Newsletter: The Fit, Fuel, Footing Framework for a Stronger Corporate Pipeline 💪 ; The Top 100 C-Store Chains 🏪 ; Is it Time for a New Partnership Job? 🤔
In January, we discussed where partnerships are headed in 2025 with Brittany Hill from Accelerist.
📌 The takeaway? Companies are still in, but they’re being more selective and strategic—and a whole lot slower. It’s not about casting a wide net anymore. It’s about aligning with the right partners and knowing how to move them forward.
In April, we tackled the art of outreach with Melanie Newell from Rocket Social Impact.
📌 The payoff? Melanie showed us how to stand out, show value, and get a response without sounding like every other nonprofit sliding into a brand’s inbox.
Now we’re (literally) zooming in on the heart of the matter in a new webinar:
Who’s really ready to partner—and how do you know?
I’m excited to have Jen Maffeo-Morrissey of S3 Catalysts join me for this FREE webinar on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at 1 p.m. EDT.
Jen has spent nearly 20 years bringing together people, companies, and communities for top organizations like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and No Kid Hungry. She’s passionate about helping teams focus on what works by using best practices, smart strategies, and simple tools to make partnership-building more effective, efficient, and rewarding.
Jen will share her Fit, Fuel, Footing Framework. (I love the concept and the alliteration!) It's a practical, no-nonsense approach to qualifying prospects based on alignment, available resources, and actual readiness to engage.
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Vet potential partners based on mission fit, resource potential, and access to decision-makers
✅ Group and prioritize your list so you’re not stuck in “maybe someday” mode
✅ Nail your outreach and follow-up strategy to keep things moving
👉🏻 If your pipeline feels big but sluggish, this webinar is for you.
🔗 Grab your spot here and let’s talk about how to work smarter, qualify faster, and close stronger.
✍️ Partnership Notes
In my "Partnership Notes" section, I share stellar corporate partnership programs and show you how to do your job better!
1. May marks both Military Appreciation Month and Mental Health Awareness Month.
💡 Convenience Store News highlights c-store partnerships supporting the military, while MediaPost spotlights brands teaming up with mental health organizations.
Bonus: The top 100 c-stores chains of 2025. Who would you like to partner with in 2025?
2. Should you stay in your current partnership position or move on?
💡Sharon and Linda at Stellar Partnerships give you 10 solid questions to ask before you decide.
🤑 Marketing Your Cause
In my "Marketing Your Cause" section, I share strategies for growing your brand and audience—two key ingredients for securing more partnerships.
1. I always enjoy reading Wounded Warrior Project's e-newsletter Corporate Giving News. It’s a great example of how to keep partners informed and engaged.
💡Wondering why your partnership team should have a newsletter too? Jay Schwedelson, Founder of SubjectLine.com, recently told Hubspot why regular, well-crafted emails are one of the most powerful tools in your engagement toolkit.
"Think of the inbox as a social scroll. Your job is to catch your audience’s eyes and then give them something valuable enough to keep coming back.
The majority of the time you hit send, you’re providing value without asking for something back. Here’s a new stat. Here’s a new tip. Here’s a new trend in the industry. Then every third or fourth email, you’re layering in the ask."
2. Points of Light's monthly advice column, Ask a CSR Friend, is an excellent example of thought leadership. It tackles real-world challenges corporate social impact leaders face in employee engagement.
💡Great thought leadership lives at the intersection of what you do and what your audience cares about. Don’t just be good, be good for something.
3. Speaking of thought leadership...How to stress test ideas before writing thought leadership content.
💡 With this five-step process, create an ideation system that filters for quality, not volume, before green-lighting thought leadership content.
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause
In my "Cool Jobs in Cause" section, I share open partnership positions so you can discover your next adventure.
1. Senior Manager, Partnerships, 9/11 Day, Remote ($80k - $100k)
2. Principal, Enterprise Corporate Partnerships, American Cancer Society, Minneapolis–Saint Paul ($136k - $146k)
3. Director of Corporate Engagement, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Chicago ($127k - $141k)
🧠🍌 Brain Food
In my "Brain Food" section, I share things that spark inspiration, fuel curiosity, and bring a smile to your face!
1. Carol “Mom” Cone just released her 200th podcast episode, and it’s a standout. It features former Unilever CEO Paul Polman. A huge congratulations to Carol and the Carol Cone On Purpose team on reaching this remarkable milestone!
💡Fun fact: Back in 2018, I encouraged Carol to start a podcast. The rest, as they say, is history!
2. A matchmaking service with a twist: Connecting big givers to programs cut by USAID.
💡I love seeing donors stepping up to fill the gap, but when you look at how big that gap really is, it feels like staring out at the Grand Canyon.😱
3. The hot new perfume is growing in my vegetable garden!
💡You can eat it or dab it behind your ears.👂🍅
