Charity Goes Beyond Giving Money

Marketing and charity mix in your community

Donate leftover products from your inventory.

Host or sponsor local non-profit events.

Give a percentage of certain product sales.

Allow charitable groups to meet at your office.

Organize your time for volunteer efforts.

Sit on a non-profit board.

These six ideas (rewritten for this post) satisfy your philanthropic goals and passively market yourself and business to others who’ve gathered to do the same.

Cause and Effect, published in The Wall Street Journal’s philanthropy section on December 10th, explained how small firms give charitably without writing checks. The “give a percentage of certain product sales” (No. 3 above) does actually pass money to the non-profit group, but it does so through specific sales, so the money’s been collected as part of your revenue.

Giving your time to local organizations not only strengthens your community (a great aspect in itself), it also opens many doors of opportunity to recommend you for projects not normally available to business owners outside of a charity’s circle.

Let’s face it. The level playing field isn’t always level. Being associated with people in different circles will always be the preferred way to achieving success personally and professionally. When you work together for a common community goal, it’s only natural that you’ll start talking business. That’s when the marketing doors open to reveal new revenue sources.

I encourage you to look at the above list and decide which door you’ll open today.

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