EDUCAUSE Launches New Corporate Program to Create More Strategic Engagements: New Model Designed to Provide More Sustainable Value to Partners
August 2024
Leah Lang, Director of Corporate Engagement at EDUCAUSE — a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strategic use of technology and data in higher education —approached JSB Partnership Consultants with a challenge: “reimagining the corporate experience for EDUCAUSE.”
Dan Kowitz, Founder & CEO of JSB, discussed with Lang opportunities for creating a program that would help partners think differently about their investments with EDUCAUSE, while also creating a more sustainable non-dues revenue program by leveraging EDUCAUSE’s prominent position in the industry.
The primary objectives of the EDUCAUSE/JSB collaboration were to:
- Develop a corporate partner program grounded in a strategic business model.
- Transition from transactional “let’s-sell-this” interactions that left companies feeling “put upon” to a more relationship-focused model built on strategic engagements that align partner goals with EDUCAUSE goals.
- Ensure the new corporate partner program supports EDUCAUSE’s member programs, including its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative.
- Integrate the new corporate engagement program into EDUCAUSE’s change management process and identify growth-oriented, career-enhancing roles for the corporate engagement/sales team.
It was also established that first-and-foremost the new corporate partnership program would be in alignment with EDUCAUSE’s mission “to advance the strategic use of technology and data to further the promise of higher education.”
Lang pointed out that her background is in helping membership; her corporate engagement team’s focus was on companies. Kowitz observed, “Bringing these two focuses together would be a win-win for both audiences.”
Program Development Begins with Research and Interviews
JSB’s team began by conducting a thorough study of EDUCAUSE’s corporate revenue from all sources and for all EDUCAUSE products and services. Next, JSB did a comprehensive audit and assessment of everything EDUCAUSE offered or could offer to corporate partners. These analyses provided a useful marketplace breakdown of what was selling, what was not selling, what each company was buying, and what could be offered to corporate partners.
This was followed by interviews with EDUCAUSE staff and corporate partners to gather insights and ideas for the new program. Staff interviews highlighted the perception that sponsorships and partnerships provided not only revenue but also content and program support for EDUCAUSE. Corporate partners expressed a strong interest in targeting specific audience segments within the EDUCAUSE membership. The interviews also helped to gain buy-in from these stakeholder groups for the new corporate partnership program.
JSB conducted a competitive analysis, identifying over 60 competitors vying for the attention of EDUCAUSE’s corporate supporters, including other associations, trade publications, and event, expo, and webinar producers. Additionally, some corporate supporters conducted their own educational outreach via webinars, white papers, and social media.
The JSB team used the findings from the financial, assets, and interview research – along with benchmark information from other associations’ successful corporate partnership programs – to develop strategy and structure recommendations for EDUCAUSE’s new Corporate Engagement Program. The recommendations included a process to package and price corporate partnerships.
New Partnership Program Offers Value to Companies and Members
Lang explained, “By bundling items, the new program simplifies things for our corporate partners. They don’t have to pick and choose and guess which options will have the most impact. We’ve curated the most meaningful items for them, and they’re grateful for it.”
One of EDUCAUSE’s long-time corporate supporters quickly adopted the new program. Cathy Bates, Senior Principal and Associate Partner at Vantage Technology Consulting Group, remarked, “This is not just another sponsorship program. The EDUCAUSE corporate program offers a unique opportunity.”
Lang added, “The new program better aligns our members with companies truly invested in the mission of higher education, both financially and philosophically. It builds trust between members and suppliers by reducing one-off, hard sales, and promotions.”
Comparing EDUCAUSE’s experience with other associations, Kowitz noted that other associations’ corporate sponsors often express frustration with multiple sales calls from association staff and their sales agencies. One marketing executive said, “We’re absolutely interested in a year-round model rather than a piece-by-piece approach.”
Lang elaborated, “The new annual program helps companies maintain a consistent message throughout the year; previously, most partners were engaging only once or twice with minimal effect.”
She also emphasized the program’s dual benefit: delivering more value to partners while solidifying revenue streams to support meaningful programming for members.
Corporate Engagement Program Addresses Each Company’s Needs
The EDUCAUSE Corporate Engagement Program offers packages tailored to each company’s business objectives and marketing goals, featuring:
- Year-round engagement with each partner’s target market
- Strategic brand and thought leadership showcases
- Direct access to technology decision-makers
- An efficient way for partners to achieve their goals
After a few months in the program, Bates from Vantage observed, “We believe in what the new program can do. The partnership model reflects our shared values with EDUCAUSE and the way we work collaboratively with the higher education community.”
Kowitz concluded, “the JSB team is providing the EDUCAUSE staff with training and coaching to take the Corporate Engagement Program to market and implement the program.”
Dan Kowitz is Founder & CEO of JSB Partnership Consultants. JSB helps drive revenue and strategy with partnership and sponsorship programs. Dan is also Co-Convener of the Partnership Professionals Network