Our friends at For Momentum have been hard at work on their newly released research study about managing national and local corporate partnerships. Their findings are based on data and best practices from 50+ leading nonprofits. It's no surprise that in order to be successful, partnerships require strong collaboration and communication between headquarters and chapter offices.

We interviewed For Momentum's Founder and President, Mollye Rhea, to hear more about how she "Plays Well With Others" and works to forge successful cause-related partnerships with her clients.

Our friends at Phil & Co., a creative marketing agency that works exclusively with philanthropies and companies doing good.
As experts in crafting integrated creative campaigns and branding, Phil & Co. is big on both developing and answering to organization-wide goals. Below, they share with us some tips for better aligning marketing plans with long-term strategic plans.

As cause marketers, our clients’ strategic plans define the audiences, tactics and ultimate success of our work. Whether our client is a global university, consumer brand or leading non-profit, strategic plans are where we go first to understand the identity and direction of an organization.

Handled well, strategic planning can clarify objectives and help marketing, development and all departments work better together. Here are some tips we think could help non-profits big and small:

1. Connect the dots between big-picture goals and tactical metrics 
Real metrics should be part of any strategic conversation. Clarify what success looks like. From the Board to the Development team to external consultants, everyone should be moving together toward clearly defined quantifiable success.

2. Make sure you’re marketing your strategic plan 
As much as they define budgets and operations, strategic plans are a tremendous internal marketing opportunity—to refresh your brand, tell a new story, energize the team and mobilize your most passionate ambassadors. Any document that’s defining organization-wide strategy should get real creative attention. Make your plan an internal communications tool and revisit at least semi-annually to reinforce your goals, celebrate progress and motivate the team.

3. No more one-offs 
Strategic plans and year-end reviews ultimately answer to budget, and we work in a space that is especially constrained. Focus your marketing on building resources and developing replicable models, and you’ll see your communications get more consistent and easier to execute. We’re huge fans of tool kits and standardized plans as a way to make our work more efficient and easier to measure year over year.

4. Give your agency a seat at the table 
Too often, multi-year plans are created by a committee at a retreat far removed from the day-to-day operations of an organization—and quickly put aside until it’s time to revisit the process. Making marketing and branding a part of the conversation upfront can help define objectives, make better ambassadors of your Board members and turn your plan itself into a branding tool.

​In less than a week, cause-minded professionals will come together in NYC to highlight numerous campaigns that focus on our world's top priorities. One in particular has been making headlines—climate change. Despite the challenges our planet faces, we are more determined than ever to combat the impacts of climate change.

For the past year, OBERLAND has partnered with The Nature Conservancy in building an awareness campaign that compels audiences to rethink just how much we depend on nature- and how much its sustainability depends on us.

We're thrilled they'll be sharing their journey in creating the “Depends on Us” campaign during the 'It Takes A Village' panel at this year’s Cause Marketing Summit. 

As a part of our "Plays Well With Others" series, we asked Drew Train what inspires him to advocate for the planet and other causes.

Question. If you could solve ONE of the world’s biggest challenges, what would it be? 
Answer. Climate change, that is the one that underlies everything else. Ultimately if we don’t fix the climate, the rest of the causes I care about won’t matter as much. We only have one planet
. 
Question. What is your most pressing agenda item for this calendar year? 
Answer. To double the size and impact of Oberland. 

Question. What main cause(s) are you currently working on?  
Answer. Cancer, climate, education, and mental health. 

Question. What is the current trend of the causes you work on?  
Answer. I see nonprofits realizing that they need to invest more in marketing and telling their story consistently, and on a regular basis. I see nonprofits putting funding into their operating budget for marketing vs. a capital investment made every five or ten years.  
 
Question. Do you see the need for funding and support increasing or decreasing over the next five years? 
Answer. I see the need for increasing across the board. Cancer and the climate are both at critical tipping points, and the advocacy groups across all the groups we touch are feeling the pinch of current budget proposals taking funding out of their mission. They are going to be approaching their board, individuals ,and corporations to fill the gap.
  
Question. What do you work tirelessly on to further your mission? 
Answer. I work tirelessly on making the agency better. We are relied on by our clients to have as much as an impact as we possibly can. I’m always looking for ways to do things differently and better.
  
Question. How can we (the CMS tribe) help you? 
Answer. They can keep evangelizing. The idea is if we as a collective community can make cause marketing a tide rather than a wave we can lift all of our boats for good.  

Question. Name a favorite community nonprofit or effort you support locally on a personal level? 
Answer. I serve on the NAMI NYC Metro Board of Directors and Services for the Underserved Resource Development Committee.

Question. What are some of the tools you use to do business?
Answer. The primary way we do business development is through networking and publishing relevant content. We are starting to use LinkedIn and Facebook more often. 
 
Question. What is something good/positive that has happened since CMS NYC 2016 last Spring? 
Answer. There’s more and more attention being paid to mental health in the U.S. and around the world. Heads together, a U.K. campaign, seeing that start to come to the U.S. is a positive sign. 

Question. What is your current theme song? 
Answer. Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen 
​
Question. Why are you going to the Cause Marketing Summit? 
Answer. To get a pulse on where things are going for the next year. 

Question. What is the last cute picture you took?
Answer.My three incredible kids.