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In this episode of the Bombshell Business Podcast Amber Hurdle shares how to decide which charities your small business should support, laying out practical ways to be generous without spreading your funds or your time too thin.
Before we dive into the show notes I just want to remind you that the BEST way to decide which charities your small business should support or to make ANY decision for your business, for that matter, is to have a plan mapped out for your coming year. Then your charitable giving can fit into that plan into seamlessly.
That’s why you should sign up for my Glamour Goals program so you can make bold goals that attract success lay out the steps you need to take to actually achieve those goals.
It’s normally $99, but for a limited time I’m offering 35% percent off so you can create a game plan for 2017 that you can actually count on with steps to follow and delegate to reach success! That’s like $64 and some change.
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Oh, you want to spend another year flying by the seat of your pants, frustrated with your lack of results and clarity? Well, that’s your choice.
But I’d be so proud of you if you admitted you could use some help and enrolled today!
OK, on to today’s show notes. These are just notes and I go into much more detail in the actual podcast!:
STEP ONE: Establish Your Charitable Pillars
-Keep your funds focused. You don’t have to be afraid to say, “no.”
I’m a bleeding heart, y’all! In fact, the only reason why I want to make more money is to give more money away be through charities or being generous with friends and family. But, you have limited time resources and a business budget that needs to be considered when making decisions about your giving or volunteerism.
Follow these guidelines on establishing your charitable pillars and you will be able to be generous without spreading your time or funds too thin!
How to decide on your giving priorities or charitable pillars
-Examples of charitable giving priorities: education, cancer, children’s charities, battered women, sex trafficking, diabetes, local children’s hospital, fighting homelessness or hunger, clean water in a third world country, etc…)
-Is there a natural connection to your business? (Is it aligned with your company culture/business values?) Go back to Episode 03 and my Business Success Pyramid to brush up on how to keep all of your business decisions focused with a solid foundation through your company culture.
-What causes are you passionate about?
-What do you have a personal connection to?
-What matters to your customers?
-What matters to your team?
-How does it rate on GuideStar.org? This site and others like it tell you exactly how non-profits spend their money, among other things.
According to GuideStar’s website, they, “are a 501(c)(3) public charity that collects, organizes, and presents the information you.”
You just want to be sure that your dollars are tax deductible, it’s a reputable charity and that your money is going to what you intend to help and not to a bunch of administrative overhead. Like you don’t need to paying for a director’s jet. 🙂
How NOT to decide on your giving priorities or charitable pillars
-Just because a friend asked you to volunteer or donate.
-Because you suck at saying no.
-Because it’s the new hot thing.
If it’s a volunteer position, consider:
-All of the what we’ve already talked about
-Can you use your natural gifts to further the organization’s mission?
-Is it a working position or an advisory position?
-What kind of support with their team give you to help you be successful
-How much time each week will it take to volunteer?
-Will it increase your visibility within your community (whether that is your physical community in your town or your online community)?
-What type of networking opportunities does it present? (Are there other influential people who volunteer or to whom you will have access?)
Step Two: Create a budget
-Determine what you plan to donate “in-kind.” (products and services)
-Determine what you will donate in cash
-A good place to start is 10% of your earnings. Consult your CPA!!!
Step Three: Create an application
-What is the cause?
-What type of recognition will you get?
-What type of stewardship will you receive to clearly understand how your contribution impacted the organization? (Examples: How much did it bring as an auction item? How many kids did your donation feed?)
*Pro Tip* How to say, “no”: “Thank you for thinking of us. Our giving pillars are at-risk children, education and women’s causes. Keeping focused on those areas helps my impact be greater in areas we’re most passionate about. We do wish you the best of luck in your efforts and thank you for all that you do for your cause!”
Recap:
-You want to set your charitable pillars as part of and based on your company culture.
-Make sure it is a win-win. You will feel amazing (not put out) for giving or volunteering and the non-profit will benefit with your donations, time or talent.
-Create a budget and decide what is REALLY marketing and what is simply a gift.
-Have a process to vet requests through on the front end and to understand the impact your contribution is making on the backend.
-Learn how to say no to opportunities so you can say yes to the opportunities that mean the most to your business.
-Then be generous whilst honoring your own business values and bottom line!
Enroll in Glamour Goals
Did you like how simple it was to work through that process?
You can have that solid direction in all areas of your business if you create a strategic plan for 2017.
So don’t forget, you can enroll in Glamour Goals and get 35% off the regular $99 price with code GLAMOUR2017. That’s less than $65 for a limited time to get you ready for 2017!
Make it happen, Bombshell. And I’ll see you next week! 🙂
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