Stellar Partnerships

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

We have no budget. Yes, you do. You’re just choosing to spend it elsewhere. Corporates and non-profits use the budget excuse all the time. What they’re really saying is ‘I don’t think it’s important to spend my money in this way’. For non-profits it’s driven by a scarcity mindset and a fear of donor backlash on their spending. But you can’t shrink to success.

Corporate partnerships 100

Corporate partnerships Government Partnership management 100

Stellar Partnerships

FEBRUARY 18, 2024

Valentine’s Day saw an ocean of red roses, love hearts and chocolate as we celebrated the important relationships in life. In Melbourne, it was followed by the Taylor Swift tsunami of sparkles, joy and friendship. When a relationship is strong, there is nothing more satisfying than getting to know each other, discovering new things and creating new memories together.

Corporate partnerships 100

Corporate partnerships Partnership management 100

Stellar Partnerships

FEBRUARY 11, 2024

Happy year of the dragon! It’s supposed to be a year of growth and regeneration, with the promise of greater prosperity. I am a dragon and so is my husband. Folklore says that two dragons together either get on fabulously well or really badly. So far so good after 30 years, but he’s forewarned that a divorce will look like World War Three on steroids.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Government Collaboration 130

Stellar Partnerships

FEBRUARY 4, 2024

Schools are back and we can feel the suburban tsunami of relief from harassed parents. On the other side of the fence, teachers are fielding a million ‘why’ questions from curious minds. Why is the sun called the sun? Why don’t sharks have eyebrows? Why did someone invent swear words if I’m not allowed to say them? The default answers from parents can typically include ‘ask your mum’ or ‘because I say so’.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships 130

Stellar Partnerships

JANUARY 28, 2024

One of my favourite things to do at the start of a new year is to buy a diary. The clean, fresh pages speak of opportunities and adventures yet to be lived. It also feels like I’ve got time; the whole year ahead despite hot cross buns appearing in shops in Boxing Day. Yes, Coles, I’m looking at you! Many of you have new corporate partnerships on your wish list for 2024.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Construction Retail Engineering 130

Stellar Partnerships

JANUARY 21, 2024

Summer holidays are almost over and most of us have enjoyed a time to breathe, restore and refresh. The roads were free of stressed drivers doing the school run or hurrying to sport training. When we’re not in such a rush, we tend to notice things and see them with fresh eyes. I was fortunate to spend two weeks in Japan, a place where I’d lived and worked many decades ago.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Collaboration Energy Government 130

Stellar Partnerships

DECEMBER 10, 2023

In the lead up to Christmas my children were super alert to any presents hidden in the house. They paid lip service to the idea of Santa visiting, preferring to play along in case the pipeline of presents dried up. I had to get creative with hiding spaces, especially when they graduated to things on wheels. We know it’s been a challenging year for non-profits and you’re hunting down hidden revenue opportunities like a beagle sniffs out truffles.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Collaboration 130

Stellar Partnerships

DECEMBER 3, 2023

It’s only a few weeks to Christmas and everyone I know is looking a bit stressed. If you’ve got kids, then you’re probably juggling all the concerts, prize-givings and performances that are inconveniently scheduled on the same weekend. It feels like you’ve got Heathrow air traffic control in your head and you’re worried that you’ll crash one of the planes at any minute.

Partnership management 130

Partnership management 130

Stellar Partnerships

NOVEMBER 26, 2023

How does it feel when a good deed goes unrecognised? For me, it’s the small acts of selfishness that really get me fired up. The time when you hold a door open for someone and they stride through without a glance, or you pull over in a narrow road for another car, which sails by without a wave. Even more egregious is when you hold a place in the queue for someone and they return with 20 of their relatives.

Retail 130

Retail 130

Stellar Partnerships

NOVEMBER 19, 2023

We’re lining up on the runway, getting ready for Christmas take-off. You can feel the building stress in the crazy driving on the roads. We’re dealing with end of year celebrations, school and club events, present buying and holiday planning. That’s on top of nurturing our corporate partners and making sure they’re primed for the next ask. In busy times we try to multi-task, but that’s a misnomer according to author Johann Hari.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Energy Partnership management 130

Stellar Partnerships

NOVEMBER 12, 2023

The fashion industry has made trillions by encouraging women to make the most of their best assets. Depending on the latest trend, that might mean Botox lip fillers, eyelash extensions or liposuction. It’s always a focus on the cosmetic, outward appearance. But romantic interests are normally more interested in personality, a sense of humour and a willingness to pay for your round of drinks.

Banking 130

Banking Finance Government IT partnerships 130

Stellar Partnerships

NOVEMBER 5, 2023

Children get fixated on something that fascinates them. My daughter loved gardening when she was little. She planted her flowers gently, watered them diligently and talked to them daily. She waited in hope for a blooming garden. Unfortunately, she’d chosen to plant plastic flowers from her Lego Friends kit. There was no botanical bonanza at the end of summer.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Energy 130

Stellar Partnerships

OCTOBER 30, 2023

Negotiating the value of corporate partnerships is like the bathroom scene in the film Pretty Woman. Edward is negotiating for a week of Vivien’s time and they settle on $3,000 – but she would have been happy with $2,000 and he was more than willing to pay $4,000. It’s easy for a charity to underestimate the value it brings to a corporate partnership and settle for less than it’s really worth.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Retail 130

Stellar Partnerships

OCTOBER 22, 2023

I like to believe in good intentions but they often lead to unintended consequences. A good intention with a bad approach can lead to a poor result. There was a little boy at our primary school who was a tearaway. He disrupted the class, often fought with other kids and took out his frustrations on the furniture. In an attempt to calm him down his mother would pick him up at the end of the day with treats to placate him.

Partnership management 130

Partnership management Banking Partnership success 130

Stellar Partnerships

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Australia after the resounding No vote to the Voice feels a lot like the UK after the Brexit vote. Some were shocked, others celebrated, whilst the majority had a feeling of trepidation. What did we just do and how does that change our future? At the heart of Stellar Partnerships are three key elements: perspective, problem solving and potential. We believe in the power of partnerships to create change that no-one can achieve alone.

Engineering 130

Engineering Government Collaboration 130

Stellar Partnerships

OCTOBER 8, 2023

Cruising holidays are back in fashion. COVID was a PR disaster for the industry but now everyone is jumping at the chance to indulge and explore exciting new adventures. A particular favourite of cruising holidaymakers is the food buffet. The chance to sample a banquet of options, try new things and share with friends. But what would the experience be like if you turned up to the lavish dinner buffet worrying if there was going to be a meal the next day?

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Collaboration Partnership management 130

Stellar Partnerships

OCTOBER 1, 2023

There is more to life than money. Ask any diehard Collingwood or Penrith Panther fan over the weekend if they would have traded their match ticket for money. I bet most of them would have opted to be in the stadium and share the jubilant celebrations of their team’s victory. When organisations ask partnership people to focus on bringing in corporate money, they miss the point.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Value creation Partnership management Energy 130

Stellar Partnerships

SEPTEMBER 24, 2023

Everyone loves a freebie. A ‘buy one, get one free’ deal is great clickbait for marketers. Corporate matched donations for a giving day event or campaign are often marketed in the same way. Double your giving and impact by triggering corporate donations. We love to see corporates spending some of their profits on the community rather than shareholders, but like the showbags at the Melbourne Show, the gifts don’t always live up to the promise.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Partnership management Collaboration 130

Stellar Partnerships

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

Life is full of experiences that seemed good at the time but which we’d rather not repeat. For me it’s a curly perm, shiny lycra leggings and dancing on the bar after a jug of strawberry margaritas. They might have been fun for a short while but we’re not in a hurry to make them a permanent fixture of life. There are always hidden costs and consequences.

Energy 130

Energy 130

Stellar Partnerships

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023

“You do not rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems”. James Clear. I’m guessing that most of you have big goals for corporate partnerships. Rarely do I speak to a non-profit that is just happy with whatever comes along. More likely the CEO has asked for a million dollars in partnership income by the end of the year and maybe some free wine for the Christmas party.

Partnership success 130

Partnership success Corporate partnerships Partnership management 130

Stellar Partnerships

SEPTEMBER 3, 2023

Have you ever entered a room and forgot what it was you came for? Or couldn’t remember which day of the week it was today? Don’t worry, it’s not early onset dementia and you’re not alone. The author Johann Hari calls it Stolen Focus and it turns out that the whole of society is having a problem with paying attention right now. His research shows that the average worker is distracted once every 3 minutes.

Energy 130

Energy 130

Stellar Partnerships

AUGUST 24, 2023

We recently had a conversation with Roger from Bupa about their ESG and partnership efforts. Bupa is a health and care company committed to helping their customers live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. Our conversation was extremely rich and I think you’ll find there are some incredibly helpful insights documented below. For that reason, this is a much longer article than normal.

Government 130

Government Banking Legal Collaboration 130

Stellar Partnerships

AUGUST 20, 2023

How much is your brand worth? It’s always been a curly question for nonprofits trying to figure out how to price a corporate partnership. In light of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, we’ve been asked if a brand is worth more if the team wins or loses.* The prizemoney is smaller but Australia’s new favourite team the Matildas are playing a bigger and longer game than just the next fixture.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships 130

Stellar Partnerships

AUGUST 13, 2023

My country friend Kate told me of her favourite maxim “don’t look over the fence into the next paddock”. It was her way of saying that the grass might look greener and you’ll spend too much time obsessing about the neighbour’s paddock to look after your own properly. But what if you peer over the fence and you find that your neighbour is having the same problems?

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships 130

Stellar Partnerships

AUGUST 6, 2023

My dog Bonnie is up for a ball game at any time of day or night. When I’ve been sitting at my desk for too long, she’ll remind me with a wet nose nudge or a paw on my leg. If I’m not responding she’ll simply drop the ball on my lap. I usually cave in because she’s cute and fluffy, not that I’m desperate for a game of fetch. It’s a fine line between prompting and pestering.

Partnership management 130

Partnership management 130

Stellar Partnerships

JULY 31, 2023

The world is overflowing with polarised views and opposing sides. Vote yes vs no. Rich vs poor. Disadvantaged versus privileged. Climate deniers versus science. I could make this list go on and on. The challenges we face, from climate change denial to social and economic equality, demand that we transcend our differences and work together for a common purpose.

Partnership management 130

Partnership management Collaboration 130

Stellar Partnerships

JULY 23, 2023

Did you have a Rubik’s cube when you were little? I have two big brothers and not one of us could solve it correctly. My middle brother would pop the pieces out and then put them back in, so the cube looked solved. I had a different strategy – peel the stickers off and stick them back on in the places that I wanted. I’d stick a few but mainly just to get one side done.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships 130

Stellar Partnerships

JULY 16, 2023

The latest trend is for ‘soft parenting’, which involves letting kids explore their emotions and make choices based on internal willingness. The kids behind me on the flight to Hong Kong were fully expressing their feelings by climbing over the seats and terrorising the flight attendants. It didn’t help that their parents had checked themselves into business class and left the supervision to airline staff and other passengers back in cattle class.

130

130

Stellar Partnerships

JULY 9, 2023

In an era where sustainable practices are gaining prominence across industries, Cobram Estate, an olive oil company, stands as an Australian success story. While their brand may not be the most well-known, I’m betting that just like me, you have a bottle of their olive oil in your pantry. To shed light on their sustainability and partnership efforts, we had the opportunity to speak with Justin, the Sustainability Manager at Cobram Estate Olives.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Credit Legal Strategic partnership 130

Stellar Partnerships

JULY 2, 2023

“When someone needs a life raft, don’t try to sell them a yacht” Taki France The humble BandAid is much maligned. BandAid solutions are seen as short term and ineffective. But if you’ve ever had a hangnail, which catches on your clothes and makes your finger sore all day, then a BandAid is exactly what you need. When you’re talking with corporate prospects, you’ll find a big spectrum of needs and ambitions.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships 130

Stellar Partnerships

JUNE 25, 2023

We all want to feel special and valued. My daughter’s prep class fights for the privilege of hanging out with her at recess to get that extra attention. My friend’s three sons always badgered her to say which one was her favourite. She responded to each one “you’re my favourite son”. It became a running joke within the family that each one boasted of their special status.

Retail 130

Retail 130

Stellar Partnerships

JUNE 19, 2023

Emus aren’t the smartest of birds. Their tiny head atop a big body gives you a clue to the size of their brainpower. I once visited an emu farmer and noticed that the emus crowded themselves in one corner of the field, right up against the fence. At the same time his llamas enjoyed the freedom of a hundred grassy, delicious hectares, undisturbed by the noisy crowd at the fence.

130

130

Stellar Partnerships

JUNE 12, 2023

“Truth between candid minds can never do harm” Thomas Jefferson Next year I’ll celebrate my 30 th wedding anniversary with my beloved husband. In the early months of dating, we asked a lot of questions to get to know each other. What’s your favourite food/ book/ film? Do you like dogs or cats? Which team do you support? As the years go by, the questions change.

Banking 130

Banking Collaboration Government 130

Stellar Partnerships

JUNE 4, 2023

What does a corporate partner want? It’s the million-dollar question. To make your life easier we’ve recently been hosting chats with people from the corporate side of the table so you can hear from the horse’s mouth (so to speak) what’s important to them. This week we’re sharing the insights from Patrick at CSL. CSL is a global biotech company and one of Australia’s biggest success stories, with profits of over $2.2bln last year.

Biotech 130

Biotech Legal Ecosystems Government 130

Stellar Partnerships

MAY 28, 2023

History books are full of things we once thought to be true but are actually false. For centuries people believed that the earth was flat and that beyond the outer edge there were sea dragons. It wasn’t a great incentive for sailors, who baulked at exploring too far in case they fell off the edge into the dreaded abyss. In 2023 there is still a diehard Flat Earth Society, as part of the new anti-science movement but the majority view has moved on.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Engineering 130

Stellar Partnerships

MAY 21, 2023

Steve Jobs famously said it was ‘more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy”. He meant that big bureaucracies are slower to change than start-ups. In Tendayi Viki’s book ‘Pirates in the Navy’ he thinks that it’s perfectly possible for innovators to thrive in a bigger environment and get all of the benefits of scale and support. Corporate partnership executives are just like pirates in the navy.

Corporate partnerships 130

Corporate partnerships Legal Government Business development 130

Stellar Partnerships

MAY 14, 2023

“Parenting is a lot like folding a fitted bed sheet. No-one knows how.” It was Mother’s Day last weekend and hundreds of mums were wakened by the sound of pots banging and toast burning as kids attempted a breakfast in bed surprise. Or maybe your fur baby decided that 6am was the best time to greet you with a wet nose, a friendly paw and demands for a walk.

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