Communication of Business-Nonprofit Collaborations and Corporate Legitimacy

Collaborations with nonprofits are a key element in firms' sustainability communication and legitimation processes. However, the relationship between their communication and corporate legitimacy is underexplored. This study examines 440 communications from firms, nonprofits, and media related to 91 business-nonprofit collaborations involving Italian firms in environmentally sensitive sectors. Findings show that firms with stronger environmental legitimacy emphasize proactive actions and orientation towards communities and the environment, while those with weaker legitimacy highlight supportive roles and immediate stakeholders. Media emotional framing is more negative with less legitimate firms, unlike that of nonprofit partners. These insights enrich legitimacy theory and shed light on the link between sustainability communication strategies and corporate legitimacy.