Business Giving Options

Options for Cash Contributions

• Direct cash donation
  A direct cash grant is the most common type of contribution. A company can deduct charitable grants from corporate taxes up to 10 percent of pre-tax net profits. In addition, there are several techniques you can use to increase the impact of a small charitable giving budget while encouraging giving from other sources, including employees.

• Employee matching gifts
  Matching gifts programs are an easy way for a business to support the organizations and causes that are important to your employees. When an employee makes a donation to his/her favorite charity, the company matches that donation dollar for dollar, up to a specified limited in a calendar year.

• Dollars for doers
  If your employees are active volunteers, one way to reward their efforts is through a dollars-for-doers program. This giving program makes cash grants to organizations where employees volunteer a certain amount of time.

• Challenge grants
  Challenge grants are a specific grant making strategy designed to leverage additional resources for a project or program. The company makes a grant on the condition that the recipient raises funds from other sources, usually within a certain time period.

Options for Non-Cash Contributions

There are several ways your company can support causes and organizations in addition to cash grants. Offering non-cash giving options enables your company to better achieve its program goals and meet more community needs than can be met by cash giving options alone.

• In-kind contributions/donations
  Donations of goods and services can expand your company’s charitable giving. These contributions can consist of products, suppliers, property, or excess inventory. They can also include services such as printing, website development, and use of meeting rooms. In-kind gifts are tax-deductible within certain limits.

• Loaned Talent
  You may offer the time and expertise of employees, allowing them to help an organization on company time. Employee “loans” can be either for single events or projects, or on a regular, longer term basis. This type of contribution provides nonprofits with expertise to which they would not ordinarily have access and increases your employees’ leadership skills and understanding of community needs.

• Employee engagement
  There are many ways to engage employees in workplace giving opportunities, ranging from the United Way and other campaigns, to sponsoring company teams in fundraising walks and runs, to encouraging employees to volunteer in a company-sponsored initiative. You may or may not decide to link employee volunteerism to the company’s business goals; many small companies simply encourage employees to volunteer in their own communities.