It's unprecedented. It's astonishing. The nonprofit world is reeling. Philanthropy will never be the same. So, why should your company care about this news...?


With Bill Gates' recent decision to leave his corporate duties to focus on The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and now Warren Buffet's announcement that he's giving away $37 billion of his estimated $44 billion in assets, we need to take a hard look at corporate philanthropy, what it is, who benefits and what's in it for you and your company. Even though Gates and Buffet are donating their personal wealth accumulated from individual efforts in the corporate sector, the spotlight is on the "giving."
The focus of an upcoming article I intend to write in more length, I still wanted to address the topic in this forum, in this timely way. Having worked as a marketing exec for nonprofit organizations, and now consulting for nonprofits and businesses, corporate philanthropy is a win-win situation that helps both companies, and the charitable organizations they touch, to live their missions. It embraces cause-related marketing, sponsorships, and corporate grants among other ways companies can make a difference in their communities.
Even a small business can benefit from an alliance or sponsorship of a local nonprofit organization. There are stats and figures that prove the point, but first, let's talk about what your company is doing now in corporate philanthropy.
- Who's in charge? Community relations or branding and marketing?
- What's the budget as a percentage of total operating budget?
- What do you expect from the charity for your dollars?
- How do you select the nonprofits you partner with?
- Do you have strategic marketing objectives for these partnerships?
Please share. Let's learn what's working and where there are missed opportunities.