Dolph talks with Joe Vella, former Director of Corporate Giving at Macy’s, to learn how nonprofits can position themselves for corporate gifts in an era of more restricted giving.

*****Timestamped Highlights*****

(2:10) A happy accident: How Joe began community engagement (4:50) Massaging the numbers fairly, judiciously, and strategically (9:36) Securing funds from a corporation by showing tangible results (11:48) Cause marketing vs corporate giving (13:32) Doing your homework BEFORE you approach a corporation for funding (17:26) Tips to increase your chances of receiving funding (18:36) Trust me, a tour can show a LOT (21:35) Appreciating every single dollar of a contribution (22:46) The icing on the cake to your ask – proposing an offer they can’t resist (25:44) Storytelling for the win! (26:53) What to do if you when a corporate funder declines (27:56) Postcards, postcards, and more postcards!

Links:

Joe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-vella-9172303/

Macy’s website: https://www.macys.com/

Cracking the Corporate Gifts Code: A Conversation with Former Director of Corporate Giving Joe Vella