Corporate and Foundation Relations

This white paper explores strategies for deepening current engagements and expanding new partners through corporate and foundation relations.

Advancement leaders are under pressure to grow philanthropic revenue from every available source. As a result, many chief advancement officers are increasingly concerned that their institutions are not maximizing giving from corporations and foundations. Our white paper is organized in three sections with 9 best practices to maximize your institution’s unique potential for CFR growth.

Executive Summary: Challenges in increasing corporate and foundation philanthropy

The corporation and foundation philanthropy landscape has become more competitive in recent years. Corporations are building deeper partnerships with fewer organizations and supporting projects that contribute to their business goals. Foundations are limiting funding to projects with a defined scope and high potential for large-scale social impact, and they are prioritizing institutions with whom they have previously worked.

Despite this competitiveness, colleges and universities have key opportunities to expand current corporate and foundation relations (CFR) engagements and gain new partners through strategic investments and planning.

Understand your institution's CFR potential

Opportunities for corporate and foundation support are limited by forces outside of advancement’s control, including an institution’s location, faculty research priorities, and alumni career paths.

Before setting new strategies or reallocating investments for CFR, use this opportunity diagnostic to determine where your institution has the greatest CFR potential and where to focus immediate efforts—either in maximizing current engagements or by laying the groundwork for future success.

Maximize current engagements with one-stop shops

Campus divisions with corporation or foundation connections, like sponsored research, philanthropy, and employer relations, are often housed in separate divisions with different contact people for external partners. Yet corporations and foundations seek a single point-of-entry to ask questions and identify new opportunities.

To deepen current partnerships, take stock of engagements on campus, make…