Thank you for your interest in submitting a request to the Corporate Engagement Center (CEC) team to pursue corporate funding. The CEC reviews requests every two weeks and will follow up with ways the team can provide support. Below are important guidelines to consider before you submit.

IMPORTANT GUIDELINES:

• You must have a University of Minnesota x500 account to submit a request.
• Strong preference towards requests of $50,000+ in corporate support.
• Not all submissions will be pursued; we prioritize opportunities aligned with institutional strategy and corporate interests.
• Submission of this form does not guarantee support or outreach to companies.
• Seeking funding is a process that develops over time, rather than a near-term solution. In most cases, this process takes ~6 months.
• It is important to assess current partnerships and relationships with organizations to ensure readiness for financial conversations.

WHAT WE DO:

• Assess corporate alignment and funding potential
• Provide guidance on positioning and messaging
• Coordinate outreach to avoid duplication
• Manage institutional corporate relationships

WHAT WE DON’T DO:

• Support every request received
• Support proposals below $50K
• Contact information alone is rarely the value we provide; our role is to guide strategy, alignment, and next steps for engagement.
• Act as primary fundraisers for all initiatives

NEXT STEPS:

• You will receive a response within 3 business days
• Selected opportunities will move to a strategy discussion
• Others may receive feedback or alternative suggestions for support