Nov

12

How Donations Bring You Business

Filed Under Donation Requests 

Holiday orders are arriving slowly, especially in this economy, but one request arrives consistently, sometimes on a daily basis – telephone calls from representatives of non-profit organizations asking for gift basket donations, usually over $100 in value.

These black tie, auction, and charity functions are usually scheduled this month and in December to coincide with holiday giving.

What’s your action plan for holiday requests? How do you decide which events to support?

Donation decisions boil down to three factors.

1. Causes that impact your family or community life get top consideration.

2. Perks that include an invitation to mingle with guests make the cut.

3. Groups sending less-than-formal requests without certain documentation (requests in letter format, a Web site presence, background information on the group, etc.) receive a “thanks, but my donation budget is filled” response.

You’re not necessarily looking for a “must get something back when I give” scenario, but as a business owner, certain incentives are mandatory in order for you to thrive so that you can continue supporting charities.

Remember that opportunities to meet auction attendees in person, during the event, are more valuable than a promise to receive an attendee list, so get the invitation in hand before making the donation.

This is one of the savvy marketing ideas revealed in 101 Ways to Market Gift Baskets, now available in book and ebook formats.

Attending charitable events allows you to shake hands with potential clients. Then you can follow up after the event and continue these relationships by phone, mail or Email to increase your holiday sales and start the New Year with new opportunities for higher profits.

Read these related articles:

  1. Get Something Back When You Donate
  2. Donations, Gift Basket Contest, How to Ship
  3. Five Ways Customers Build Your Business
  4. Earning a Profit, Giving to Charity, Male Buyers
  5. Taste Test Profits

Comments

2 Responses to “How Donations Bring You Business”

  1. megan on November 16th, 2008 5:36 pm

    I was interested in your article and curious as to scoring an invitation to the event. In 13 years of donating items to charity auctions, I have never once received a free invite to the event. The charities are usually happy to give me an invite, but expect payment if I want to attend – the same as they would charge anybody else. I can see their point – they just want to make money for their organization, but from my point of view, I can’t afford to donate and item AND pay to attend their event. How do you get manage a free invite? Thanks.

  2. Shirley George Frazier on November 19th, 2008 10:11 am

    This is easy. Make the invitation a condition of your donation.

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