The new guide from Ecclesiastical Insurance Group explores lessons from the pandemic and will help charities develop stronger partnerships with businesses

A new guide has been created to help charities boost links with the business world.

Corporate partnerships and Covid: lessons from the pandemic draws on insight from leading charities to provide advice and guidance on how to make the most of working with a corporate partner.

The report draws on insight from beneficiaries of last year’s Movement for Good awards, who took part in two virtual roundtable discussions on how Covid-19 has impacted corporate partnerships and how charities can better engage with business.  

The guide highlights the value of long-term partnerships that go beyond the annual cheque or volunteer day, and concludes that charities that can better identify, attract and embed good business supporters will be better able to meet the demands of a post-Covid period.

The report offers practical advice and tips on how to foster genuine two-way relationships and embed good partners more deeply in activities. For example, while remote working makes traditional corporate fundraising drives more difficult, it’s up to charities to explain to potential partners that other forms of support and pro-bono skills are at least as valuable.

Chris Pitt, head of responsible business at Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, said: “At Ecclesiastical we believe business should be a force for good. In these challenging times, as charities struggle to cope with the impact of coronavirus, we think this is more important than ever. Owned by a charity, we make profits so that we can contribute to the greater good of society. While our model is different, we think all businesses can adopt this philosophy to some degree.

“We wanted to produce this report to help charities and businesses reflect on the lessons learnt from the pandemic and how they can get the most of their partnerships. We’re incredibly grateful to our Movement for Good 2020 £50,000 beneficiaries for sharing their experiences, inspiration and insight to help shape this guide. We hope this guide will help prepare charities and their business partners to better support each other in the uncertain days ahead.”

The Movement for Good awards saw £1 million given to good causes last year. Ten charities from across the UK and Ireland received £50,000 to fund innovative projects that will make a real difference in their communities.

Now in its third year, Ecclesiastical’s Movement for Good awards is giving away another £1million this summer. 500 charities will each receive £1,000 during the first phase of the campaign, while a further £500,000 will be given away in the second phase of the campaign.