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Sponsored by: CT Forum
August 30, 2023

The Connecticut Forum and UConn School of Business– Arts and Culture Sponsorship at its Best

Husky Nation! Forum, featuring former UConn Basketball players Sue Bird and Morgan Tuck, and UConn Women’s Basketball head coach Geno Auriemma; May 4, 2023, The Bushnell

There’s no doubt that corporate support is absolutely critical to the health and sustainability of local arts and cultural organizations. But what are the tangible benefits to the sponsor companies? Holly Howley, Director of Philanthropy and Corporate Giving at The Connecticut Forum, sat down recently with Meg Warren, Executive Director of External & Alumni Engagement at The UConn School of Business to talk about this and how fostering a lasting relationship can lead to unexpected outcomes.

What is the most important reason you support arts and cultural organizations like The Connecticut Forum?

The UConn School of Business thinks it’s critical that we do our part to support the arts and cultural organizations that make CT an attractive place to live and work in local businesses. CT Forum’s mission to bring world-renowned speakers together to share diverse ideas on the timely issues of our day aligns perfectly with UConn School of Business’ goal to convene these needed conversations among our faculty, students, alumni, and leaders in our community. 

Do students and staff get involved in the sponsorship program?

Absolutely! And not only staff and students, but we use this sponsorship opportunity to connect our students and staff with alumni and other community leaders. We tend to invite people as our guests to each Forum who have an interest in the particular topic of the evening, whether it’s music, politics, technology, or basketball! It makes for thoughtful and interesting conversation at the pre-Forum dinners and gives our guests the opportunity to forge new relationships.

How do you measure the success of your sponsorship?

We measure sponsorship success by observing the connections made during the Forum dinner and program ― the evidence of success is seeing the newly created initiatives that come from gathering a particular group of people. The sponsorship allows us to connect a group of people on a particular topic, and attending the CT Forum together as a group is a perfect springboard to launch dialog around mutually beneficial interests.

Can you describe an experience where collaboration between you and the non-profit resulted in a winning program/event?

In 2019, we had a group of eight people attend the Climate Crisis Forum. We used this opportunity to include faculty members who are experts in this field and invited climate industry leaders along with a community leader who supported small businesses establishing a footprint in CT that support corporate social responsibility and climate sustainability. The relationships we formed at the pre-Forum dinner have been long-lasting and have resulted in measurable outcomes such as a collaboration that continues to support our school’s annual Global Business Leadership in Sustainability Summit. These partnerships, built around a shared interest in a particular topic, make our investment in organizations like The Connecticut Forum a clear win. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how great it was to see our own School of Business alum, Morgan Tuck, on stage at The Forum’s Husky Nation! with other Husky greats talking about her work on the business side of the WNBA!

The Connecticut Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving Connecticut and beyond with live, unscripted panel discussions among renowned experts and celebrities, and outreach programs serving youth and the community.