For years businesses and individuals would support a non-profit, charity, or community group simply because money was good, the business felt obligated and the expense could be justified. When the real estate market hit the sewer and the stock market “adjusted” itself, the traditional revenue streams dried up...and the cost could no longer be rationalized. While every good company understands it has a role to play in being a solid, supportive community partner, the economic realities have shown tremendous changes in the amounts anyone can afford to commit to charity.
For the organizations that provide the charitable services, this means that individuals just don’t have the money they once did and larger organizations that might have committed to a few dozen charities have become very discerning about where they place any donations. Even the trusts and foundations that may have supported dozens of projects over the course of a year, may only consider a fraction of those endeavours to keep their respective organization’s viable.
For the first time, charities have to compete.
Is it different? Yes.
Is it difficult? Not necessarily.
Is it new? Not at all.
Understand it’s only a shift in priorities and the quickest way to ensure your non-profit’s future is by becoming a priority to the people you’re trying to engage. The non-profit has to understand that the business/individual will still support you if the trade of value is perceived to be advantageous to the donor. Now, more than ever, businesses want to know how their situation will improve by supporting your initiatives.
A business will adapt to include another business as a partner if it means the shared resources can work to benefit both entities. The same is true for non-profits. If the non-profit can
demonstrate to the business that a partnership will create more customers and benefit everyone in the relationship, the non-profit is no longer perceived as a cost. If the non-profit can show an investment in the well-being of the business, the business will reciprocate.
Consider what would happen if the charity asked the business what challenges it’s facing and crafting a solution that benefits both. Imagine how the relationship would look between a half dozen business partners where everyone benefits and the non-profit is the catalyst that brought it all together. Would it allow that non-profit to be seen as something other than a charity case?
For the organizations that provide the charitable services, this means that individuals just don’t have the money they once did and larger organizations that might have committed to a few dozen charities have become very discerning about where they place any donations. Even the trusts and foundations that may have supported dozens of projects over the course of a year, may only consider a fraction of those endeavours to keep their respective organization’s viable.
For the first time, charities have to compete.Is it different? Yes.
Is it difficult? Not necessarily.
Is it new? Not at all.
Understand it’s only a shift in priorities and the quickest way to ensure your non-profit’s future is by becoming a priority to the people you’re trying to engage. The non-profit has to understand that the business/individual will still support you if the trade of value is perceived to be advantageous to the donor. Now, more than ever, businesses want to know how their situation will improve by supporting your initiatives.
A business will adapt to include another business as a partner if it means the shared resources can work to benefit both entities. The same is true for non-profits. If the non-profit can
demonstrate to the business that a partnership will create more customers and benefit everyone in the relationship, the non-profit is no longer perceived as a cost. If the non-profit can show an investment in the well-being of the business, the business will reciprocate.Consider what would happen if the charity asked the business what challenges it’s facing and crafting a solution that benefits both. Imagine how the relationship would look between a half dozen business partners where everyone benefits and the non-profit is the catalyst that brought it all together. Would it allow that non-profit to be seen as something other than a charity case?
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