Nonprofits, Businesses Can Forge Win-Win Partnerships

There was a full house for the Chamber’s December Sunrise Scrambler featuring local social service nonprofits at the Hyatt Regency Wichita.

Nonprofits had the opportunity to share ways for community business leaders to partner and participate in their work.

Molly Edwards, senior manager for global community relations and corporate giving for Spirit AeroSystems, was the featured speaker on building win-win partnerships between nonprofits and businesses.

“I’ve been blessed with experiences in for-profit and nonprofit organizations,” Edwards said.

She offered five steps to building strong partnerships. It’s a process she’s used throughout her career to assess organizational priorities, research opportunities to align business priorities with nonprofit niches and build successful relationships. But it’s also a good process for setting personal priorities and establishing boundaries, she said.

Create your mission. Figure out what matters and what doesn’t. Identify the challenges and obstacles that keep you from the things that matter. Focus on the solutions to those challenges. Look for partners who can help remove obstacles. Be flexible and relevant. If the past two years taught us anything, it’s that change is constant. Create something unique.

“What you as nonprofits do allows businesses to be servant leaders,” Edwards said.

Do the research. Accept that you can’t be everything to everyone whether you’re a business, a nonprofit or an individual. Look at how the organization you’re considering is positioned, where and how decisions are made, and what factors influence success.

“Spirit has grown a lot in the past seven years,” Edwards said. That growth has brought together different companies and different philosophies of giving that had to be factored into developing a strategy for the organization.

Build relationships. You have to make a commitment to being uncomfortable. Get out of the office and meet people. If that’s hard for you, find someone who can help you connect with others. Be intentional. Choose your interactions with purpose. Have grace. Building relationships takes time and you have to meet the right people.

“We can do more as a team than we can do on our own,” Edwards said.

Become a valued partner. Leverage your branding opportunities – from how you present yourself at a Chamber event to what organizations you choose to partner with, you’re building your brand. Maintain communication, but don’t overwhelm. Respect everyone’s time. Think like a journalist and boil your message down to the headline. Find new ways to engage and help.

Edwards called it the 3 Cs – connect, communicate, collaborate.

Follow up and learn. Saying no isn’t personal or permanent. A no today might not be a no in 1 month, 6 months or a year. Ask different questions. Listen instead of mentally starting your response while the other person is talking.

“Learn about the people and organizations around you, and learn how you can make a difference in the community,” Edwards said. “Be open. Be willing to help.”

Edwards said she was charged with developing Spirit AeroSystems corporate giving plan. To understand the company’s priorities, she met with its leaders across all 10 locations to learn what was important to them and their location. She learned where they were already engaged in their communities and where they wanted to engage more. She also talked to other public-private organizations to see what they were doing.

The company will begin rolling out a giving strategy in 2023 that focuses on STEM, economic development, environmental issues, and diversity and culture. Edwards said the philosophy is about sustainability not only for the company but also for the communities around them and the workforce.

For small businesses, Edwards said the way to give back might not be financial. Finding organizations whose work aligns with your company values and volunteering or giving expertise is another great way to build a win-win partnership.

Sunrise Scramblers are member-only events offering information and resources to Chamber members. You can purchase a Breakfast Club Sunrise Scrambler ticket package for 2023 and get all 12 Scramblers for the price of 10 here.