Corporate Partnerships Manager (Remote or Hybrid)

About AdoptAClassroom.org

AdoptAClassroom.org (AAC) believes every child deserves the tools and materials they need to learn and thrive in school. Since 1998, AdoptAClassroom.org has raised $73 million for PreK-12 classrooms and equipped 7 million students across the U.S. The 501(c)(3) organization holds the highest 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and the highest transparency rating offered by Candid/GuideStar. For more information, or to make a donation, please visit www.adoptaclassroom.org.  

AdoptAClassroom.org (AAC) is a fast-growing, innovative, technology-based nonprofit headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We embrace both a remote and hybrid work structure to support our talented, mission-driven team members who live and work throughout the United States.  We encourage creative, innovative thinking, and foster a culture where good ideas can come from anyone in the organization. We pride ourselves in promoting a healthy life-work ethos, maintaining “meeting-free” work times and an embargo on non-urgent communications outside of working hours.

Position Overview

The Corporate Partnerships Manager is responsible for managing and maximizing a portfolio of current and prospective corporate sponsor accounts. The individual will help drive revenue by optimizing and growing current partner programs, renewing partners, identifying viable prospects, and contributing creative and strategic ideas for cultivating new prospects and executing on new partnerships.

The ideal candidate will have a background in nonprofit partnerships with corporations, including cause-marketing initiatives, sponsorships, and/or grant-funded programs. We’re looking for someone with a minimum of 3 years of experience with account or relationship management in a national nonprofit, corporate cause-marketing and/or corporate social responsibility (CSR) setting, and/or advertising or public relations (PR) agency role. 

The individual will be highly organized, solutions-oriented, a clear and strategic communicator, and a strong collaborator with both internal cross-functional teams and external partners. 

Goals of This Role:

• Execute day-to-day account management responsibilities and strengthen relationships with a portfolio of existing partners. 
• Increase the Partnerships team’s capacity for securing and managing additional corporate and corporate foundation partners to drive additional revenue and impact.
• Uphold AAC’s reputation as a best-in-class nonprofit that partners can depend on for our capabilities, expertise, attentive service, and ability to achieve partnership objectives.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Account Management (65%)

• Serve as key contact and steward for a portfolio of corporate partnership accounts.
• Collaborate with Partnerships team members to help manage larger, more complex accounts.
• Serve as issue expert and strategic advisor to prospects and partners, from introductory calls and written and/or verbal proposals through activation completion, impact reporting, and renewal.
• Project-manage partnership programs and collaborate with cross-functional teams through the design, outreach, execution, and reporting phases.
• Help shape partners’ giving or philanthropic initiatives and optimize their programs or cause-marketing campaigns with fresh and innovative ideas, while taking into consideration AAC’s capabilities and capacity.
• Work closely with partners’ and AAC’s marketing and outreach teams throughout the campaign planning and activation process to determine marketing and outreach needs, campaign creative needs, and key messaging.
• Collaborate with supervisor to negotiate budgets and optimize use of partner funds.
• Draft agreement/scope of work (SOW) and manage process through final execution.
• Manage partner invoicing and track financials with assistance from AAC Finance Team.
• Utilize Salesforce as our CRM to document current and prospective partner contacts, research, communication, and forecasted/actual donation information. 
• Build workback calendars for internal and external use.
• Manage internal and external kickoff calls and ongoing status and planning calls to finalize campaign strategy, tactics, timing, and workback calendar.
• Draft creative briefs for AAC’s internal Marketing Team.
• Manage internal and external marketing review and approval process.
• Direct final impact reports and content.
• Conduct internal and external debriefs, as needed.

New Partner Acquisition (20%)

• Feed pipeline and prioritize viable prospects.
• Conduct research to identify growth industries and companies that align with AAC’s mission and have partnership potential.
• Possibly some prospect-pitching based on experience and bandwidth.

Strategic, Creative & Innovative Thinking & Planning (15%)

• Research prospects to identify synergies and opportunities for partnership that provide mutual value.
• Participate in internal ideation sessions and help shape pitches, thought-starters, and proposals for current partners and prospects.
• Participate in team and organizational strategic planning. 

Experience

A minimum of 3 years of experience in corporate sponsorship/account management and/or corporate cause-marketing working for a nonprofit organization, on a corporate social responsibility (CSR) team, or in an advertising or public relations (PR) agency.

• Salesforce proficiency is a plus.

All are welcome to apply. AdoptAClassroom.org is committed to the creation of a diverse and inclusive workforce and environment for all of our staff, board, and community. We strongly encourage BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and veterans to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will be notified of their application status within a reasonable time frame.