MAPSTL

The most challenging issue that I see with small businesses or big corporations is figuring out how to focus their giving. Yet, it is one of the first actions in creating a strategic philanthropy program. Why does a business, and it doesn’t matter if it is a little company of less than five men and women or a huge corporation of five thousand people, want to focus their giving? The bottom line is it should make strategic sense and support the business’s strategic objectives, values and objectives.

Focused giving applies to many areas for a organization. Initial and foremost, as a business owner, your giving must align with your business values and long term interests. Once that is determined, you can then focus on local communities or other geographic areas where your company has a presence. You can also focus on causes (broader problems) that appeals to both the enterprise interests, employee interests and buyers. It’s about making the connection with the communities you serve.

There are advantages to focusing giving programs. Initial, giving is a relationship for both businesses and nonprofits. Nonprofit success with raising funds is dependent upon building and cultivating those relationships with donors and their objective is to continually move the donor up the giving-ladder. Nonprofits are as a lot interested in your firm giving as they are in cultivating a long term relationship. They want to connect with you. They want to keep you interested in their trigger and develop lengthy standing relationships which enables them on numerous levels to succeed in fulfilling their mission.

Companies that develop a focused giving program tend to make a long term impact. This is what is meant by making a difference. And this simply doesn’t take place when a business is giving smaller dollar donations all across the board. There are advantages for firms that focus their giving. Employee volunteerism can grow and turn into a valued company-wide program. The success of donation and sponsorship dollars can be monitored with much less administrative hassle. And when monies and efforts find a way to connect, your organization image and goodwill can flourish and, that’s a excellent thing.

© 2008. Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. All rights reserved.