Scaling Corporate Partnerships at StartOut
Case Study
Parkes Philanthropy partnered with StartOut to strengthen and scale its corporate partnerships strategy during a period of national growth. Working as an embedded extension of StartOut’s development leadership, Parkes Philanthropy built a pipeline of 250+ corporate prospects, secured over $250,000 in corporate partnership revenue while supporting StartOut’s $1.8M corporate revenue goal.
Mission
Founded in 2009, StartOut is the leading national nonprofit whose mission is to increase opportunity and success for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. Through education, mentorship, access to capital, networking, and thought leadership, StartOut has built one of the most respected ecosystems in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Situation
StartOut had a history of success in corporate fundraising. As an entrepreneurship nonprofit, it offered a strong value proposition because of business development opportunities and heightened visibility in the business world. The Chief Development Officer focused on corporate renewals, individual, and event giving, and decided to partner with Parkes Philanthropy to focus on expanding its network of corporate partners.
Solutions and Outcomes
Parkes Philanthropy worked with StartOut leadership to identify corporate sectors, business priorities, and partnership opportunities aligned with the organization’s mission and growth goals. The team identified the following key areas of focus for prospecting and partnership development:
- Companies with a demonstrated commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion
- Fortune 500 companies
- Organizations seeking access to founder ecosystems and small businesses
- Brands with a history of investing in economic mobility
- Corporate partners that seek marquee event sponsorship
- Prospects with warm introductions from staff, board, and volunteer relationships
The project team conducted an analysis of StartOut’s current sponsorship portfolio, previous fundraising efforts, partner retention, and leadership networks to design the prospecting strategy. Based on conversations with StartOut leadership, Parkes Philanthropy also designed a prospect viability framework to evaluate alignment, accessibility, and revenue potential for future partnerships.
To establish the prospect viability framework, Parkes Philanthropy first worked with StartOut leadership to understand organizational goals, sponsor priorities, and market opportunities. The team identified key factors of viability and established values to evaluate the strength and feasibility of potential sponsorship opportunities. A final score was used to prioritize opportunities for outreach and advancement.
The project team organized all findings into an evaluation grid to provide a high-level comparative overview of expansion opportunities and highlight areas for StartOut to pursue. Specific details for each opportunity were also documented for additional reference.
Analysis
Based on the team’s initial analysis of StartOut’s needs, Parkes Philanthropy began research of aligned prospects by conducting a cross-analysis of similar organizations, sponsorship trends, and corporate ESG priorities. The team then supported StartOut in developing sponsor profiles focused on viability, strategic alignment, and long-term partnership potential.
The team then leveraged its knowledge of corporate partners, business development strategy, and existing networks, along with tools such as Salesforce, LinkedIn, and ChatGPT to define alignment, decision-makers, sponsorship priorities, and strategic ask amounts.
Impact
In total, the team:
- Assessed StartOut’s current sponsorship portfolio to identify target sponsor profiles
- Built a pipeline of 250+ qualified corporate prospects
- Facilitated board and leadership workshops to identify warm introductions
- Developed customized sponsorship decks, proposals, and value proposition materials
- Maintained weekly pipeline reviews, forecasting, and opportunity advancement
- Closed 6 new corporate partnerships, including multiple six-figure opportunities
- Supported in securing $1.8M+ in corporate partnership revenue in support of StartOut’s $2.4M annual fundraising strategy
- Supported the annual gala in exceeding goal by 30%, bringing in $530,00
- Strengthened and upgraded strategic partnerships including:
Comcast
Supported CEO and CDO in pitch deck, proposal, and strategy for $375,000 upgrade to support innovation program and general operations.
JPMorgan Chase
Closed $200,000 annually, embedding the sponsor in activations throughout StartOut’s programmatic offering including founder education, mentorship, annual conference keynote, gala,and bespoke events.
The Coca-Cola Company
Upgraded annual support from $100,000 to $250,000, expanding sponsorship across programs and the annual gala.
MISTR
Closed $25,000 sponsorship including executive visibility, venue support, keynote activation, and PR integration.
“Hiring Parkes Philanthropy was one of the highest-leverage decisions we made during my tenure as CDO at StartOut. Brandon is a true strategic thought partner who understands that successful fundraising isn’t just about closing immediate gifts, it’s about having the organizational infrastructure and trust to scale sustainably. He helped us establish the systems, clarify the strategy, and cultivate the relationships that positioned our development program for long-term growth. His ability to translate ambitious vision into measurable momentum is unmatched and he is a pleasure to work with.”
— Phillip Ozaki, Former Chief Development Officer, StartOut
