Newsletter: I Was Wrong. You Can Share Your Case Studies Online 😑 ; Think Gen Z Doesn’t Use E-Mail? Think Again 🧐 ; Museums Push Back on ‘Bad Sponsor’ Narrative​ ✋🏻

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)

- Walt Whiman, Song of Myself, 51

Anyone who has worked with me on case studies knows that I’ve long argued against putting partnership case studies on your nonprofit’s website.

No. Nope. Don't.

[My clients know this because part of my case study service includes showing you how to use the case study I've created for you at every stage of the sales funnel.💥]

My reasoning?

They’re more powerful when shared live, on Zoom or in-person, where you can add context, gauge interest, and guide the conversation. Put them online, and they lose that nuance.

In short, prospects can download them and say "Nah" without ever talking to you. How tragic is that!

However, a recent article over at Frank Strong's Sword and the Script made me rethink my stance.

It’s a deep dive into benchmarks for gated content—white papers, case studies, and reports that require a form (typically a request for one's email address and possibly other professional information).

The report found that high-performing gated assets convert at 10%, with 5% being the average.

In other words, if your content is compelling and targeted, and people are eager for the content, they will share their information to access it.

👉🏻 So here’s my more nuanced take for partnership pros:

• Never (evah) give away your case studies for free. Place a brief teaser on your site—a title, a short blurb, or perhaps a key statistic or quote—and experiment with gating the full version behind a simple form. If you’re not a fan of gating, no problem. Just save the case study for the meeting. That’s where it shines anyway.

• Only gate case studies that are wicked awesome. Not every partnership deserves this treatment. Focus on ones that show clear ROI, standout engagement, or a unique strategy. Your gated content should be your best stuff! Save the more nuanced case studies for meetings where you can unpack them.

• Use gating to start a conversation, not just collect emails. Follow up personally and immediately when someone downloads the case study. “I saw you grabbed our Nordstrom Rack case study. Smart move. It’s a great example of how we helped boost both sales and social impact. Let’s talk about how we could do something similar with you.”

You don’t need to go all-in on a content library. Just a few carefully chosen, well-positioned, and gated case studies can generate warm leads and, when used correctly, land you more and better corporate partnerships!

✍️ Partnership Notes

In my "Partnership Notes" section, I share stellar corporate partnership programs and show you how to do your job better!

1. Puerto Rico has enriched American culture through contributions in music, food, literature, and various other fields. The next contribution may be Pancakes Against Breast Cancer.

💡 Cause campaigns don’t have to be complicated or novel to be powerful. Tie your fundraiser to a beloved ritual, make giving easy, and rally teams and customers around a clear, emotional cause.

2. 4 tips for selling in the summer 😎

💡 Keep prospecting (even now), add vacation vibes to your outreach, turn OOO replies into follow-up gold, and use fall deadlines to create urgency. The pipeline you build this summer is the revenue you close this fall.

3. This year’s Pride festivals are brought to you by small businesses.🎁 (🎁 = I subscribe to this publication and am 'gifting' you this article.)

💡 Small businesses are a big opportunity. They move fast, care deeply about their communities, and don’t need six layers of approval to say yes. If you’re a small or midsize nonprofit, here’s the plan: stop chasing Fortune 500s for a minute and talk to your local hardware store, gym, or café.

4. Your roadmap to a stronger, more strategic CSR program.

This playbook from Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is worth a download. It’s packed with real-talk guidance on how companies can align corporate social responsibility (CSR) with business goals, track their impact, and build deeper relationships with nonprofits. Hand it to a partner, or steal the best lines for your next pitch!

🤑 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. Think Gen Z doesn’t use email? Think again.

💡 According to this research, Gen Z actually prefers email over in-person chats and messaging apps. Nonprofits should double down on thoughtful, well-crafted emails to build meaningful engagement, especially with younger supporters.

2. Content signals intent, but only if it’s tactical

💡 This study found that B2B execs consuming guides, live webinars, and best practices are most likely to buy within three months. That’s no accident, as these formats are tactical, not theoretical. They offer clear next steps, proven methods, and fast wins.

For partnership pros, the message is clear: skip the vision decks and trend reports. Instead, try something like: 5 Ways Our Partnership Engaged Stakeholders and Boosted Brand Lift in Just 90 Days.

Articles like this one (and case studies, of course) are skimmable, actionable, and speak directly to decision-makers ready to move.

3. What a shipping giant can teach you about video​

💡 This breakdown shows how shipping giant Maersk uses video to build brand, share values, and drive trust at scale. For partnership pros, it’s a masterclass in storytelling that attracts the right companies. Lesson: You don’t need viral content. You need the right content for the right audience.

😎 Cool Jobs in Cause

In my "Cool Jobs in Cause" section, I share open partnership positions so you can discover your next adventure.

1. Director, National Partnerships, Arthritis Foundation, Remote

2. Director, National Special Events, Galas & Gatherings, Arthritis Foundation, Remote

3. Assistant Director of Corporate Engagement, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Orange, CA

4. Corporate Giving Officer, San Francisco SPCA, San Francisco

5. Cause-Related Marketing Coordinator, MUSC Health, Charleston, SC

🧠🍌 Brain Food

In my "Brain Food" section, I share things that spark inspiration, fuel curiosity, and bring a smile to your face!

1. UK museums push back on the “bad sponsor” narrative.

💡 One perspective on this is that nonprofits should lead the conversation by framing sponsorships as mission accelerators, not compromises. Don’t wait to defend your partners. Tell the story of why they belong at your side.

But here’s the flip side: if a sponsor doesn’t align with your values, dump. Integrity builds trust and better partnerships.

2. Feel trapped? Like life’s getting sucked out of you? Here’s a reminder: it’s all relative.

💡 A few years back, I got hooked on bog gardens—especially the bug-eating kind. Think sundews, Venus flytraps, and pitcher plants. They thrive in a mix of peat and sand, love constant moisture (rainwater only—no tap!), and feast on unsuspecting insects. Nature’s own little horror show.

Sometimes I hear a bee buzzing in the neck of a pitcher plant and think: nectar is sweet, but the search for it can be bitter. Alas, adieu, sweet buzzy.

The best things about bog gardens are that you can’t overwater them, and they never need fertilizer. If you’re curious, I followed this excellent DIY guide from Brooklyn Botanic Garden to build mine.

3. This was Sherwin-Williams' least popular paint color in 2024. Honestly, it’s not that bad.

If your nonprofit’s branding is even close to this shade, you should absolutely pitch them. Just like underused colors need promotion, so do under-the-radar causes.