The document discusses corporate relations strategies for liberal arts colleges from both an old and new paradigm perspective. The new paradigm views corporate philanthropy as mutually beneficial for businesses and colleges. It emphasizes building relationships between college and company stakeholders. Best practices for comprehensive corporate relations programs include having institutional support, mutual benefits, centralized coordination, integrated research partnerships, and campus-wide collaboration. The document provides examples of how colleges can engage corporations through activities like student recruiting, community engagement, events, economic development initiatives, continuing education programs, research partnerships, and facilities access. It stresses treating industry as collaborative partners rather than just funders to build long-term relationships.

1. Corporate Relations
from the
College Perspective
Kurt R. Moore, CFRE
Director of Foundation Relations
Elon University
Corporate Relations Strategies
for Undergraduate Liberal Arts Colleges Conference
at Lafayette College
June 15, 2012

2. Old Paradigm
• Traditional philanthropy
• The college is the main beneficiary
• Community partner
• Right thing to do
• Local business and local college “grew up
together”
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3. New Paradigm
• Corporate philanthropy is now
“enlightened self-interest”
• Based on mutual benefit
• Business partner
• Strategic thing to do
• Local business got bought by Fortune 500
company and HQ moved away, or someone
new came to town
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4. Relationships!
• “We all got ‘em, we all want ‘em. What do we
do with ‘em?” – Jimmy Buffett, Fruitcakes (1994)
• The new paradigm is still based on
relationships
– College to company
– Senior admin to C-level suite
– Faculty to technical staff
– College staff to company staff
– CFR staff to “giving” staff
• It’s the dynamics that have changed
• Reflects current economic reality
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5. Best Practices - NACRO Paper
Five Essential Elements
• Institutional Support
• Mutual Benefits
• One-stop Shopping
• Integrated Approach to Research
Development
• Campus Coordination
http://www.nacroonline.org/assets/docs/nacro%
20white%20paper%205%20elements.pdf
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6. Comprehensive Corporate Relations
• The NACRO model also applies to smaller
Liberal Arts Colleges
– Not the exclusive property of R-1 Universities
• The mix and emphasis of relationships will
be different
• LACs may offer a superior product
– Elon - #1 part-time MBA program (Bloomberg
Businessweek)
• Depends on the unique characteristics of
each institution
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7. One-Stop Shopping
• Get VP for Advancement on board!
– Hardest sell
– Others will follow
• Coordinate with Internal Stakeholders
– Offer to take leadership role
– Get institutional blessing
• Represent the entire college
– Single POC for industry
• Website
– Corporate resource page
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8. CRO Activities
Representing your college
• Join business development groups
• Public speaking
• Understand your internal and external
stakeholders’ perspectives
• Consulting
• Don’t get stuck in a time-warp as your
career advances
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9. External Relationships
• Student Recruiting
• Community Resource
• Event Sponsorships
• Facilities Access
• Employer/Economic Development
• Executive/Continuing Education
• Research
• Licensing/technology commercialization
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10. Internal Relationships
Internal stakeholders need to work with Advancement
• Recruiting = Career Services
• Community Resource =
College Relations, Outreach programs, Library
• Event sponsorships =
Athletics, Advancement, Arts, Academic Programs, etc.
• Facilities Access = Facilities Management
• Employer/Econ Development =
HR, B-school, College Relations, Sponsored Research
• Executive/Continuing Education = Continuing Ed
• Research = Faculty/Sponsored Research
• Licensing = Athletics, Sponsored Research, Tech Transfer,
Auxiliary Services
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11. Student Recruiting
• What we offer
– Our “#1 Product”
• What we need
– Scholarships and program support
– Internship & placement opportunities
– Corporate advisors and guest lecturers
• Corporate benefit
– Educated workforce
– New employee pipeline
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12. Community Resource
• What we offer
– We are part of the community, too, enhancing the
local quality of life
– Can supplement local educational and cultural
resources: K-12 outreach, library, ESL
– Service learning supplements local non-profits
– Adult continuing ed/life long learning
• What we need
– Program support
• Corporate benefit
– Indirect, such as helping with recruiting/ retaining
management
– Perceived as good community citizen
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13. Event Sponsorship
• What we offer
– Athletics
– Arts, cultural and entertainment events
– Speakers series
• What we need
– Financial and in-kind support
– Participation
• Corporate benefits
– Advertising and visibility
– Marketing partner
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14. Economic Development
• What we offer
– College might be a major employer
– Can work with Chambers, EDCs, and other
business development groups
– B-school resources
• What we need
– Seed funding for new initiatives
– Curriculum support
– Partners in entrepreneurship studies
• Corporate benefit
– Help grow and retain local companies
– Help define new markets
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15. Continuing Education
• What we offer
– Professional, graduate & executive education
– Customized curriculum development
• What we need
– Your employees as students
– Curriculum support
– Adjunct instructors from industry
• Corporate benefits
– Worker (re)training
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16. Research
• What we offer
– Technical and scientific expertise
– Market studies
• What we need
– Capital, curriculum and faculty support
– Sponsored programs contracts (non-
philanthropic)
• Corporate benefits
– Low-cost research
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17. Facilities Access
• What we offer
– Unique facilities
– Conference space
– Galleries
• What we need
– Capital support
– Joint projects
• Corporate benefit
– Access to facilities that are close and may be
too expensive for a company to fund
– Skilled technicians
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18. Licensing
• What we offer
– Access to new technology
• What we need
– Product and service development partner
– Knowledge transfer
– Philanthropy can come later
• Corporate benefits
– New products and services
More on this topic in the afternoon Session III:
Best Practices in Intellectual Property
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19. How to Define Relationships
• Map current relationships
– Top 25 employers (where your alumni are now)
– Top 25 recruiters (who is recruiting now)
– Top 25 corporate donors
– Top 25 sponsored programs sponsors
– Advisory Boards
• Potential Relationships - Map program
strengths to local/regional/state priorities
– Academic
– Business/economic
– Social
– Recreational
– Educational
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20. Targeting Industries
• Strengthening existing relationships
– Create new levels of relationships
– Move recruiters to donors
– Shouldn’t your sponsored programs funders also
be philanthropic partners?
• Build new relationships
– What did your “mapping” tell you?
– Use your alumni network
– What resources can you promote?
– Host business events on your campus:
Chamber, conferences, economic forecasts,
career fairs, tours
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21. Elon Score Card
Student Recruiting
• 194 career fair attendees
• 103 campus interviews
• 593 jobs posted
Community Resource
• K-12 outreach
• Lifelong Learning (250+)
• ESL
• 100,000+ student volunteer
hours
Events
• NCAA Div. I sports
• 200+ cultural events
• Chamber visits
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Facilities Access: rarely
Employer/Economic
Development
• #5 Employer in County
• $350MM+ economic impact
Executive/Continuing
Education
• Nation’s #1 part-time
MBA program
• Law School
Research: product testing
Licensing/technology
commercialization: N/A

22. Industry Collaboration
• Industry is your partner
– Seek participation as well as money
– Work collaboratively
– Communicate mutual benefits
– Share & communicate success
• Become part of the business community
– Chamber, EDC, other business development
groups
• Remember, this is about relationship
building
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23. Metrics for Success: Internal
• Advancement metrics
• Recognition for non-monetary
achievements
– Projects
– Promoting the college to industry
• Some money needs to go thru Sponsored
Programs
– Work with faculty & sponsored programs
– Keep track and communicate your efforts up
the food chain
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24. Metrics for Success: External
• Reputation in the business community
– Based on successful projects
– Rankings
• Returning customers
– Recruiters
– Continuing/executive education
– Donors
– Sponsored programs
• New business partners seek you
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25. Conclusions
• Liberal Arts Colleges can have successful
corporate relations programs
• Internal stakeholders have to be on board
• The mix will be unique to each institution
– Past history
– Present resources
– Future plans
• Treat industry as a partner, not just a
funder
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26. Questions & Answers
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Q A?

27. Contact
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Kurt Moore, CFRE
Director of Foundation Relations
Elon University
112 Belk Pavilion
Elon, NC 27244
336-279-5657
kmoore28@elon.edu
www.elon.edu