Don't Overlook In-Kind Giving

Two keys to success for nonprofits trying to net cause-marketing relationship of in-kind products are: 1) understanding the decision-making process of the corporation, and 2) accountability for how the products are used.

Understanding the corporate process and how to engage corporate decision makers and create a program that engages everyone from the employees to the CEO is important, as is structuring a program that allows the corporation to really get its hands dirty in the mission of the organization. Allowing the for-profit to help in the decision-making process of the organization and engage with its mission will produce the most successful type of relationship, Wong says.