Supporting Sustainability Initiatives Through Corporate Partnerships

University leaders face increasing pressure from stakeholders, including trustees, alumni, and current students, to address environmental concerns. Simultaneously, corporations across industry sectors experience the negative impacts of climate change, such as supply chain disruptions, raw material shortages, and rising energy costs.

To both mitigate and adapt to these impacts, university leaders and corporate executives form mutually beneficial partnerships. This report offers best practices for developing and maintaining corporate partnerships that support sustainability efforts on campus.

Identify shared values and available campus resources

At all profiled institutions, initial conversations between university and corporate leaders identify alignment within stated organizational values and aspirations. Subsequently, both sides can establish key priorities for their partnership. For example, at Institution B, sustainability staff’s willingness to use campus as a testbed for research aligns with corporate partners interested in testing innovative products or processes on campus. Similarly, at Institution A, the emphasis on innovation and their existing online program offerings present corporate partners with an attractive value proposition to upskill their workforce.

“University leaders should provide flexibility in partnership opportunities to attract a more diverse range of corporations.”

Establish long-term goals and collect stakeholder feedback

Commonly, corporation executives and university leaders agree on multi-year partnerships that encompass multiple areas across campus. At Institution E, these corporate partnerships range from two to ten years, during which corporations can sponsor a variety of campus activities, including sustainability research and scholarships. To determine viable partnerships and establish partnership goals, university staff convene industry-specific working groups comprised of students, staff, and faculty. These working groups continuously evaluate progress on strategic goals throughout the duration of a partnership.

Manage corporate relationships through a centralized institutional office

At Institution A, Institution B, and Institution E, a centralized business development office manages new and existing corporate relationships to generate donations for sustainability initiatives. For example, staff within Institution A’s business development office establish clear and consistent communication between the institution and each corporate partner. Additionally, these specialized staff connect corporate partners to the relevant university stakeholders to capitalize on new partnership opportunities.

Leverage multiple communication outlets to market sustainability initiatives

Sustainability leaders at all profiled institutions use tailored communications (e.g., websites, social media) to highlight recently completed research projects and successful campus initiatives. At Institution B and Institution C, sustainability staff organize new research into distinct focus areas on their website so donors can easily access this information and contribute directly to causes of interest. Staff at Institution D also highlight the institution’s research capabilities (e.g., work in urban sustainability) through campus and local media outlets to build municipal-level research and business partnerships.

“Messaging targeted towards specific groups (e.g., donor-facing webpages, social media posts) can help engage corporate executives in current work and initiate partnership interest.”

Market your institution’s accessibility to develop local partnerships

Contacts at all profiled institutions expressed the importance of partnering with key industries and corporations in the surrounding area. For example, Institution A’s campus facilities allow corporate partners a unique opportunity to co-locate with university personnel and resources. These locations across the surrounding metropolitan area offer a diverse range of research, clinical, and office spaces, along with direct access to students and faculty.

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