Fundraising For Dummies, 4th Edition

Chapter 22

Tapping into Corporate Givers

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding why corporations give

Locating corporate donor matches for your organization

Convincing corporate donors to give to your cause

Not all major givers are individual philanthropists interested in furthering your mission and earning tax benefits and other perks at the same time. Some major givers are corporations which often give on an international scale. Whether they give from their corporate foundations or through corporate sponsorships, corporations generally want more than to simply feel good about their donations. They want to see measurable benefits for their companies, which is why corporations carefully evaluate the causes that they support and the missions that they engage in, especially in times of economic challenge.

Philanthropy is good business, and supporting charitable efforts enables companies to differentiate themselves from their competition. Favorable public opinion is a sought-after goal in both the for-profit and the nonprofit sectors. Aligning with a good cause builds the community feel-good quotient and benefits the company by boosting goodwill, perhaps increasing sales, raising visibility, ...