Did you know Opportunities to help your charitable organization loosen the stretch of a tight budget still exist, despite drops in charitable giving. Some national retailers and restaurants permit local managers to honor an advertised price after a sale cycle has ended, increase quantity limits on special offers, give a discount on the spot, or to give a donation in the form of products or gift cards. Small business owners have been known to write checks to nonprofits on the spot.
Money saving opportunities can also be found outside of brick and mortar businesses. Internet retailers like Oriental Trading [1] have community outreach programs with less intensive applications than most grants. You do the shopping and donors can do the buying with Amazon Wish List [2]. Check the menu at the top or bottom of websites for terms like community, outreach, and corporate giving. Attaching the word “foundation” to business names during online searches is another way to link to the giving side of companies.
Discounts can also ease the burden of administrative expenses. Purchasing collectives like U.S. Communities [3] can reduce the costs of goods and services for nonprofits or schools. TechSoup [4] lets nonprofits upgrade their Microsoft technology at a discount.
Email communication services like AWeber [5] or Constant Contact [6] offer discounted programs for nonprofits and can save your office time and money when compared to mass snail mail communication.
Respect your organization’s new partner by researching the value of what you want and by bringing your request in writing on your organization’s letterhead. Plan ahead. Sometimes even a small request can take weeks to be processed. Policies regarding local giving can change, stores might have caps on how much they can give within a certain time frame, and corporate offices might have to make final approval.
Think of requesting discounts as a relationship builder. Offer supportive businesses opportunities for recognition. Let them know that their generosity made a difference by providing follow up letters, written reviews, and old fashioned thank you cards. Let these opportunities for saving serve as opportunities for community outreach. Goodwill for your nonprofit is priceless!
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This post originally appeared on our January/February 2012 Magazine [17]