Sara Ford .  18th April 2022

Why are Corporate Partners so important to MIN?

Why are corporate partners so important to charities? What is a corporate partner? For many charities, corporate partnerships are their lifeblood, and the same applies for us at Mums In Need. 

If you’ve never been a corporate partner, keep reading because this blog is full of insight into what corporate partnerships are, how businesses can sponsor charities, and loads more. More importantly, we will discuss the importance of business support for Mums In Need and how that helps us to more support mums in Sheffield who are escaping from domestic abuse.

What is corporate sponsorship?

Before we start, I think it is important to set the scene with what a corporate partner is. A corporate partnership works together to pursue a common goal. This goal is often based on the values of the two organisations, and tends to involve a form of promotion. When the two companies work together, each party must benefit. It is not a simple donation or sponsorship arrangement.  

Why do businesses support charities?

There are so many advantages to businesses supporting a charity's cause. They can help to market the charity to their own wider audience, but also the charity can cross market, and advertise that the business is doing their bit to support charity. This can ultimately raise both the businesses and charities profile, and foster respect from your audience.

Some businesses also feel that volunteering the time of their employees to charity can be a good way of implementing team building, and can bring a sense of reward for your employees who get involved.

With regards to MIN, businesses support us because we are a local charity, giving back to our community in and around Sheffield. The companies that support us are publicly demonstrating their commitment to tackling the effects of domestic violence and emotional abuse, but specifically towards mums whose struggles are greater because of their children's involvement in the process of escaping.

They are also supporting us to raise awareness about domestic violence and its effects on women and their children, and to engage and empower their employees and supporters.

In return, Mums In Need publicly show our appreciation by thanking you on our social media and website. With the support of corporate partnerships, we will be able to achieve more than we ever have before.

How businesses have supported MIN

We are blessed to receive the support from lots of local businesses, and in some cases businesses that are further afield, but still share our passion about domestic abuse. Some businesses have the capacity to support us more than others. It is important to know that we appreciate all forms of support, no matter how small, every little does truly help.

Here are some examples of how companies have supported us previously.

As already mentioned, we have a considerable amount of businesses that support us in different ways. It would be impossible to mention all of these in this blog, so I think it will be sensible to mention a few that have had and will continue to have a huge impact on what services we are able to offer our Mins. If you'd like to see a comprehensive list of the companies that support us, you can find that here.

Chroma Marketing - Ongoing Marketing Support

Chroma Marketing are a West Yorkshire based Marketing Consultancy, and have been working with us for the last seven months to build our marketing plan. Laura offers her time to help us work on our marketing strategy, and to show us how we can reach a wider audience to achieve more fundraising through things like social media, events and more. She works closely with the media and marketing team, and we are looking forward to giving you all a better experience on our website and social media platforms.

Ideal Modular Homes - Providing MIN with premises.

Ideal Modular Homes are a construction company with sites throughout the UK. They deliver beautiful, high quality and cost effective homes for developers throughout the country . Their Sheffield based site has kindly provided MIN with an office and a safe and friendly space to host our Mins. This means that we have a place for behind the scenes meetings, and a place for our Mins to hold their support sessions.

Switalskis Solicitors - Ongoing Legal Support.

Switalskis are a Yorkshire based solicitors who have been providing professional and specialist legal advice since 1993. Switalskis provide our Mins with free legal sessions on family law. Legal advice can often be hard to access in a time of crisis and Switalskis allow our Mins to be able to access this and make the process of leaving the abusive relationship that little bit less stressful.

What can your company do to support us?

There are many ways a company can show support to Mums In Need. We will work with you to find the most impactful way your organisation can boost your CSR policy, by supporting us in a way which works for your team. 

Gift your skills, knowledge or unwanted items

If your company excels with a particular skill, or an area of knowledge and you feel that you could provide us with a service, we would love to hear from you. Perhaps your company could provide us with access to discounts on certain services for our Mins?

Or, do you have any unwanted office furniture or IT equipment? We have a new office that would really benefit from your unwanted items.

The 100 Club

The 100 Club is a private lottery for Mums In Need. Tickets sell for £2 each. The more tickets we sell, the bigger the prize for the draw at the end of each month. 

We are currently on the lookout for businesses to support and sponsor our 100 Club. This will help to raise vital funds for Mums In Need to continue supporting mums Fleeing domestic abuse. In return we will publicly thank you for showing your support.

If your business is unable to sponsor the 100 Club, but would still like to get involved, perhaps you are able to purchase each staff member a ticket of their own as a work incentive? 

One last way could be to promote the 100 Club in the staff canteen or shop front and encourage your staff to enter the draw at just £2 per ticket. Maybe you could develop a staff syndicate? 

There are so many ways to be involved with the 100 Club. Every little bit of support a business can give us, will support the local mums in Sheffield who need our support! If you feel that this is something your company can get involved with please contact enquiries@mumsinneed.com.

Fundraising for MIN

If you are looking for ways to promote health and wellbeing in the office, encouraging your team to run would be the perfect solution. Not only are the benefits to health staggering, it could also increase your staff morale and motivation. 

Your team could be given the extra push by running for MIN, by asking for donations towards our great cause from friends and family. If your team is interested in running for MIN, you can have a look at all of the upcoming running events in the local Sheffield area here.

Running isn’t a sport for everyone. Perhaps your team would prefer to walk? You could get sponsored and pledge to walk 100 miles in a month. This still is a great way to push your fitness levels and to give back to the community at the same time.

The Every Penny Helps Scheme is a great way for a company to get involved. A business could encourage staff and colleagues to donate the change in their purses or wallets at the end of the week. Maybe your company hasn’t used up its budget on a certain spend, could you donate the surplus to us? 

Maybe you could host a bake stall, or pub quiz and donate the proceeds to MIN?

The options are endless for your company to support MIN, and there has never been a better time to get involved in supporting your local charity. Know that every little that you do to support Mums In Need, helps us to support local women in Sheffield, and the surrounding areas to leave an abusive relationship, and provide them with the tools they need to move on.

To conclude, corporate sponsorships are a mutual exchange of skills and knowledge, to pursue a common goal based on the shared values of participating organisations. There are many advantages to businesses supporting charities. Mums In Need in particular wouldn't be where we are now without the support from the businesses that support us, and will always be happy to receive the help and support of more businesses, going forward. What is most important is that every business that gets involved is helping us to spread knowledge and awareness about domestic abuse, and the impacts that it creates for mums and their children. The more that we can spread the word, the more we are providing knowledge on such an important issue.

Without corporate sponsorships and support, Mums In Need would not be able to provide the crucial services that we do to the women in Sheffield who are leaving domestic abuse. With more support, we can provide more mums than ever before with these services!