Common Ground: Building Alliances With Advocacy Groups and Nonprofits

This post was based on the Communitelligence webinar by the same name.  You may purchase the replay of the webinar here.

It’s often difficult for executives at the top of a corporation to understand how anyone can dislike their company. Top corporate leaders often have spent their whole careers inside their company. They like their co-workers. They believe the products or services they provide are helpful, useful and often even essential. And they believe they’re being responsible as they work to maximize earnings for their shareholders. From their point of view, what’s not to like? They fail to see how their company can be tarred by the actions of another company, and they find it almost impossible to see any flaws in their company that might lead to public concern, skepticism or distrust.

Some of them understand that while they shouldn’t take public perceptions of their company personally, they should take such perceptions seriously. The best of them don’t stop at wanting briefings about public opinion. They also want to engage with their stakeholders. There are two basic kinds of engagements.

The first is with stakeholder groups who can help the company further its philanthropic interests. The partnerships Habitat for Humanity has with many different firms in construction and home products is a great example of this. Habitat receives building materials and supplies; the companies strengthen their reputation by giving back to the community.

The second type of engagement involves companies with nonprofit and advocacy groups that at first glance might appear to be uncomfortable for both. The partnership between the Sierra Club and Clorox, for example, wouldn’t strike most people as a natural fit, and it has caused controversy for both the company and the nonprofit. Each, however, saw the other as beneficial to furthering their mission and enhancing their reputation. I believe both also have been exposed to new ways of thinking and hearing that will make them more open, more transparent and more effective.

If you want to learn more about how to forge alliances between companies and nonprofits, sign up for the Communitelligence Webinar on Thursday, May 7, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m eastern time. I have the honor of moderating the session, and you’ll hear from two corporate pros, Bob Langert of McDonald’s and Ed Nicholson of Tyson Foods, about how to make alliances work. It will be worth your time, so take a moment and register today.