What SBFers have done charity work?

[Third Sector Lab]

Businesses seems to have very mixed views about working with third sector clients. I've had a generally good experience of working with businesses during my time in the charity sector.

So...Paid or unpaid...have you ever done charity work?

[frockery]

12 years and counting as a charity trustee and volunteer for me. The small charity I am involved with has had more support from small businesses than from any govt agencies or public servants.

A fair few SBF businesses supported the charity conference I helped organise in September and many also turned out to support Gordon's recent PLC charity event.

Big businesses tend to support big charities, which are generally so caught up in delivering the govt agenda and 'identifying issues' that they may as well be an arm of govt themselves. They also have armies of highly paid staff and produce no end of glossy leaflets promoting themselves, while the small voluntary sector is strangled by bureaucracy and lack of meaningful support.

[Third Sector Lab]

More charities should be interacting with businesses on so many levels. Not just to beg for money but to help them get their message out their in a coherent, professional manner. Lots of charities could transform themselves with the help of a decent web designer or a marketing expert.

[anned]

I have worked with a number of charities - obviously in my previous role as a charity consultant and ongoing with training courses and on a voluntary basis.

Some relationships are very sophisticated, but it is true that larger companies will mostly support larger charities -mainly from the comfort factor of a known national name.

One of the companies I currently work with is taking a radical approach and moving away from supporting a large national charity and has set up their own foundation to support smaller local charities instead. The new foundation will be launched in january.

I feel there is a masive gap in the level of understanding, particulalrly between smaller charities and SME's. I'll probably ruffle a few feathers here, but why don't fundraisers (and I am one myself) think before they approach small local businesses asking for donations.The assumption is - Oh yes a local business should support us and it will be good publicity for them -and to a certain extent that is true -but a small business can't afford to support the 100's of deserving causes who all want help. So please be gracious if you are turned down.

At Go Green BAgs, given the nature of our business, and given my background, we do help where we can -but if we were to supply all the goodie bags we are asked for we would have no business. Simple as that. We are more than happy to offer charities a special rate - but small one's in particular want everything free.

I can see it clearly from both sides and think that businesses should work with charities -and time and advice can be a more valuable resource that charities often don't consider.

Finally (although could go on all night) I hold up a great example of charity working with business. Donaldson's School for the Deaf has recently moved to Linlithgow and plays an active part in the local business community, hosting meetings, showing groups round etc. and generally building a relationship. This is very much a change of approach since they were in Edinburgh and it will pay dividends. So don't always ask -work at the relationship

Anne

[Adventurelife]

I work with a couple of charities on a non commercial basis, I give up my time resources , staff, etc to help them out.

I also do a lot of commercial charity work where I work with charities to provide events at discounted rates in order that they can raise funds.

On a much smaller scale I contribute to around 20 charities each year gifts of what we do in order to help them raise funds.

From a pure hard headed business view point I should not do what I do, but I enjoy putting something back for those less fortunate than me.

It does gain us a lot of very positive PR which is good in the longer term

Peter

[Third Sector Lab]

Anne, you're right about assumptions. There's assumptions that businesses will donate items much in the same way that some charities assume they will be funded despite the fact that they haven't proven their worth as a service.

I'm all for charities working with business, I think it's a massively missed opportunity. However, it needs to be a win-win situation for both parties.