I want to share some information that I think is important. Some people know I have committed my professional and business background to help an amazing society as its Funds Development Manager. No; it is not one of those Government owned facilities that also has a foundation and pretends to be a charity. No - my work is humble and more vital in nature, and it is for one of those charities you don’t hear about a lot, but we fill an absolute vital need. We, serve adults with disabilities, and we try to help these individuals obtain the skills necessary to get employment. We help bring them and employers together so that both the employee and employer win. I think it is a basic and real right for everyone to have the opportunity to employment, and the ability to work towards the realization of their dreams.

In this capacity I facilitate many special events in my attempts to raise both awareness for our work and much needed funds. I partner with caring individuals and companies and find innovative ways to make giving fun and rewarding. The problem is, for years the culture of giving is: a charity asks, and then the company or individual gives, and the good feeling of benevolence is what the expected payback was.

Along came some tougher economic times and companies started saying wait - we want more for that ever competitive donation. More competitive and sought after, including a huge portion of donated or fund raised dollars are going through the back door into the coffers of the government via their institutions fronted as foundations. Usually these same foundations have multimillion dollar fundraising budgets. Lately because of the economics being as it is; some businesses and the media picked up on this and figured, hey we will give but we expect business out of it.

Recently I was negotiating a deal with a radio station to support an up and coming event, one that matched the radio station's audience perfectly. In the past this station gave me some support in as much as they mentioned an event we held. They supported us as they do many charities in the way of PSA’s (Public Service Announcements) and after some work they even featured a link to my event on their web site.

I was thrilled, and to pay them back for their kindness and give them the recognition they deserved I made sure all our literature prominently featured their logo. Even the two half page advertisements so kindly donated to us by the Edmonton Sun had their logo featured. We did a couple of advertising mailers and ensured they were featured on 5000 of these mailers. At the event we had banners printed and prominently featured them as a sponsor. Even during the announcements I asked the 250 odd people to give the station a listen and featured them in our handouts.

Afterwards we insured the station was featured in our multimedia sign board at our training facility to show all that came they had sponsored us. I thought it was pretty good return for their investment in kindness. One of our government funders during this period also asked us to announce an awareness program for business and this station was given that business. I was building a relationship based on mutual give and take and hoped the station felt it was treated very good for their benevolence.

Well in the past few weeks the station announced a policy that unless charities committed $5000 in advertising they would not sponsor these charities anymore. That is nothing for the multimillion dollar so called foundations and such, but for real charities struggling to maintain services it is a hell of a hit. This station should know that it could be sure in the future that no matter what; if we had need of an advertising a program this station supporting us would be certain to get the dollars allocated. That is a no brainer.

This method the radio station and many donors seem to be using to insure business, is maybe not the far sighted marketing tool they expect it to be. I understand why they are taking these steps, especially watching the huge dollars thrown around to the media by some of these multimillion dollar foundations. I am also convinced this type of knee jerk reaction is compounded by the fact that many charities forget to support and ask their friends to support donors. I think the donors can find another way to feel they are getting something back for their kindness and their commitment to a charity.

What I suggest, and it should be talked about by the charity asking for the donation, is the word partnership. I hope we are establishing partnerships with all those that support our society. I want those that support us to know that when we have resources to buy their particular product or service that we will be sure to look at their business first. The charity should let the sponsor or donor know what media campaigns they are planning, and be sure that if the campaign is to a potential audience or customer of the donor, that they will be featured prominently to these individuals. The donor should have the ability to offer a tag along advertisement in mail outs that would be beneficial and not compromise the charities campaign. The sponsors should be featured in posters and billboards if those are used in the campaigns. Most of all they should be presented in such a way at the event that they can capitalize on the opportunity to earn new customers.

“It doesn’t hurt anyone to help his friend, when both can benefit from the others help, what do you have to lose” is what my Grandmother Adele Hadley used to say to me, and it makes sense. I think instead of pushing small charities into uncomfortable positions in order to insure payback, maybe businesses can find a way to still be benevolent and get payback for their efforts. I think the community we live in will be a better place and the businesses can feel a real partnership in the charities' good works and benefit at the same time without compromising the benevolence. At least that’s what it seems from where I sit.