Lost Worlds Brewing celebrated its fourth year in business this past April. During this period, Lost Worlds took a unique path—a journey defined not just by crafting exceptional beer but by cultivating a vibrant community and embracing the spirit of adventure.
Since Lost Worlds Brewing was founded in 2020, giving back to the community has been a significant focus. Breweries tend to receive an inordinate number of requests to give their product away. Last year alone, Lost Worlds received over 300 such requests to donate to events. Obviously, you cannot give everything away—that’s a path to failure.
Enter the Lost Worlds Community Partnership Program. To ensure that their donations deliver the best bang for the buck, Lost Worlds has created a community partnership program. In their model, they aim to create meaningful partnerships where they work closely with a nonprofit to utilize their unique capabilities and build a win-win relationship. For their nonprofit partners, this means receiving usage of Lost Worlds’ space to host events, donations, and the ability to connect with the Lost Worlds audience through social media and other marketing efforts.
Community partners hold significant importance to Lost Worlds because they create something greater than what could be achieved individually. Lost Worlds firmly believes in the principle that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” By teaming up with organizations whose missions align with theirs, they can promote shared values, collaborate on projects, and seek ways to advance worthy causes within the community.
For instance, Lost Worlds’ partnerships with organizations like the Raptor Center have deepened over time. Beyond simply serving beer at their events, Lost Worlds has expanded the partnership to include fundraising efforts, participation in their markets, and pop-up events at their brewery. These partnerships extend beyond mere transactions; they are about building long-lasting relationships and working together towards shared goals.
Whether hosting a themed archaeology dinner, a book signing about the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, or crafting an event with nonprofits, Lost Worlds seeks ways to build a community center. If an event advances an organization’s mission and aligns with their core values, Lost Worlds will go to great lengths to help them host an amazing event. Every month, they select a nonprofit to promote through their point-of-sale devices, encouraging patrons to “round up” their tab to support the chosen nonprofit.
Sherri Johnson, Lost Worlds’ Marketing & PR Director, leads the community partner program at Lost Worlds. She explains, “When an organization asks to become a community partner, we ask them to build a plan with us. That plan needs to include onsite events as well as joint projects where we can collaborate. The key in these relationships is to create something that neither organization could do on their own. That’s success to us.”
Today, Lost Worlds’ community partners include Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center, American Foreign Academic Research, South Charlotte Dog Rescue, the Trail of History, Payton’s Promise, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Little Smiles, and the Carolina Raptor Center.
Dave Hamme is the founder and general manager of Lost Worlds Brewing (www.lostworldsbeer.com). With a background in innovation consulting, Dave’s role at Lost Worlds is to continue to evolve the business with the intention of transforming the craft brewing industry. Dave can be reached at [email protected].
Photo courtesy of Deborah Young Studio and Dave Hamme
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