Every year, universities and non-profits miss out on millions in untapped corporate support—not because the opportunity isn’t there, but because the right people haven’t been activated. By identifying and engaging “corporate champions,” organizations can unlock meaningful partnerships, amplify giving through matching gifts, and align with companies on shared values and initiatives.

Step 1: Enrich Data to Understand Employment Affiliation

The foundation of this approach is having accurate and enriched data. Many institutions don’t know where their alumni or donors currently work. The first step is to screen and enrich records with employment information. This allows for:

• Identifying clusters of alumni or donors within specific companies
• Understanding career trajectories to inform engagement
• Tracking company affiliations to spot trends and gaps

Step 2: Prioritize Corporate Prospects

Once employment data is enriched, the next step is prioritizing companies for outreach. Criteria may include:

• Matching gift programs: Companies that already support philanthropy through matching gift initiatives
• Alumni/donor concentration: Organizations with a high volume of engaged individuals
• Strategic alignment: Employers that align with institutional priorities or academic programs
• Existing relationships: Companies with past giving or volunteer engagement

Step 3: Develop a Tailored Engagement Plan per Company

With target companies identified, universities and non-profits can build a plan for each:

• Identify potential internal champions – key alumni or donors who can advocate from within
• Provide these champions with talking points, materials, and opportunities to bring their colleagues into the fold
• Coordinate communications that align with company culture and values
• Explore opportunities for speaking engagements, volunteer days, or co-branded initiatives

Step 4: Measure and Evolve

Success isn’t just about dollars raised. Track:

• Growth in engagement from target companies
• Increase in matching gift submissions
• Development of new partnerships
• Alumni involvement as corporate advocates

 Why BRD is the Right Partner

BRD is uniquely positioned to support universities and non-profits in building powerful corporate engagement strategies. With robust data enrichment capabilities, BRD helps:

• Fill in missing professional attributes like employer, title, and location
• Normalize company names for cleaner analytics and deeper insights
• Append matching gift data to surface high-potential opportunities

Whether starting with a pilot or scaling a top-10 employer strategy, BRD provides the tools and intelligence to fuel success.

The Net

Corporate champions are more than donors – they are connectors, advocates, and multipliers. With the right data, strategic prioritization, and a clear engagement plan, universities and non-profits can tap into the power of corporate networks to fuel their missions and create lasting impact. Now is the time to look inward, identify your champions, and turn passive networks into powerful partnerships.

At BRD, we help institutions clean up their records and maximize their fundraising, engagement, and career services impact.

Want to see how clean data can transform your institution’s success? Let’s chat.