Newsletter: 7 Webpage Credibility Builders 🏗️ ; UNICEF’s Halloween Comeback 🎃 ; Be a Lighthouse, Not a Beach Ball🗼
If there’s one thing true about corporate partnerships, it’s that experience sells. Companies want to work with nonprofits that have done partnerships before and done them well.
The good news is that most of you have success stories (especially if we’ve worked together on compelling case studies). The bad news is that you’re not showing off your credibility, especially on your partnership page.
Today, I want to change that with a lot of help from one of my favorite marketing minds, Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media Studios in Chicago.
Let's start with Andy's article, These 14 Types of Evidence Instantly Build Trust…and Convert Visitors into Leads.
He identifies 14 credibility builders every website should consider. Not all apply to partnership pages, but many do. Here are the ones that I think matter most for us:
Tesimonials
Partner Logos
Case Studies ⚖️
Impact Metrics & Data
Awards (e.g., Halo Award, etc.)
Number of Happy Clients, Successful Projects, etc.
Team Credentials
You’ll notice the ⚖️ next to case studies; that's because I’m still weighing the evidence (see what I did there?) on whether they belong on your partnership page. You can read this article to understand my latest thinking. For this post, I’m leaving case studies on the list of credibility builders.
Some of the other credibility builders can be visual, while others are as simple as adding one clear sentence about your results or experience. Together, they transfer confidence from your past successes to the partners considering you today.
Next, we need a nonprofit partnership page that puts these credibility builders into action—and I think I found one with my friends at Wounded Warrior Project.
Andy suggests taking screenshots of the partnership page so AI can “see” the trust signals. Then upload them to ChatGPT and use my slightly edited version of his prompt for partnership teams:
You are a conversion optimization expert, skilled at using evidence to support marketing messages. The following types of evidence can be added to webpages: testimonials, client logos, impact metrics, awards, number of happy clients/successful projects, and team credentials. The attached images are screenshots of a partnership webpage. Rate the extent to which the page does and does not use supportive evidence. Which marketing claims are unsupported? Show your thinking. Give the site a grade from A to F.
Here’s the quick summary of what ChatGPT found.
WWP's corporate partnership webpage delivers a best-in-class model for nonprofit partner acquisition. A rotating carousel of 20+ partner logos establishes credibility, while authentic testimonials and a downloadable case study demonstrate both impact and business alignment. Strong metrics (270K+ served, 20M veterans represented) reinforce mission scale, though clearer links to corporate contributions and additional case examples would deepen the evidence. With the addition of award recognition (if any) and more outcome-focused proof points, WWP could elevate this page from excellent to industry-leading.
Grade: A
Wow, WWP's partnership page is wicked awesome! ChatGPT's full two-page evidence audit of WWP's page is available here. It's worth checking out.
👉 Your turn: Take screenshots of your partnership page, run the same evidence audit, and see how your organization scores. Then start adding proof that makes companies say, “These folks are partnership pros!”
✍️ Partnership Notes
In my "Partnership Notes" section, I share stellar corporate partnership programs and show you how to do your job better!
1. “Purple Pump Up” shows small-scale campaigns can drive big impact.
💡 Now in its 14th year, Volta Oil’s annual fundraiser turns the pumps purple at 17 Garrett’s Family Market and Rapid Refill locations across New England to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. This year’s effort raised over $129,000, bringing the total to nearly $1.5 million since the campaign began. For partnership pros, it’s a reminder that consistency and community can turn a few local stations into a million-dollar movement.
2. Public Inc. helps UNICEF, KOTN resurrect a Halloween classic with a digital twist.
💡 Remember those orange UNICEF boxes we carried while trick-or-treating? They’re back from the 1990s graveyard—only now they appear on limited-edition KOTN sweatshirts, made by the Canadian sustainable apparel brand known for ethical basics. Each sweatshirt features a scannable QR code for real-time donations to UNICEF. The campaign brings nostalgia and impact together in one wearable cause, proving that the best brand partnerships don’t just honor the past—they reinvent it for today.
3. One day. Big impact.
💡 The Human Bean’s annual Drink Pink Day proves how powerful a single “donate profits” day can be. On October 17, the coffee chain donated 100% of sales from all locations to local breast cancer causes—turning every latte and mocha into meaningful support. These one-day efforts work because they’re simple, time-bound, and easy for customers to rally behind. The message is clear: show up today, and your purchase makes a difference.
🤑 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. Reach out to your quiet newsletter fans.
💡 Every list has them: readers who open your emails, click your links, and never say a word. They already like and trust you—but haven’t taken the next step. One simple fix? Reach out personally. Josh Spector pulled up long-time subscribers who consistently engage and sent each a short, genuine email to learn who they are and what they need. Best case, it sparks a real relationship (and maybe a new partner down the road). Worst case, they simply feel seen. Either way, that’s good marketing. I’m going to try it myself—and you should too.
2. Your mission deserves more than what's on this van.
💡 Supporting the communities we serve sounds nice, but it doesn’t move people. As this sharp post reminds us, vague nonprofit language wastes precious space (and attention). Whether it’s the back of your van or the headline on your homepage, trade jargon for heart: tell us exactly who you help and how. Abstractions don’t inspire helpers. They’re inspired by warm meals, safe homes, and kids getting a fair start. Make us see our impact, and we’ll follow you anywhere.
3. From vague to vivid: How Ronald McDonald House refocused its story.
💡 If the last example showed what not to do, this one shows what it looks like when you get it right. The Ronald McDonald House movement is rebranding around “family stays” instead of “houses,” shifting focus from buildings to the families who heal inside them. It’s a subtle but powerful change that reminds donors they’re funding love, care, and connection, not just square footage. When you lead with people and purpose, your message sticks.
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause
In my "Cool Jobs in Cause" section, I share open partnership positions so you can discover your next adventure.
1. Manager, Corporate & Foundation Giving, DonorsChoose, NYC
2. Director, Corporate Partnerships, Shatterproof, Remote ($120k-$135k)
3. Director of Brand Partnerships, charity: water, Remote ($134k-$158k)
🧠🍌 Brain Food
In my "Brain Food" section, I share things that spark inspiration, fuel curiosity, and bring a smile to your face!
1. AI won’t make everyone better—just the best even better. 🎁 (🎁 = I subscribe to this publication and am "gifting" you this article)
💡 AI isn’t leveling the field—it’s tilting it. The partnership pros who already know their stuff are using it to crush it even more, while everyone else risks falling behind. The fix? Make AI a team sport. Share prompts, swap wins, and train together so everyone benefits.
2. Be a lighthouse. Not a beach ball.
💡 I spent last week in Maine and visited the iconic Cape Neddick Light on a stormy day. The light has stood for over a century, unmoved by wind or tide. That’s the kind of nonprofit leadership the world needs right now: steady, bright, and impossible to miss.
3. Gardening for spiders. 🎁
💡 If you love gardening and Halloween (like I do), this one’s for you. A fascinating look at how to make your garden more spider-friendly—because next year, I definitely want more creepy-crawlies out there!
