Over the past few months, I’ve been urging nonprofits to seek out opportunities to create partnerships with businesses. Recently, a correspondent asked me to cite some examples of partnerships which have worked.

There are several current examples which serve as good models. The Susan G. Komen Foundation, which supports breast cancer research, has forged alliances with several major commercial enterprises, for example. The foundation invites supporters to shop at Bloomingdales and a portion of the sales go back to the foundation. Similarly, a number of corporations sponsor Walks to support AIDS research or other healthcare causes. In L.A., the local United Way secures corporate sponsorships for its annual Walk For The Homeless. In all these cases, the corporate sponsor gains exposure, good will and the potential for new customers while the nonprofit generates income.

Here’s another good example. A large apartment complex in Los Angeles needed to show off its property to potential new residents. The property contains lots of green space, mini-parks, shaded walkways and handsome landscaping, all surrounding several high rise apartment buildings and blocks of townhomes. Their marketing goal was to show a new audience these amenities, demonstrating the virtues of life in the community. To draw that new audience, the complex created a partnership with a nonprofit and staged a large art show featuring the works of local artists and artisans. The resulting event served everyone’s needs: the nonprofit was able to provide information to thousands who attended the art show and to generate donations during the show while the apartment company created an event which allowed a sizable crowd to experience the property first-hand as they strolled around the art show.

In all these examples, significant promotion is a key factor. Using advertising, direct mail, flyers and, sometimes, electronic media exposure, both the commercial enterprises and the nonprofits co-promote their partnerships, so both get maximum benefit from their alliance. The nonprofits promote heavily to their own constituents, encouraging participation so the corporate entity gains new trade; the corporations promote their support so the nonprofit reaches a broader audience.

Such alliances need not be large or elaborate or expensive. An independent ice cream store in a mid-sized suburban community supports local nonprofits by featuring special flavors which generate income to the nonprofit; the nonprofit urges its constituents to patronize the ice cream parlor. The arrangement doesn’t cost anybody a lot, but it creates a new revenue stream for the parlor and the nonprofit.

That’s the point, of course: by forging smart alliances, business and nonprofits can each generate benefits which serve their individual and mutual interests – in doing so, they also serve their communities. More importantly, in this challenging economy, both may well find financial support which they each sorely need.