August 31, 2016

Corporations and What They Want in Today's World of Employee Engagement

"I haven't met you before, but how about a million dollars?" An outrageous ask, right? And perhaps a bit of an exaggeration. But why do fundraisers, who approach major donors so carefully feel it's ok to zing asks like this on potential corporate partners? Approaching companies effectively means understanding what they value and what they want and need, just like that major donor you're cultivating. In this session, you'll hear insights from a Corporate Social Responsibility professional who is on the receiving end of asks and, more so, what companies value in today's competitive work world. With this insight, you'll be better equipped to approach potential partners to work with your organization in new ways (hint: it's not just about the money).

At the conclusion of this session, participants will:

  • Be familiar with the common mistakes fundraisers make when asking companies for money (so they can avoid that)
  • Understand what companies care about today (purpose, culture, employee engagement)
  • Be thinking bigger and more creatively about how to approach a company about a partnership

About the presenters:
Rachel Hutchisson is Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy of Blackbaud, Inc., where she is responsible for global corporate social responsibility (CSR). She brings a strong understanding of corporate marketing and experience in internal communications, corporate culture, and employee relations to her role, having grown professionally within Blackbaud as it matured from start up to an established public company. Rachel serves on the Board of Directors of the Giving Institute, providers of the annual Giving USA study, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Learning to Give and the Coastal Community Foundation.

Andrew J. Troup is Director of Corporate Giving & Engagement Strategy at MicroEdge + Blackbaud, focused on the Corporate Philanthropy & Engagement market. In this role, Andrew helps corporations strategically plan how they can leverage technology to optimize the management and impact of their philanthropic and employee giving programs as well as inspire their employees through transformative engagement programs. As part of this, he works closely with organizations to understand their mission, programmatic goals, and broader needs, in turn providing insights back to the teams at MicroEdge + Blackbaud to continuously grow and improve upon the corporate philanthropy, giving, and engagement solutions and thought leadership resources available. Andrew is also currently leading efforts toward mapping giving and engagement efforts to measurable outcomes, including participation in collaborative efforts to map overall impact in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals.