Climb to the Top of the Corporate-giving Ladder
In other words, for a corporation to allocate serious dollars, it must perceive your organization as a sound investment. It needs to be able to proudly talk about its decision to support you with its shareholders, top brass and other key constituents.
Corporations make giving decisions based on a number of variables. They might give because of corporate policies that dictate areas they will support (for example, only community-based groups, healthcare issues, the arts, etc.), a chief executive's personal interests or connections ("pet" causes, for example) and more. Expect your annual report to sit on a desk alongside the annual reports of lots of other organizations you might be competing with for support. Will it hold up? Does it look like you spent too much money? Not enough?
Sarah Durham is president of Big Duck, a New York City-based branding, marketing and fundraising firm for nonprofits. She serves on the boards of the National Brain Tumor Society and the New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).
