share narratives and data that illustrate how purpose-driven partnerships benefit all stakeholders.
Bottom line: Partnerships that align profit and purpose are more impactful and sustainable. Focus on measurable outcomes, mutual value creation, and compelling storytelling to inspire confidence and drive success.
Join Brittany Hill and me tomorrow to learn how to use trends to your advantage!
