Catching a Thief with the Help of DonationMatch
Six years ago, we at DonationMatch had a brush with the law. Here’s what happened.
By Renee Zau, Co-founder of DonationMatch
Seven years ago, we at DonationMatch had a brush with the law. It’s a good thing, as it highlighted how our system uniquely protects nonprofits AND businesses and made us even more committed to our policies that minimize fraud. Here’s what happened.
THE CASE
On August 12, 2015, our staff was contacted by an Investigator at the San Diego District Attorney’s Office who told us he was working on a criminal case involving the former CEO of a local nonprofit. The former nonprofit CEO had already been charged in July, 2015 and pleaded not guilty. DonationMatch was linked to the case through system emails sent to the former nonprofit CEO. The investigator wanted to know—did we have information regarding donations that had been solicited and given to the former nonprofit CEO for the nonprofit’s recent event?
The answer was yes, of course—records of all requests, offers, responses, and even copies of donated vouchers and tickets received from our network were automatically saved by our system. Through a subpoena, the San Diego DA’s Office now had access to them, too.
WHAT DID THEY FIND?
The San Diego DA’s Office was able to see a list of all donations that were given to the former nonprofit CEO by businesses through DonationMatch. Using the contact information saved in our system, he reached out to each business involved to find out whether donated gift certificates had been used, and by whom. As suspected, it was discovered that the former nonprofit CEO had, “…solicited items and gift cards from stores as donations to auction off at fundraisers, but she would instead use them herself.” Some businesses recognized her photo and contact details, even when a fake name was used.
TIMELINE
July, 2015: Former nonprofit CEO pleaded not guilty.
August, 2015: DA’s Office investigator contacted DonationMatch and received DonationMatch records regarding donations approved to the former nonprofit CEO’s account, which were subsequently investigated further with each donor company.
September, 2015: Former nonprofit CEO changed her plea from “not guilty” to “guilty” of grand theft.
December, 2015: The former nonprofit CEO was found guilty and sentenced.
Ultimately, presumably due to the new evidence discovered, the former nonprofit CEO decided to plead guilty and was sentenced to a year behind bars, five years of probation, and restitution payments totaling $18,000. [Link to NBC News article]
WHAT DID WE LEARN? COULD THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR ORGANIZATION?
Leaders of organizations, especially CEO’s, typically have a lot of independence when it comes to making decisions and working with partners and donors. In the wrong hands, or simply at an opportune time, bad decisions can be made. EVERY organization has the potential to fall victim to crime, but it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to do their best to be alert and ensure there are checks and balances whenever possible and practical.
TAKEAWAYS FOR NONPROFITS:
Do criminal background checks when hiring, especially when access to bank accounts is possible. The former nonprofit CEO had past brushes with the law.
Share about current donation solicitation efforts and ways to contact your organization to verify requests clearly on your website.
Create a shared/group organization email address monitored by staff for event volunteers to use when soliciting donations.
Let the public know that only those using official organization email addresses should be soliciting donations. This helps to prevent your organization’s EIN and/or name from being used to solicit donations without your knowledge.
Utilize trackable methods of donation solicitation whenever possible. Come up with a reason for donors to let you know they donated, such as inviting businesses to send their preferred Business Name, website URL, and social media handles to your event committee/shared email address.
Invite in-kind donors to events: This proactively deters theft and misuse when donors attending will expect to see their own packages presented. It also potentially increases your supporter base.Nonprofits need to address potential fraud in order to protect their organization’s reputation, maintain their ability to qualify for desired donations, and accurately provide tax receipts for donations and in-kind donation reporting on state tax returns.
TAKEAWAYS FOR BUSINESSES:
When we at DonationMatch check a contact’s authority to solicit donations when an account is created, only 85% pass this test. When businesses not using DonationMatch aren’t vetting solicitors themselves, it could mean donated items meant for fundraisers do not show up at events. How do you prevent this?
Know who is asking you for a donation: If you don’t know them personally, ask for credentials and verify them. Legitimate contacts should be glad you did.
Use trackable methods to donate: Customize vouchers or gift certificates with recipient organization information and dates, and give them to organizations’ employees or leaders directly. Collect contact information when redeemed. Drop off physical products directly to a charity’s office and let multiple contacts know to expect it.
Attend events yourself: Not only can you see and give feedback about how your donations are presented, but events are great opportunities to meet others in the community who care about the same causes.
If you donate to more than one event a month, consider using a platform like DonationMatch that automatically vets all applicants, e-delivers donations you approve to only vetted accounts, and creates trackable gift certificates/tickets/vouchers for you. And if event plans change or (knock on wood) special circumstances arise, it’s easier to know who donated and reach you.
We at DonationMatch were very glad to hear that in this 2015 case, records from our system in 2015 provided evidence to serve justice and help the affected nonprofit recover what it could. Our hope is that with awareness and more vigilance by donor companies and platforms that enable donations, this type of theft will no longer exist.
Corporate Philanthropy: What Your Business Needs to Know
Discover how your business can leverage corporate philanthropy to increase employee engagement, secure customer loyalty, and positively promote your brand.
With social activism and ethical business practices taking center stage in national conversations, it makes sense that corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate philanthropy programs are on the rise. Instead of just selling valuable products and services, your business is now expected to take an active role in social causes.
In fact, according to a Cone Communications study on CSR, 63% of Americans hope businesses will take charge in driving social and environmental change in the absence of government regulation. Corporate philanthropy is increasingly becoming less of a “nice-to-have” offering and more of a “must-have” element for businesses to keep up with consumer desires.
But while your organization may be facing pressure to implement these programs, you don’t have to view them as a burden. In fact, if implemented correctly, your corporate philanthropy programs can be a driving force for customer loyalty, cause marketing, brand awareness, and employee engagement.
This guide will provide a roadmap for marketing managers, community giving managers, and HR professionals taking the dive into the world of corporate philanthropy. You’ll not only learn what corporate philanthropy is and its different types, but how to start a successful CSR program of your own by going over the key essentials of CSR, including:
No matter your business’s products or services, these strategies should help you take action and launch your own robust corporate philanthropy program. Let’s get started with a brief overview of what corporate philanthropy is and what it might look like for your business!
What is Corporate Philanthropy?
Corporate philanthropy is the voluntary actions that businesses take to improve their impact on the environment, their communities, and society at large. These programs have become incredibly popular in the business sector, with over $21 billion in corporate gifts given to nonprofits last year alone.
This may seem like a hefty investment to please your customers, but the benefits of corporate philanthropy go far beyond presenting a positive image for your business.
For instance, corporate philanthropy can provide an essential boost to your employee engagement rates. Over 71% of employees say it is imperative or very important to work at a business where the culture supports giving and volunteering.
This statistic might seem surprising if your idea of corporate philanthropy is just cutting a check to a local charity. For many people, the first idea that comes to mind when thinking of philanthropy is a cash donation. But there are a variety of different corporate giving programs that provide aid to nonprofits in different ways—which we’ll later discuss in more depth.
How Corporate Philanthropy Benefits Businesses
You may wonder if the cost of investing in corporate philanthropy is worth the benefits. After all, every single one of the corporate philanthropy programs we’ve discussed, with the exception of in-kind donations, involves donating money to an organization without necessarily receiving anything tangible in exchange.
So, how can corporate philanthropy strengthen your business and earn back its return on investment?
In addition to providing crucial support to worthy causes in your community, corporate philanthropy offers businesses many advantages such as:
Increased employee engagement. As mentioned earlier, corporate philanthropy can significantly improve employee engagement and retention rates. This Re:Charity report on corporate giving shows that employees who engage in corporate giving programs tend to have 75% longer tenures with their employers. The message is clear: your employees want to be a part of a business that improves their communities and creates change beyond the walls of their office. Your corporate philanthropy programs aren’t just for public vanity—they can and do create real, positive changes in your work environment’s quality and overall team member satisfaction.
Better engagement with customers. In an age when mass media is instantly available at everyone’s fingertips, customers have become increasingly mindful of the companies they support through their purchases. As quickly as bad news about a company will spread, good news about your company’s involvement in charitable causes will also reach customers. In fact, 87% of customers will purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they care about.
A marketing and reputation boost. When you partner with nonprofits and other charitable organizations, you can expand your marketing reach. These joint efforts, such as charitable events or fundraisers, expose both of your organizations to audiences that may have otherwise been difficult to reach. Additionally, these activities can lead community members to view your organization as a philanthropically-minded force for good. For example, this America’s Charities workplace giving survey shows that 69% of respondents reported increased sales after launching CSR programs.
Creating an effective cooperative giving program may require a bit of investment, but it will more than make up for the initial planning and donations required to keep these initiatives running.
For example, Six Flags North America has used its corporate philanthropy program to engage employees, partner with community leaders, and create a sense of customer loyalty that will last a lifetime. From its Project 6 program to its Make-a-Wish sponsorship, Six Flags has leveraged the power of in-kind donations to share thrilling theme park experiences with children and community members in need, cementing itself as a pillar of social good in its communities.
Types of Corporate Philanthropy
Corporate philanthropy programs can vary widely depending on a business’s industry and community engagement goals. Just as each business’s day-to-day operations, products, and services are different, every corporate philanthropy program will work differently.
That being said, there are several common corporate philanthropy initiatives, including:
Monetary Donations
DIRECT MONETARY DONATIONS
Direct monetary donations, sometimes structured as grants, are payments that your organization makes to nonprofits. This is one of the most common and straightforward forms of corporate philanthropy.
Direction donations can be as simple as writing a check to a charity. Alternatively, you could partner to contribute a portion of your sales during a given time period to a designated nonprofit or host an ongoing donation drive.
MATCHING GIFTS
Matching gifts are donations that businesses make to match their employee’s monetary contributions to charitable causes. This allows you to engage your employees on a one-on-one basis, showing support and giving to organizations that each of them finds personally important.
The process of actually facilitating these matching gifts is usually a shared, online exchange between your matching gift system and the nonprofit’s matching gift database software, where:
Your employee logs into the nonprofit’s donation page to submit their gift.
Employees search for your company’s matching gift form through the matching gift database embedded in the donation page.
Employees can automatically submit a request for you to match their donation.
The ratio and maximum amount of these matches vary for each organization. For example, many businesses offer 1:1 matches, but some provide 2:1 or even 3:1 matches.
However you go about setting up your match ratio or your matching gift form, just be sure to make sure that employees know about the program!
SPONSORSHIPS
Corporate sponsorships are a form of corporate philanthropy where your business supports a nonprofit during an event or specific fundraising effort.
This time-based type of philanthropy is flexible and can be mixed and matched with other philanthropic initiatives, such as a holiday direct donation campaign, to build up a more concentrated wave of support. Consider implementing sponsorships into your current corporate philanthropy program to complement and enhance your other campaigns.
In-Kind Donations
IN-KIND DONATIONS
In-kind donations are the donation of goods, experiences, or services rather than money.
For example, DonationMatch has helped many product-based businesses donate their extra inventory and product samples to charity events, turning unnecessary overhead into a marketing opportunity.
On the nonprofit side of the engagement, these charitable organizations are able to get in touch with businesses and immediately receive valuable or otherwise unattainable items that can be put directly towards fundraising for their mission.
Even businesses that don’t sell physical products, such as the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, have been able to participate in in-kind giving by donating tours, tickets, and valuable experiences to local community programs.
SPONSORSHIPS
As we mentioned, corporate sponsorships involve your business offering support to a nonprofit during a specific event, campaign, or project. For instance, you might donate dining gift certificates to be put up for bid at a charity auction or send employee volunteers to help facilitate a 5K.
Corporate sponsorships intersect with several other types of corporate philanthropy. For example, donating those auctionable gift certificates would count as both a sponsorship and an in-kind donation program.
You can pair corporate sponsorships with all of the other types of corporate philanthropy on this list to create a concentrated, time-sensitive campaign that will bring attention to your philanthropic efforts.
talent donations
VOLUNTEER GRANTS
Volunteer grants are contributions that employers make to nonprofits that their employees have volunteered with for a specific amount of time.
Volunteer grants, volunteer grant funds, or dollars for doers programs are a particularly effective way to engage your employees, rewarding them for actively helping charitable missions.
No matter the most compatible corporate philanthropy program, be sure to choose one or two well-suited nonprofits with which to create ongoing partnerships. As you learn more about your nonprofit partners, you can understand what types of donations and giving initiatives are most helpful for them.
Additionally, partner with charitable causes that align with your business’s mission or sector. Doing so will help create a more consistent, positive public reception of your brand. Before getting started, be sure that your business has the right tools to find the best nonprofits for your philanthropic partnership.
5 Steps to Create a Corporate Philanthropy Program
Launching your own corporate philanthropy program can be difficult without a bit of guidance. The DonationMatch team has had years of experience organizing and facilitating in-kind corporate philanthropy initiatives for businesses, and with these fundamental strategies, you should be well on your way to starting your own program:
1. Establish your goals.
Before you decide what type of corporate philanthropy program to pursue, you need to establish your CSR campaign goals. Think about what you’re hoping to gain from your campaigns, such as increased employee engagement or a reputational boost. Only then can you really begin to build out your corporate philanthropy program.
Here’s how you should walk through the goal-setting process:
Determine target benefits. What are you looking for in your CSR program—employee engagement? Brand exposure through cause marketing?
Assess CSR strategy’s compatibility with your business. How does the giving program you’re considering help you achieve the goals in step 1? Are there other types of corporate philanthropy that might be more beneficial for your target goals?
Establish specific return on investment markers. In other words, figure out what specific key performance indicators (KPIs) you can measure to assess whether your program is doing well. We’ll touch more on this later.
For example, if your main goal is to create a more active and more public partnership of giving between your business and community organizations, then an in-kind donation program may be the best fit for you. By contrast, if you want to improve employee engagement, then a matching gifts or volunteer grant program may provide better results.
2. Gather the necessary technology.
Gathering the right tools is a must for building your corporate philanthropy program. While smaller businesses may be able to run a rudimentary corporate giving program through manual means, CSR software tools can optimize your campaigns and maximize their effectiveness.
To ensure that your program will run smoothly, reach the widest possible audience, and facilitate relationships with the right nonprofits, invest in these software solutions:
In-kind donation portal. There are thousands of charitable organizations and nonprofits that are eager for your donations. However, qualifying and choosing organizations that are well-suited for your program is a far greater challenge. Fortunately, an in-kind donation platform can help. This tool allows you to cut through the clutter and match your business with qualified nonprofits that meet the specific criteria that you’ve entered, which may include location, cause type, and supporter demographics that match your own customers.
Communication platforms. How you communicate with your customers and employees about your philanthropic initiatives can determine your program’s success. For example, a volunteer grant program won’t succeed if no one in your organization is aware that you are offering grants. Leverage communication platforms, such as your email marketing tools and social media strategies, to promote these opportunities.
A tracking and reporting system. Data tracking and data reportage are two of the most fundamental tools necessary for tracking your program’s performance. This data will show you where your program can improve and where you’re doing well. For instance, tracking data for your in-kind giving program will allow you to determine which nonprofit partnerships have been the most rewarding and what products you should continue to allocate to your partners.
Investing in these tools may seem like a costly investment. Fortunately, there are comprehensive platforms that can help you achieve all of these goals.
For example, the DonationMatch platform is able to automate and streamline nearly every step of the in-kind giving process, from partnership matching to facilitating donations and performance tracking.
When you begin searching for your own corporate giving tools, look for effective, turnkey platforms that centralize all of these features into one or two powerful solutions.
3. Connect with nonprofit partners.
Finding nonprofit partners that fit your corporate giving goals can be a challenge.
The number of nonprofits you want to engage will greatly influence the reach and depth of your campaigns.
Here are a few key features you should consider when choosing your nonprofit partner:
Years in operation
Community reach and impact
How their mission aligns with your business
Past corporations they’ve partnered with
What types of programs they might be open to
If a deeper, long-lasting, integrated relationship is desired, take your time to choose the right partner and foster a relationship. If you want to maximize brand visibility and reach, then engaging more organizations with a turnkey program will be more effective. The beauty of these programs is that you can do both. For instance, as we mentioned earlier, Six Flags North America chose to partner with Make a Wish to nurture a robust and highly beneficial relationship over years, yet continues to donate tickets to thousands of charity fundraisers each year.
4. Build excitement around your initiatives.
Your corporate philanthropy programs may serve a practical purpose, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be fun and engaging. In fact, that’s one of their most important benefits!
Stir up excitement amongst your employees and customers by:
Gathering employer and customer feedback
Promoting your initiatives during team gatherings
Creating an employee and/or customer-led corporate philanthropy council
Sharing information about your programs on your company website
This will help to better guarantee that your programs will perform successfully and make the most positive impact!
5. Track your progress.
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: data tracking is one of the most fundamental parts of running an effective corporate philanthropy program. How else will you know how to avert failure or repeat the success of past campaigns?
Track the following key statistics to help measure the impact of your program and the level of engagement:
Total contributions annually
Participation rates (such as who took advantage of matching gifts!)
Changes in rates of employee retention and overall satisfaction
Changes in rates of customer retention and overall satisfaction
Changes in sales and net revenue
Changes in sources of new customers
Associated costs, savings, and ROI
Expressed feedback and appreciation for giving programs (through survey responses)
These essential metrics should give you a good starting point, but you’ll want to sit down with your team to decide what data points from your campaigns you should focus on. After all, your own corporate philanthropy is unique, and will have its own unique goals and objectives.
Wrapping Up
Appealing to your customer base, engaging employees, and positively promoting your business are worthwhile goals to strive for. The social changes that have begun to rock the corporate world have only accelerated the rise of corporate social responsibility as a necessary cornerstone of your business practices.
With this guide and the right, intuitive corporate giving tools, take your business one step closer to launching your own effective corporate philanthropy program.
For more information on corporate philanthropy, different CSR programs, and DonationMatch’s solution to corporate philanthropy, check out these additional resources:
Top 3 Things Donating Can Do For Your Business. Take a deeper look into the benefits of corporate giving and how it can generate greater exposure, customer loyalty, and even increased revenue for your company.
Corporate Philanthropy Made Easy — DonationMatch. DonationMatch is dedicated to your corporate philanthropy endeavors. Explore how our turnkey platform has revolutionized the in-kind donation process.
Workplace Giving: Explore Matching Gifts From the Other Side. Employee engagement is a high priority for all corporate philanthropy programs. Dive into tips, tools, and software solutions to initiate your workplace giving campaigns and engage employees.
In-Kind Donations: Everything Your Organization Should Know
Explore how your business can expand its corporate philanthropy initiatives with in-kind donations.
COVID-19 has thrown a spotlight on the corporate sector, and maintaining high team morale, employee engagement, and positive community relationships have all become major concerns for business leaders. So, in an age when your business is under the magnifying glass of public scrutiny, how can you reach all of these goals without diverting funds from other important projects?
For many businesses, the answer is in-kind giving. All corporate philanthropy programs, such as matching gifts and volunteer grants, are great ways that your organization can support local charities, positively promote yourself to customers, and boost employee engagement. However, in-kind donations can be an especially cost-effective and simple method to gain extra visibility and secure customer loyalty using your own extra inventory of products and services.
In fact, the only obstacle standing between many businesses and this incredibly efficient giving type is identifying the right nonprofits and causes at the right time to use your donations. Luckily, we have a solution for this, too.
If your business is eager to revamp its corporate philanthropy and launch a successful in-kind giving program right off the bat, then you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about in-kind donations, as well as software solutions to help you engage the right nonprofits as quickly and easily as possible:
Whether you’re just getting started with an in-kind giving program or you’re struggling to improve your current program’s operations, anyone can benefit from these essential in-kind best practices and tools. Ready to revamp your own corporate philanthropy campaigns through in-kind giving? Let’s dive in with a quick overview.
What are In-Kind Donations?
In-kind donations are just non-cash contributions. That’s it, plain and simple. This typically includes goods such as your own company’s products, gift certificates, supplies, or equipment.
While terms like “non-monetary corporate social responsibility” may make in-kind donations seem like an overly-complicated addition to your corporate giving programs, this giving type is surprisingly simple.
When you know what nonprofits in your community are looking for, you can simply provide them with that resource so that they can continue advancing their mission. Many restaurants donate dining gift certificates, theme parks often donate admission tickets, and donated food and beverages are popular either served at events or in swag bags.
If your business doesn’t have material inventory or products to donate, don’t fret—your support doesn’t even need to be physical. Services like volunteer time or pro-bono work also fall under the in-kind umbrella.
More often than not, the organizations that receive in-kind donations will be nonprofits. But the sources for these gifts can include anyone and anything from individuals to businesses to associations and major organizations like colleges and universities.
Essentially, almost anyone can start participating in the in-kind donation process. But your organization can stand out from the crowd in what you choose to donate and how you carry out your own in-kind campaigns.
Examples of In-Kind Donations
Depending on what your own business has to offer and what local nonprofits need, in-kind donations can take many different forms. We’ve already mentioned a few types of gifts you might encounter, from physical goods to intangible services. However, there are several other common forms of this giving type that you may not have been aware of.
Here are the most common examples of in-kind contributions that nonprofits are looking for:
Goods. Most businesses will offer in-kind contributions in the form of physical goods, such as supplies, equipment, technology, and even software tools. Here at DonationMatch, we often help to facilitate the movement of a companies’ own products, samples, or extra inventory that they may not have room for. This allows companies to expand their corporate philanthropy programs, clear storage space, and truly provide help for a nonprofit in need.
Experiences. Experiential donations may include tickets to a concert, sporting events, or exciting activities like bungee jumping or a hot air balloon ride. These initiatives not only provide an opportunity for local causes to host exciting events, but they also engage local supporters and expose potential customers to your brand in a fun and unique way. For example, if you work at a hot air balloon company, you might give a free ride in kind for a nonprofit to sell at their next charity auction. The nonprofit will raise funds and your brand will suddenly reach their entire audience as they bid.
Services. If your business isn’t product-based and it wouldn’t align with your brand to offer experiential donations, consider contributing your services in kind instead. Conducting pro-bono work, developing nonprofit brands, designing logos, providing accounting services, and even offering your business’s building as a meeting or event location are all ways that you can participate in the in-kind giving process.
No matter what kind of business you conduct or what your local missions may need, you can find a way to support charitable causes. If your organization isn’t able to directly contribute its inventory or products to nonprofits in your area, you can rest easy knowing that there are myriad other ways to offer support through in-kind giving.
Benefits of In-Kind Giving
When some people hear the word “corporate philanthropy,” the first thing to come to mind is monetary donations or sponsorships. But before you start writing checks left and right to your local food banks and animal shelters, consider the unique benefits of in-kind donations.
The in-kind donation process doesn’t just assist nonprofits in need by providing a source of direct goods and services. Both nonprofits and companies alike can benefit from a robust in-kind giving program.
For Businesses
Corporate philanthropy is a long-standing tradition for many organizations. As pillars of their communities, business leaders are expected to not only provide their own valuable services but also give something back to the people who supported them in their journey toward success.
That said, corporate social responsibility doesn’t just mean that you’re throwing support to other organizations with no benefits in return. Corporate philanthropy, and specifically in-kind giving, can increase your sales, boost employee retention, and save precious revenue for your business.
Consider these key ways in which in-kind donations can directly benefit your own business:
Earn positive publicity within the community. A good public image for your business is more than just a source of personal pride. Companies that support local, charitable causes are far more likely to gain the respect and appreciation of not only the nonprofits they’ve helped, but also other businesses and potential customers.
Gain greater loyalty from customers. When a customer chooses to support your business, their decision will be backed by more than just whether or not they like what your organization is selling. A Cone Communications corporate social responsibility study found that 87% of customers will choose to purchase a product if a business advocates for a cause they care about. Social good initiatives will allow your business to stand out by standing for causes that your supporters believe in.
Engage employees with philanthropy. Boost your employee engagement by involving them in causes and campaigns that matter to them. By providing volunteering and in-kind donation initiatives, your business will show your value beyond simple, corporate interests, and satisfy your employees’ desires to be a part of something bigger and more important than themselves.
Earn a tax write-off. On top of all of the other workplace and customer-relation advantages, in-kind giving could also qualify your organization for a tax break. The IRS allows companies to potentially deduct the fair market value of their in-kind contributions on their annual reporting.
In-kind giving is far more than just a moral responsibility for your company. It provides an engaging, unique, and fulfilling opportunity for your business to cement itself as a benevolent and essential force in your community.
For Nonprofits
It’s not enough for you to understand how in-kind giving can help your own business. After all, there’s an entirely separate side of the donation process beyond just organizing and sending out your gifts: the nonprofit’s perspective.
When you’re also able to understand how in-kind giving can help nonprofits on the receiving end of your aid, you can build a more accurate and effective strategy to begin launching your charitable community efforts.
The benefits that nonprofits will encounter from in-kind giving include:
Accessing goods and services that may have otherwise been too expensive to buy outright.
Obtaining items and packages that can be utilized in a silent auction or raffle to raise money.
Freeing up funds to be reallocated and used for other important initiatives.
Enabling product or item-based nonprofit organizations, such as thrift stores, to continue their operations at a higher quality and better serve the community.
Gaining access to vital supplies or services immediately, rather than having to wait for monetary donations to come in and then purchasing the necessary supplies.
Don’t forget about your gift recipients in the in-kind donation process! These organizations rely on your contributions to improve their operations, and it’s up to you to provide the right goods, services, and aid that will allow them to take one step closer towards mission success.
Tips for Starting an In-Kind Donation Program
It’s one thing to theoretically weigh the pros and cons of a corporate philanthropy project, but actually launching your own in-kind donation initiative can be intimidating.
Follow these insightful tips and tricks to carefully manage your own communication, marketing, and event operations and pave the way for program success:
Talk to nonprofit partners to determine the types of in-kind donations that are most helpful for them. This ensures that you’ll have the most effective impact on their missions and will maximize the chance that your business will be remembered for creating a positive, memorable experience for your local community.
Use an in-kind donation platform to manage your giving program. The right in-kind donation software will both facilitate your operations and offer unique, intuitive solutions to optimize your CSR initiatives. Be on the lookout for an in-kind donation program that allows you to screen in-kind donation requests, track giving statistics, and facilitate introductions to other organizations that fit your desired criteria.
Promote your giving opportunities to the wider community. If no one knows about your business’s philanthropic initiatives, did they really happen? Supporting your community and providing aid to a deserving cause is one of your responsibilities as a business leader. However, by not efficiently marketing your giving program, you are missing out on some of the greatest benefits of engaging in corporate giving, such as brand loyalty and positive exposure for your business!
Maintain accurate records to be able to write off your contributions on your taxes. Considering the requirements of the IRS and all the hoops your organization may have to jump through, the reporting process for any CRS program can be a pain. That’s what makes it so important to invest in a software that will carefully, automatically track and organize this important data. This will simplify the reporting process later on down the road and cut down your organization’s annual operating costs.
Confidently dive into your future corporate philanthropy endeavors with these in-kind donation best practices. These CRS fundamentals should guide you in your optimization of the in-kind giving process and ensure that your program is a success from the outset.
However, if you’re still hesitant on how to make the most of your in-kind contribution efforts, our intuitive software solution has you covered.
How DonationMatch Can Kickstart Your In-Kind Donation Program
There are many corporate social responsibility services on the market, but DonationMatch’s platform is the only dedicated in-kind donation network that will streamline the process and introduce your business to new, targeted opportunities for in-kind giving.
DonationMatch is a turnkey in-kind donation platform that helps businesses easily manage how products and services are distributed to deserving organizations within their communities. With our donation and marketing solution, your organization can tackle its corporate philanthropy programs with intelligent, data-driven strategies.
For example, we offer services such as:
Built-in contact and organization vetting
A streamlined application review process
Detection and prevention of duplicate requests
Automated reminders and messaging with your nonprofit and community partners
Integrated solutions for e-delivery of barcoded tickets and gift certificates
Real-time reporting and giving statistics
One-on-one support from our team to help your organization thrive
Our software is made to suit the needs of every business ready to break into the realm of corporate social responsibility. We’ve helped thousands of organizations, both big and small and spanning across every sector of the economy. Take a look at just a few of the generous corporations that we’ve helped in the past:
Six Flags North America. From experiential ticket donations to Project 6 and their Give Kids the World Passport program, Six Flags North America has been able to maximize the reach of their renowned Six Flags Friends program with the power of our in-kind matchmaking network.
The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Since partnering with DonationMatch, Chicago’s MCA has been able to roll out its Household Membership program with ease. This partnership program with various 501c3 organizations allows the museum to quickly and efficiently share experiential tours and admission opportunities to deserving missions across the state.
Medieval Times. With DonationMatch as their donation portal, the Medieval Times corporate office enabled each of the company’s ten locations to efficiently accept and fulfill requests from qualified, well-suited nonprofits in each of their North American markets. They have since been able to distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars in ticket donations in a trackable, streamlined manner, making a positive impact in each individual community.
With the help of our specialized in-kind donation solution, these organizations were able to cement themselves in and beyond their communities as changemakers and philanthropic giants. To take your own corporate social responsibility efforts to the next level, reach out to us and begin a free trial of our comprehensive donation platform.
Additional Resources
Especially now, as COVID-19, the Great Resignation, and our changing corporate culture is throwing attention on company practices, your business must take a moment to reflect on how you can create more robust corporate social responsibility programs.
In-kind donations provide that solution, and so much more. And with DonationMatch’s intuitive CSR solution, your business can launch its own in-kind giving program with intelligence and insight. Our software is tailor-made to match your business with the best requests, events, and nonprofit organizations to suit your needs, and our dedicated team is here to help you through the corporate philanthropic journey every step of the way.
To learn more about corporate social responsibility, best practices, and different programs and software solutions, visit these resources:
Corporate Philanthropy Made Easy. Check out this page to learn more about the most common challenges of corporate social responsibility, how the DonationMatch network can overcome these pitfalls, and different plans that might fight your needs.
Top 3 Things Donating Can Do For You and Your Business. How can donations strengthen your business and boost exposure for your brand? Click here to dive further into this topic.
GiveBack Programs. Interested in exploring more of DonationMatch’s unique corporate giving services? Check out this article to learn more about the marketing capabilities of our GiveBack program.
Infographic - Where Are We Now?
If you saw our original infographic on Pinterest, you'll notice it was released in 2012, when DonationMatch was just over a year old. Apparently the statistics and data are still appealing, as it continues to be our most popular pin, but the numbers are frankly a bit outdated. So, it's with great pleasure that we share updated results. Congratulations to the schools, charities, businesses, and brands who made these win-win connections!
Many thanks to Bella Vidaña for contributing to this infographic's creation.