As we’ve been working with local businesses on their community engagement, we’ve found that small business owners wish they could be more philanthropic. However, they face a number of challenges, no doubt beginning with time and financial resources, which prevent them from creating much of a storm in their giving.  What we’ve learned is that small business leaders…

• Are typically not in positions to make significant, impact-driven charitable contributions;
• Focus the vast majority of their attention on core business needs; far less on community and charitable outreach;
• May not have the time or resources to identify deserving and specific community needs, when approached or when considering charitable contributions;
• Might not have the budgets to cover the expenses with public relations; or, have relationships within local media; and,
• Are always looking to create additional brand name awareness and recognition.

 After hearing these from small business owners time and time again, we decided to create a way for these leaders to make significant community impact without requiring major sacrifices in time and dollar. It didn’t take long for us to create a tool, blending innovation with compassion with connectivity to meet deserving community needs and drive attention to local businesses.

The result – the creation of the Community Catalyst Charitable Fund

Through the Fund, we now provide an exciting avenue for small businesses to become outstanding community supporters at a fraction of the time and cost. It removes any burden and stress and replaces it with a forward-thinking and properly executed system.

The fund enables small businesses to serve as strong community stewards and generate considerable public awareness through their benevolence. It provides tremendous value to participating small business leaders by…

• Participating in an appealing and strategic giving model;
• Being recognized as a major charitable contributor, as a result of the collective giving fund;
• Increasing sales leads by generating public awareness through local and social media;
• Receiving qualified information about community needs through a charitably-connected resource;
• Establishing potential vendor and sales connections with fellow participating businesses;
• Making wise donation decisions by utilizing a charity rating and screening mechanism;
• Exposing your business and developing stronger relationships with community leaders; and,
• Placing significant influence on distinct community impact and change.

We take great pride in creating avenues of leadership and financial support within our local charitable community. We accomplish our goals by creating strategies which adhere to our purpose for existence and our mission of enhancing and revolutionizing philanthropy. And, in the end, we really strive to create innovative opportunities for businesses to make meaningful charitable contributions and, in return, generate a great deal of community buzz.

If you’re interested in learning more about NPcatalyst or our Community Catalyst Charitable Fund, please visit our website, send an email to info@npcatalyst.com, or call 775-333-9444.

Businesses, large and small, have made financial contributions to non-profit, or community-benefit organizations, for many years. It wasn’t until recently that they began to increase their engagement…through volunteerism. Employee volunteer programs are becoming increasingly popular not just with large corporations, but small-to-mid-sized businesses seeking to enhance local communities and embark upon innovative business development initiatives.

Recognizing the trend, particularly through the number of inquiries we’re receiving to facilitate employee volunteer programs, here are simple suggestions to consider when developing a volunteer program at your business.

• Have a sincere interest in creating change and making a difference as a company;
• Solicit buy-in and support from executive leaders;
• Hire an employee and/or select a consultant to create community connections as well as design and manage the program;
• Set goals and objectives;
• Consider offering special incentives, such as financial compensation, internal and public recognition, gift-for-hour donations;
• Map existing employee connections, involvement, and interests;
• Qualify organizations to ensure appropriate connections and validate purposes;
• Track volunteer involvement;
• Promote corporate to community engagement;
• Evaluate employee volunteer program.

One task that’s not included, but is quite important, is to determine your expectations. Businesses which have identified and, more importantly, endorsed key expectations, such as those listed below, have developed successful employee volunteer programs.

• Incorporate with core business and  corporate giving strategies
• Create a healthier workforce
• Deep understanding of employees;  strong relationships
• Improve employee and job satisfaction; improved employee communication
• Network by interfacing with community leaders
• Show company and community pride
• Enhance employee recruitment and retention
• Recognize and address community needs; improve quality of life
• Positively impact profitability – 81% of corporations focus their employee volunteer programs on core business functions

Community leadership goes far beyond simply making financial contributions. When businesses become actively engaged with community needs, causes, and organizations, incredible synergy is created and becomes contagious. End results include stronger workforces, community connections, and business-to-business alliances.

Think again if you find it strange that NPcatalyst, as a corporate giving consultant, is giving away the “secret sauce” to volunteer programming. It’s possible, but successful programs possess commitment, attention, and organization. This is precisely what volunteer program consultants, like NPcatalyst, provide to its corporate clients.

To learn more about creating a strong employee volunteer program at your business, contact NPcatalyst at info@NPcatalyst.com and 775-333-9444.

Like in business, non-profit (or community-benefit) organizations need revenue to not only exist, but to provide support, growth, and opportunity to the beneficiaries they serve.

Billions of dollars are contributed to organizations each year. Some donors may question is this enough or is their contribution needed? However, the more appropriate questions might be “Am I giving to the right organization” and “How effective is my donation”? The answers lie within each donor’s personal path to philanthropy.

For the most part, when donors make a charitable donation, they want to know that they are giving to a good thing and that the money will be used the right way. But, how do donors know this? How can they be assured or satisfied that their donations will be well spent? In our opinion, effectiveness equals donor satisfaction combined with impact and utilization of each gift.

No matter the size of the donation or from whom it is being contributed (business, foundation or community resident), here are our habits of highly effective giving.

Identify the ideal organization

When looking for the right organization to support, start by taking a good look at your interests, connections, goals, and influences. These will help narrow the list of local, national, or global organizations from which to select the one(s) you’ll eventually support. If you need help, contact a nearby leader (such as NPcatalyst), who has access to multiple directories.

Understand the organization’s needs

When you have narrowed the search, take a good look at each organization’s reason for existence, mission, programs, and goals. As you do this, you’ll become more familiar with the organization and, more importantly, identify and understand their needs. If you’re having a difficult time identifying their need for donor and volunteer support, give them a phone call or send an email.

Assess the organization

A critical step of the process is analyzing each organization’s operations and performance. This is where you determine the soundness of their best practices. Be sure to assess the percentage of funds being allocated to programs or services; take a look at the strength of their leadership; and check to see if their policies, procedures, and management practices are up to par. If you would like assistance, contact companies like NPcatalyst, which analyze and rate charities on a regular basis.

Establish a relationship

There’s no finer way to understand an organization than by direct contact. This can be accomplished by sending an email or calling a staff or board member to ask questions, request a meeting, register for a special event, or offer to volunteer. As in business sales, the ideal “transactions” take place as a result of mutually-beneficial relationships. It is a great way to watch the effect of your donation.

Leverage the contribution

Once you have made the donation(s), the fun does not need to end there. No matter the size of the gift, sharing your goodwill should help compel others to duplicate your act of kindness, as well as create greater awareness of the organization. For businesses, it is a great way to illustrate a business’s role in community growth, not to mention its effect in generating new business. By simply updating your “status” via social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) or sending a press release to media or mailing a letter to friends, there is a good chance your gift will keep giving.

Measure the contribution

Similar to assessing the organization (Habit #3), be sure to confirm how the money was allocated within the organization. Whether the contribution was unrestricted or restricted (given for a specific purpose), it is vital that you recognize that the donation was distributed toward its intended purpose.

The significance of each charitable donation is escalated when a donor has a deep understanding of the cause, the organization, and the program(s) being supported. In a very similar approach to building personal relationships, the more familiar a donor is to the beneficiary of the contribution, the more significant and rewarding the gift.

If you have not applied these habits to past contributions, imagine how your giving could have been different. By applying these habits, your future donations will have far greater impact, making your community, country, and world a better place.

For more information about the habits of effective giving, contact Pete Parker at NPcatalyst, or visit www.NPcatalyst.com.

If awarded, NPcatalyst, will join winners in 12 different categories and be announced onstage at the CLASSY Awards Ceremony, a red carpet event in San Diego on September 17th, featuring celebrity guests and speakers, top musical entertainment, and the top charitable leaders from across the country!

The Summer Of Service campaign provides local residents with direct online access to thousands of volunteer opportunities through www.summerofservicenv.com and social media. The campaign is the first of its kind and is designed to increase the number of northern Nevadans who volunteer for local causes. Nonprofits, businesses, media leaders, and schools have all endorsed this effort.

For more information about the Summer Of Service campaign, contact Pete Parker at NPcatalyst at www.NPcatalyst.com and 775-333-9444.

As an executive of a small to large business, you likely receive many requests for charitable support, either seeking volunteer leadership, in-kind or product contributions, or financial donations. Whichever the case (or all), it is quite possible that a formal giving process or strategy is not in place…or underutilized (or not leveraged). As a result, charitable support from your business may represent more of a burden (or an after-thought) than an act of kindness or, for some, a cost of doing business. Without an effective strategy, your business will not earn near the benefits it deserves from its giving.

It’s well known that businesses give to their communities because it is simply the right thing to do. We found that many business leaders have discovered that a well-thought out and designed giving program can help support their corporate mission and, at the same time, improve the company’s bottom line.

A business can do well by doing good.

If it’s about increasing market share, hiring and retaining quality staff, creating strong business-to-business relationships, improving corporate culture, enhancing public image and, of course, providing outstanding community-beneficial resources and opportunities…you’re on the right path.

For some businesses, giving is based on the old model of “checkbook charity”, signified by simply writing checks for causes and organizations. That model has since morphed into giving programs tailored to align charitable contributions (time, money, in-kind donations) with business goals, core strategies and desired benefits.

Business leaders representing forward-thinking, strategically-motivated charitable giving programs recognize clear connections between corporate health and the health of the communities in which they do business. They understand that corporate giving is not just a matter of conscience: it is also a matter of understanding the congruence of business and community goals.

Learn more about best practices for corporate giving by visiting www.NPcatalyst.com and contacting its managing partner, Pete Parker, at pparker@npcatalyst.com and 775-333-9444. Ask him about his company’s free Corporate Giving Resource Guide.

We’re celebrating the two month anniversary of NPcatalyst’s public launching and excited to report that we’ve:

• Developed a wildly popular media partnership resource
• Delivered opportunities to 104 community organizations, businesses and business leaders
• Generated dozens of new donors and thousands of dollars within a 24-hour period to a local non-profit organization
• Reached thousands of connections, including current and aspiring philanthropists in 13 different countries, through our social media tools
• Facilitated a long-term group volunteerism partnership between a local business and local non-profit
• Created a unique ratings and best practices tool to inspire non-profit strength, performance and funding
• Linked new volunteer leaders directly to local organizations
• Distributed a charitable giving guide for businesses
• Created online giving portals to three community organizations
• Launched a “mapping” tool to help sales and marketing departments deliver results from new leads

Tremendous credit for our success is due to our forward-thinking and goals-driven partners, collaborators, and clients. You’re all amazing!

We’re very proud of our accomplishments during this very brief period and, as a result of the partnerships we’re currently creating, we expect to report even greater milestones two months from now.  If you’d like to be part of the next list of accomplishments, contact us today by emailing info@npcatalyst.com or calling 775-333-9444.

Your philanthropic partner, NPcatalyst!

Do you wonder where your staff members volunteer in the community? What about the professional membership and affiliations or the places they network? Do you recognized employees for their community involvement? Have you ever considered volunteerism as an avenue of corporate growth? Have you leveraged your company’s community engagement for positive brand awareness?

The NPcatalyst team has designed a tool which takes a virtual snapshot of a company’s community connection. Through our Community Connection Mapping product, clients receive a “map” of their community leadership. The goal is to empower community engagement and generate increased revenue, and foster economic growth.

We have found that by identifying both existing relationships and new opportunities, our clients are better positioned to strategically target new paths of success. End results include a positive impact on local communities and exceptional value back to the corporation.

The Community Connection Mapping can be applied beyond the workforce. It’s also designed to provide significant value to membership associations, networking groups, and non-profit leadership boards.

To learn more about this unique product, visit www.NPcatalyst.com, email info@NPcatalyst.com or call us at 775-333-9444. Orders placed online receive discounted pricing. Sign up today!

NPcatalyst releases a Corporate Giving Resource Guide

Reno, Nev.— Giving back to charity, when coordinated in a strategic manner, generates positive and measured corporate growth. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of businesses in northern Nevada have adopted strategic giving plans. NPcatalyst, a Reno-based company specializing in the design and facilitation of philanthropic solutions, has released a ‘Corporate Giving Resource Guide’ to help local businesses generate growth through charity.

“We’ve noticed achievements such as increased revenue, wider reach, retained leadership, greater public image, and strengthened relationships in businesses which craft giving strategies” according to Pete Parker, Managing Partner of NPcatalyst. “Successful companies are aligning their community engagement of volunteerism and financial support with business strategies, customer and vendor relationships, and target markets.”

The resource guide took months to design, but it’s released during a period when northern Nevada business leaders are addressing the area’s economic future. “Last year, nonprofit organizations located in Washoe County generated $1.4 billion in revenue – providing a significant impact on the local economy. Imagine the impact when the philanthropic decisions of businesses and their leaders are strategic, measured and performance-driven?” asks Parker.

The resource guide is available at no cost and can be found on the NPcatalyst website, located at www.NPcatalyst.com. For additional information on how to implement the best practices found in the guide into your business, contact NPcatalyst at 775-333-9444.

Click here for a link to the Corporate Giving Resource Guide.

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NPcatalyst, LLC is a Reno-based company which provides philanthropic solutions to non-profit organizations and their supporters. Our charter is to set the standard of philanthropic excellence through effective and value-driven best practices. This is fostered by facilitating an ecosystem between non-profit organizations and their corporate and individual supporters, fueled by active community support and engagement.

MEDIA CONTACT

Pete Parker, NPcatalyst

775-333-9444 / pparker@npcatalyst.com

As a business leader, what is your impression of the non-profit community? Do you view the organizations within the sector as always seeking support in their attempt to create impact? Or, do you look at community organizations as vehicles of opportunity; vehicles of performance; vehicles of growth?

As a leader of your company, you’re continually looking for ways to maximize the return on your investments, particularly the funds spent on people and marketing. You incorporate all the typical (tried and true) methods of generating profits. But have you ever considered viewing the non-profit sector as an investment?

It’s likely that your business receives countless requests from local charities to make donations, sponsor events, or contribute to people in need. And, it’s likely that you’ve supported these organizations either through your marketing, charitable contributions, and/or advertising budgets for truly noble reasons. If you or your business has supported causes or organizations, kudos to you. There’s no doubt that your support met deserving community needs.

Have you ever leveraged your community investments? If you haven’t viewed the non-profit sector as a vehicle for corporate growth, you might consider taking a deeper look. As you do, you might want to keep in mind the potential value driven by corporate donations and employee volunteerism.

For example, did you ever think that one of your company’s best practices could be to feature employee volunteerism as one method of retaining your most qualified personnel? Not only are you adding a level of flexibility to your staff member’s daily routine, you’re enabling your staffer to become more in-tune and connected with the community. If you typically send staff to conferences to pick up new skills, you’ll see considerable savings (and improved skills retention) by encouraging staff members to volunteer in roles which could provide benefit to your company. One idea would be to send an accounting staffer to a non-profit organization which has an opportunity on its marketing and/or development committees.

As a result of Illinois-based, Adventist Midwest Health’s strategic plan, which aims to improve employee engagement and patient satisfaction, employee turnover has decreased and employee satisfaction has increased.

And for example, do you completely leverage the benefits offered through event sponsorships? With most, sponsors receive a table (or foursome), where they’re able to bring guests. Well, could you fill the spots with top clients or hot prospective clients? Most sponsorship benefits include public displays of your image (on letters, posters, advertisements, programs and/or websites. Rather than simply send a logo, you might think about sending along a message (like your mission, or a call-to-action). How about placing a reciprocal link with the charity’s logo (and reason for supporting) on your website? Would you consider issuing a press release announcing your partnership with the community organization?

According to the 2007 Cone Cause Evolution Environmental Survey, “There has been a shift in the value equation: good business used to be primarily about providing quality products/services at a fair value. But this is no longer sufficient for competitive differentiation. Companies need to display humanity and support issues that resonate with stakeholders to build emotional relevance and loyalty.”

These are just two examples to leveraging (and impacting) your company’s marketing and human resources efforts…or in a different light…your human and financial capital.

The UK-based Charities Aid Foundation, states it quite clearly, a successful community investment program can build partnerships with mutual benefit to your company and society; boost staff morale and company loyalty; develop your employees’ skills; enhance your company’s image and reputation; and, influence how government and local bodies see your organization.

Whether in difficult or strong economic climates, leaders in both the corporate and non-profit sectors need to continually look at opportunities for growth. When these leaders realize the strength and potential for excellence created through synergistic partnerships, everyone wins…the corporation; the community organization; and most of all, the community.

Creating corporate giving programs can be both exciting and challenging. There are many opportunities associated with advancing the greater good.

Taking the first step towards developing the plan might just be most difficult, yet empowering step taken. Do you hire staff…a consultant…or do it yourself? How much time, energy and funds do you allocate to developing the plan? Whom do you involve? What are your goals? How or do we leverage the giving program for the corporation’s financial growth?

In Susan Hyatt’s “The Benefits of Strategic Philanthropy”, she identifies ten reasons why businesses should implement giving programs. These include enhanced visibility, sales, awareness, productivity and corporate results. These benefits can place considerable impact on the business, positioning it for greater advancement as a corporation and, at the same time, leave an indelible mark within the non-profit sector.

Caroline Preston’s article entitled “Corporate Philanthropy Grapples With How to Create Giving Programs”, she mentions how “many companies are interested in finding models in which they can simultaneously improve the world and their bottom line”. I couldn’t agree more. While there are many altruistic and intangible reasons for business to be more community-engaging, they have a responsibility to increase market share, increase awareness, and meet corporate objectives. Citing a quote from from Ms. Preston’s article as voiced by Akhtar Badshah, senior director of community development with Microsoft, “we need to be careful about whether we’re looking at this as a revenue generator versus profit.”

Corporate giving programs can take various shapes and forms. What’s important is that businesses address their giving situations and assess the many ways a structured program can enhance their corporation both internally and externally.