Philanthropy and Small Business--A Beautiful Partnership

Last month I saw a YouTube video featuring, Kristin Tillquist, author of Capitalizing on Kindness: Why 21st Century Professionals Need to be Nice. The video got me thinking, how can I use my business to extend my philanthropic reach, generate brand awareness, and make a positive impact in my community? With the current economy, charitable contributions are down more than ever, and while your own personal contributions for charity may have impact, using your business for philanthropy may provide an even bigger opportunity to make a difference and grow your business.

After watching Kristin’s video, I challenged myself to find a way that my business could directly impact the community and soon after, my Advertising for Charity (AFC) campaign was born. In planning this campaign, I wanted to share my experiences and several of the resources I used along the way. My hope is that you will use the information I have encountered to assist you with creating your own charitable campaigns in the near future. Here are, what I call, the three “C’s” of Charity Campaigning.

CAUSE

Go with your gut— if there is a particular cause that speaks to you, examine your business model to find ways you can raise money and provide value to your customers at the same time. Charity Navigator has a comprehensive list of charities to research nationwide, or you can simply research the organizations in your local area. Whatever approach you take, do your homework and select charities that are known for their credibility and have a good track record.

CLARITY

Before you jump in head first and start spending time and money developing your campaign, it’s important to have clarity about the goals you and the charity are trying to achieve. Work with your sponsored organization to find out which goals they would like to achieve and create a campaign that benefits both of you. Consider how the cause benefits the charity and relates to your business at the same time. Whatever you decide, doing the “greater good” should be your ultimate focus, followed by some clearly defined opportunities to leverage your business. Work.com has a great guide to small business charitable giving and can provide good insight on tax considerations.

COLLABORATION

Everything is in place and you’re ready to move forward with your sponsored charity to make the campaign a success. To help get the word out make sure you C-O-L-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-E—not only with your sponsored charity, but with your partners and sponsors. Collectively many organizations can achieve much more than you can achieve single handed. Leverage help when it’s offered and ask for help when you need it. Frugalmarketing.com has some good information for utilizing resources to market your campaign on a friendly budget.

It is my hope that this information will benefit you as you create your own legacy of kindness for your business. For more information about advertising your business for charity, click here.

Happy fundraising everybody.

Tags: business, charity, fundraising, philanthropy, small, tips

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