Hey Non-Profit...we just want to help

This is a message to all the national charity organizations and non-profits on behalf of your corporate partners. Sometimes ... we just want to do something good. We just want to help. We're not looking for recognition or to get free publicity, we just want to be part of the good work you are doing in our world.

In today's non-profit landscape, corporations are all grouped under the same assumption. It's assumed that the corporation is trying to find a non-profit that they can attach their name to and get some publicity for being "good." In order to get credit for "being good," you have to commit to donating a minimum amount of money at a national level or jump through certain hoops.

For example, we had $10,000 to give away and we wanted to put it towards a cause that was very near and dear to the hearts of many of our coworkers. We contacted the organization and the wheels of "corporate partnership" went into motion. After many back and forth meetings and a list of rules of what we could say and couldn't say ... and photos we could use and couldn't use ... our team started to look at each other and say "we don't really want anything in return, we just want to help. We just want them to take our money and do good in the world with it. We just want to find out what else our coworkers can do to get involved and perhaps volunteer at a local level. We just want to brag on Facebook about the fact that this non-profit was the one we chose to support and list the reasons why we love what they do - and encourage others to pick them, too."

It was such a disappointing experience. And it has happened again and again. It almost makes you fall out of love with the organization you were so excited to support.

So just a suggestion box note to all the non-profit organizations out there... I commend you for being good sales representatives and enacting strategies that ultimately raise more funds... but if you have a company or group of employees that approach you with some volunteers or with some money they raised - just take it and say thank you. I wonder how many companies have given up on trying to help because it has become too bureaucratic to simply "give."

Help us, help you. Never turn away a gift. And keep in mind that there are many companies out there that just love what you do and want to help in any way they can.

In a perfect world, I would love a non-profit to simply ask my company, "what can you give and what would you ideally like to be able to do to be involved," and then simply find a way to take the gift of time and money that we are able to give. Putting too much structure to the giving process could have you losing out on some supporters and, after all, doesn't every little bit count?