Donate your services, product?

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Do you get asked to donate your professional services or product often, either to an individual or a not-for-profit?

How do you handle it?

In some lines of work, I think you have to constantly be prepared to say yes or to say no, 'cause you are just going to get asked.

[scfr]

Donating your services or product is less costly than donating cash, and it can be a good way to get free publicity for your business.

I don't get asked to donate my professional services to non-profits or community groups much, but it does happen occasionally. I only donate if I believe it will help my business and it's something I believe in.

I've never had an individual ask me to donate my services. I have chosen to donate my services to individuals twice in the 4 years of owning my business. Both times it was when there were sudden/unexpected deaths of young people in the family. [When you donate to an individual, it's not for publicity, but because you want to help and feel donating your service could really help the family out.]

[PrincessPerky]

I read about a MLM person who refused to donate gift certs or product, but she would happily donate a 'free insert product spectacular with % off purchase' ...meaning she 'donated' an offer of a home/office party. No real cost out of her pocket but she looked willing to help. (the percent off was the same as all hostesses get)

Seemed a polite way around the request without saying no.

[boefixepa]

Occsionly we donate work. It's sad though because once you get on someone's special 'list' you get asked ALL THE TIME!! We can't do every job for free, and we aren't going to help build a house for some of the silly reasons I've seen then do it for. The one that always get's me is the one they try and build for as close to nothing as they can get, then take the profits from the sell of the house and donate to the HUGE PRIVATE UNIVERSITY in the area's football team! Not need baised or harship grants for people to actually go to school, but the FOOTBALL program!! I'm all for football a great fan, but I don't get giving out free work to them, when I could be say....redoing someones' house damaged by fire whose insurance company will not cover the total costs....tell me who is more in need!!

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

My pal in the greenhouse and florist business gets asked for donations by many charities, churches, civic groups, schools, etc. Even home owners associations come to her asking for freebies. Sometimes they seem to present themselves as if they think they are a civic group, when in fact the plants would be meant to spruce up the common grounds of their private development--not as if they are going to to liven up the town library, public school, or park. Sometimes people having big parties or weddings want her to donate big arrangements telling her she may put commercial tags on them and that it will be great advertising for her business. Or builders having an open house tell her the same thing. Or builders wanting to install landscaping sometimes ask for trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals, saying that her name would be mentioned on the fliers--supposedly great advertising. I tell her should should tell these folks to come build an office and control room addition on her greenhouse for free and she will set out a pile of their business cards---"It would be great advertising." Some of these seem to be proposing a kind of barter, but it is so lop-sided that, to me, it seems like they are really just looking for freebies.

Anyway, my friend does grow things for donations every year, but she is selective about who she says yes to.

[simpleyme]

I made a cash donation from the business I work for ( mom and pop convenience store) to a child who was saving to go to Washington DC ,she was excited and i was happy to help ,

well the next week her dad came in and threw a fit that a candy he wanted was 25 cents each instead of 20 cents each as he thought they should be
totally ticked me off, there is no way we will every make the money back off of them the least he could do is not harass and belittle us

I no longer donate that way, I struggled with this as I want the business to give back to the community ,but the community request way out number the support of the community
I cannot remember where I found this quote but I wrote it on my ledger
"goodwill is worth nothing unless it causes the company to make a profit"
I do not use that in my personal life but am die hard at work ,if the business is taken advantage of and runs dry I am out of work

I think the free advertising ,donate to get your name on things does nothing to drum up business unless you donate coupons ,but i would imagine that would depend on the nature of your business

I usually ask the person to leave literature and i will pass it on ,which 99 .9 percent of the time really means no

I make exception for customers who are nice to us shop us on a regular basis and have cute kids or good causes ;-) cold calls get nothing out of me

[Fern]

A real estate company i used to regularly do freelance writing for asked me to do a pro bono press release on their breast cancer fundraiser. I did, but then they wanted me to do a few more, which i also did. I probably would draw the line after that, but i figured it was good for business with an old client, so i did.