Episode 291 features Scott Love in conversation with legal business development strategist Karen Kaplowitz on how lawyers can use charitable sponsorships to deepen client relationships and generate business in a way that feels authentic. Kaplowitz defines “charitable sponsorships” as the common scenario where a client invites a lawyer or law firm to support a charity through events such as dinners, honoree celebrations (often for a general counsel or senior executive), golf tournaments, or fundraising activities. While this can resemble other networking, she argues the charity context creates a stronger “expectation of interaction” and a closer bond because the client is personally invested. Done well, it is not simply writing a check; it is learning what the client and their company care about and showing up in meaningful ways that build trust and access in an increasingly competitive market where competitors are often being invited to the same opportunities.

Kaplowitz emphasizes that the biggest mistake firms make is treating charity involvement as a one-and-done transaction, which leads to wasted spend and missed relationship leverage. The value comes from being intentional: doing advance research on who will be there, coordinating internally to ensure the right lawyers attend, arriving early, engaging purposefully, and following up to convert introductions into ongoing relationships. She highlights high-impact approaches such as volunteering alongside clients (e.g., joining a client’s Thanksgiving service activity), helping a charity by mobilizing firm resources when a key client is being honored, and serving on boards where clients can see lawyers “in action” as problem-solvers. Her three recommended action steps are: (1) identify what charities your most important clients support, (2) plan specific ways to support the client and the charity (sponsorship, board service, volunteering, fundraising), and (3) execute with consistent follow-through as part of an organized relationship plan with clear activities and a budget.

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In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, Scott sits down with Karen Kaplowitz,  a Lawdragon Global 100 Leader in Legal Strategy and Consulting,  who is a master at helping law firms build client relationships through charity, and has personally raised over $20M in charity for a leading women’s civil rights organization.

 Links:

https://www.legalmomentum.org/events/aiming-high-2026

https://www.newellis.com/PDFs/2010/May3-RightTimeRightGroup.pdf

https://www.newellis.com/PDFs/2011/April112011-CharityBegins.pdf

https://www.newellis.com/PDFs/2022/NewEllis-102422.pdf

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