Litter Sponsorship Gives Corporate Partnership a Personal Touch

When Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union approached us in Spring 2022 with a generous donation and a desire to engage their employees with our mission, we put on our thinking caps to create the best experience to meet their goal. As Affinity Plus Chief Talent Officer Julie Cosgrove states, their company wanted to “partner together to impact the lives of people and families in communities across the state of Minnesota.”

So, in response to a donation of $30,000 over the course of three years, Can Do Canines came up with the concept of allowing Affinity Plus to sponsor an entire litter of puppies from birth through client placement. Can Do Canines Development Manager Sheila Ross explains, “We created a sponsorship level to make it feel more relational than transactional and to give all the Affinity Plus employees the ability to experience the impact of their gift.”

In August, when the “S” litter of nine, yellow, Labrador Retriever puppies was born, the employees began “experiencing that gift” by receiving pictures
of nine fluffy, pudgy, little lives. Throughout the three-year commitment, Can Do Canines is providing an inside view and special opportunities to the Affinity Plus group. Monthly updates to Affinity Plus include current photos of at least one of the puppies, a description of skills they are working on, and notable personality traits that are emerging. Julie says, “From ‘meeting’ the litter of puppies when they were born, to being a part of naming each of the dogs, to arranging on-site visits [at Affinity Plus branches] to connect and learn about the dogs, to following their journey as they head to prison, each milestone has been celebrated with both the team at Can Do Canines and Affinity Plus! We’re excited to follow each of the dogs toward graduation, and while some may have a different career path, each of their journeys will be celebrated by 600 employees cheering them on from afar!”

Whether through a litter sponsorship or other “win-win” initiatives, Sheila stresses, “Our hope is to create multiple ways for corporate partners to come alongside us to make their philanthropy programs meaningful and engaging. It’s a way to help them realize that their dollars matter and partnering with a local nonprofit changes the lives of people with disabilities.”