Had lunch with a new small business client this week, and it sparked a great conversation regarding how small businesses can and should be using nonprofit events as marketing opportunities.  During my career in nonprofit, I’ve seen some businesses make outstanding connections through this type of marketing, but I’ve also seen many small business who have missed golden opportunities of this untapped resource.  Before I dive in, allow me to debunk a couple of myths for those small business folks out there:

• Sponsorships & corporate partnerships are not for just large corporations.  Almost all nonprofits (or at least the smart ones) offer partnership packages at all levels of involvement.  You don’t have to be able to cough up several thousand dollars to be involved.
• Partnerships are not only cash in nature.  Some of the best sponsorships are ones in which a business provides a product or service that the organization would otherwise have to pay for.

As a small business owner, we know your resources may be limited.  However, this doesn’t mean involvement isn’t possible.  Like for-profit events, nonprofit events can provide all of the marketing opportunities you should be looking for:

• An audience that fits the demographic of your clients
• Opportunities for product display/distribution
• Face-to-face networking
• Inclusion in promotional efforts

Unlike for-profit events, those organized by a nonprofit additionally allow for your business to be connected with a very loyal, hyper-local, community base who value entities that support the same values they support.  (Most times for much less of a cost too.)

Here are just a few of examples of partnerships for small businesses:

• Outdoor Charity events (walks, bike rides, runs) – Consider investing in a booth at their event, perhaps it’s a walk and you can host a rest stop and hand out samples of your product or specials for your services. This may require some sort of monetary investment, but many times, a partnership can be crafted out of donated products/services & monetary donation. (EX: A local carpet cleaning company may want to host a rest stop along the route & hand out sample bottles of carpet cleaning solution to walkers. Not only do they get their info & product in the hands of potential clients, but they have the opportunity to talk to them about why their process is better than their competitors.)
• Formal/Corporate Events (galas, balls, golf tournament) – While on-site attendance may be more difficult, it’s not out of the question.  But what might be more feasible is an auction package donation for a product or service your business provides. (EX:  A new floral design firm may want to offer a design package for a personal or corporate event as an auction package. Not only might it get them connected with a potential client, it also helps them build their portfolio of work to show future clients.)
• Educational Programs (workshops, seminars) – Like outdoor events, many nonprofits offer exhibit opportunities at their in-person educational programs. (EX: A business that installs awnings on homes might get clients from exhibiting at an educational program for individuals who have sensitivity to sun.)

Partnership Tips for Small Businesses:

• Know what your target demographic(s) is/are.  (You can’t align yourself with an event that fits unless you know this yourself.  Who are your clients and/or who do you want your clients to be?)
• Do your homework, don’t just say yes to every charity that calls you, but chose the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.  Make sure to ask the right questions:
  • What’s the demographic makeup of their event? (Are the attendees primarily families?  Men? Income bracket?)
  • How many people are expected? (Make sure there will be enough people in attendance to make it worth your time, energy & resources.)
  • Where are their attendees coming from? (Ask if they can give you a zip code analysis of attendees.)
  • What partnership levels and entitlements  do they offer? (Look for opportunities that offer more than slapping your logo on the back of their event t-shirt. Think about it, how many times has some contacted you and said, I saw your tiny logo on the back of a Diabetes Run T-shirt and thought you might be able to help me.)
  • Ask them about in-kind sponsorships.  (Can you offer a product or service as part or all of your sponsorship donation?  Remember it has to be something the really need though.  While it might be beneficial to you, offering them coupons to put in their goody bags doesn’t really help them at all.)
    
• Be on the lookout for events to partner with. (Pick up brochures & flyers on events as you are around town.  Jot down the info of PSAs you hear about in the media. Contact them to prospect & find out more about their events.  Make sure to ask the questions above.)
• Be creative with your partnerships. If the nonprofit is forward thinking, they will be willing to think outside the box about a partnership, beyond what they have printed on their sponsorship levels. (Maybe you are a new children’s boutique in town and you can be in charge of staffing & providing supplies for the “ABC Boutique Kids Zone.”)
• Be there in person if at all possible. ( While nonprofits are happy to have quality in-kind/cash donations, no one can tell your business’ story like you.  If you simply make a donation, and don’t attend, you are leaving prime opportunity on the table.  In addition to your donation, have all your staff & staff’s family volunteer at the event.  Brand them from head to toe in your company as ambassadors.  And make sure they know how to engage folks in conversation about your business.)

Partnership Tips for Nonprofits:

• Stop asking for things & expecting not to have to give something in return. ( Look at your events as viable marketing opportunities for businesses, and offer enticing entitlements for their involvement.)
• Reach out to small businesses whose clientele fits your event’s demographic. (And tell them that when you approach them.  EX: A local law firm that specializes in construction law should would be very interested to know that your golf tournament is organized by the heavy hitters of the local construction industry.)
• Know your stats. (How many people to expect? What’s the zip code analysis of last year’s participants?)
• Be flexible. Don’t just hold out for cash-only sponsors. (An in-kind sponsor should be given the same level of importance as a cash sponsor at the same value level.  EX:  A catering company who provides your event with all the food valued at $2,500 is an equal sponsor level to the cash sponsor who wrote you a $2,500 check.)
• Don’t say yes to every business that wants to get involved. (If a small business wants to donate something that won’t provide a real value to your efforts, it is okay to say no.  Don’t waste their time or yours.)

In today’s market everyone is looking for that elusive diamond in the rough when it comes to marketing opportunities for their business.  Truth is, it doesn’t exist…at least not on it’s own.  We have to be savvy creators of our own opportunities in order to find the experiences that give us the leverage we desire.  And remember, charities are no longer just valid for handouts. So start connecting now.  Who knows, you might actually find yourself a changed person as a result.

Christine John-Fuller is a Non-Profit Consultant for Phoenixfire Solutions, as well as President & CEO for The Lupus Foundation of America, Piedmont Chapter.  A non-profit executive with nearly a decade in the industry, Christine has blended her experience in special events, fundraising and media relations to help lead several national organizations on a local and state level. In these roles, Christine has developed a keen sense of the ever present needs of non-profits and small businesses which includes a balance of administration, marketing, programming and raising of funds.  As a consultant for Phoenixfire Solutions, Christine offers thorough investigation of an organization’s current makeup, insightful analysis of areas of need, and implementable action steps for moving forward.  Connect with Christine on Twitter: @christinemjohn and LinkedIn.

Buckets for the Cure, the new Susan G. Komen/ KFC partnership has 50 cents of every bucket of the Colonel’s best going to the breast cancer organization. To date the program has raised 2.35 million dollars for Cancer research. However the fact that Komen would partner with a fast food chain to raise funds, has left many feeling betrayed that the organization would promote an arguably unhealthy lifestyle.   To be fair maybe it wasn’t the money, maybe they’ve just ran out of stuff to put pink ribbons on.

Now before everyone starts bashing KFC, they are just doing what they do. I mean really, they just introduced the “Double Down” (the sandwich that has so much chicken that there is no room for the bun), and they built a logo you can see from space, so their decision matrix was in question before today.  Komen however is the shining beacon of cause marketing, branding everything from yogurt to vacuum cleaners.

The interesting part of the story is the expectation that Komen wouldn’t partner with KFC, and if the possible gift of 8.5 million dollars is worth the tarnishing their brand. Komen’s goal is to cure breast cancer. To be exact it’s based on a promise to do everything in (her, or in this case the organization’s) power to end breast cancer forever; it has nothing to do with general women’s health, toothpaste, kitchen appliances, the bank you use, or the car you drive.  The general disgust associated with this Buckets for the Cure highlights the amount of damage the brand has suffered.

To a nonprofit brand is everything. Its what brings volunteers to your door, lets you lobby for important legislation, and opens the checkbooks. Your brand carries with it the public facing values of your organization. People know your brand not your mission statement.  In this case the brand even surpasses the mission – people have began to look at Susan G. Komen as overall women’s health, which is a very different issue than cancer research.  This is a problem, it means that the mission is getting lost in all the marketing.

Has the organization finally partnered with so many groups that they have watered their brand down until it’s indistinguishable?

John Fuller is the President of Phoenixfire Solutions and a professional with more than ten years experience in IT, seven years in non-profit, and four years in design.  Taking his love for all things technological and all things artistic,Phoenixfire Solutions came into being.  John’s expertise offers a unique perspective from someone who has been both the client and the vendor.  After experiencing years both the good and bad of outsourcing solutions, John has made it his mission to bridge that gap for companies and non-profits that have fallen prey too many times. Connect with John on Twitter: @phoenixfire8383 & LinkedIn.

March 3rd – Raleigh, NC

1804 Hillsborough St
Raleigh, NC 27605

This course offers a conversational approach to moving your nonprofit organization into Facebook and Causes.  We will be covering an array of Facebook/Causes topics specifically for non-profits including:

• Why Facebook? Why Now? Learn just how big Facebook has become and how it can be leveraged to raise funds, awareness, and launch new events.
• Difference between the various types of pages. Should you be using personal pages, Organization profile pages, fan pages, groups, etc? What the pages mean and how to use them to your advantage.
• Accessing your donors/volunteers social graphs. Everyone knows everyone. Leveraging your Donors/Volunteers and events participants to expand your network and find your next top donor.
• Fundraising with Causes. Setting up your organization to raise funds on Facebook Causes. Using the built in tools to allow you constituents to network fund-raise.
• Affiliate and 3rd Party Fundraising. Learn why and how affiliate fundraising will be huge for your organization. Give your 3rd parties a platform they can use to raise funds for you directly.
• Tools to integrating Facebook into your existing fundraising systems. Many of the fundraising systems you currently use can be integrated with Facebook, allowing your participants to actively raise funds and recruit for your organization.

These topics are tied together with not only real world examples, but also the concepts that are at the heart of their success.

Tickets are $37.50 and can be purchased at eventbrite

Testimonials:

• I would highly recommend Phoenixfire Solutions’ classes for anyone seeking to further understand Facebook and the value it can provide.
• The content of the class was fantastic! The principles and ideas can be easily implemented to improve our current Facebook strategy!
• This class was extremely beneficial for our organization. We have known about the importance of social media for a long time and have been using it for awareness and events. However, the seminar gave me an in-depth understanding of how all the pieces fit together. I now feel like I can develop a more effective strategy with social media because I feel confident in my understanding of it.

Earlier this week, a friend of mine asked me to give some job search pointers to a young woman who had recently been laid off from her non-profit position.  I get similar requests from folks on a regular basis due to my position as a non-profit executive, but also because of my early roots in staffing.  Helping out in this area is something I enjoy and that is a nice break from the plate spinning of running a non-profit.  (I know this officially classifies me as a nerd if this is my idea of enjoyment.)  While I was sharing some thoughts on this young woman’s resume, as well as some of my general tips, I decided this would be good information to share with everyone.  If in the course of reading you have some additional helpful hints for folks, I encourage you to post a comment & share.  We wouldn’t be where we are today if someone hadn’t imparted wisdom to us, so why not return the favor.

Common knowledge teaches us that there are a few basic areas to concentrate on when it comes to a non-profit job search, regardless of whether you are entering the field or looking for a new opportunity:  Preparing, and Looking & Expanding.

PREPARING
Before you can nail down that non-profit job, you have to prepare properly.  In my career I’ve seen my fair share of idiotic submissions for positions.  For a good laugh, read an old post I wrote called, “Friends Don’t Let Friends Submit Crappy Job Applications“.  In my opinion, the vast majority of individuals do the bare minimum before releasing their resume into the universe, resulting in less than stellar results.  Here’s some of the general tips I share with folks searching for a non-profit job, and to put my money where my mouth is, I’m including a link to my online Career Attributes, which are directly derived from my own resume.

1. Your resume should only be one page. When I was in college someone once told me that only CEOs should have more than one page to their resume.  An easy way to do this is either to drop the oldest jobs OR drop the small temporary ones that aren’t really in the professional area you are looking for.  Additionally, use all available white space if needed.  I never understand when I get a 3-page resume and the margins on the page are 1.5 inches wide.
2. Consider replacing your “Objective” with a “Professional Profile”, which is 3-5 bullets of your overall skill set.  It is hard to stand out from everyone else if you all have an objective that states “I am looking for a position in the non-profit arena.”  The prospective employer already knows this or you wouldn’t be applying to their position.  Right off the bat, tell them what you have to offer over the other guy.
3. Include any quantitative numbers you can. Ask yourself some of the following questions, they help give scope to your experience.

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How many people & how much $ did the walk bring in?
How many volunteers did you manage?
How many Educational Seminars did you assist with?
What was the total amount you helped secure in grants?
What growth did the organization see under your supervision?

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So instead of saying “Organized our annual charity walk,” you say “Organized ABC Walk with more than X number of participants and raised more than $X.”  It allows your perspective employer to get a better picture of your experience level.
4. Be creative & descriptive in your bullets. They don’t need to be long, just give them punch.  Every bullet and job should highlight a unique skills.  Don’t be afraid to brag on yourself.  This is what resumes are all about.
5. If you have worked with any other industry specific software, include that. Did your former organization use an online fundraising tool like Convio or a donor management tool like Raiser’s Edge?  Did you use it in your position?  If so, add it.  If I see that someone has worked in a particular program that we use or that is similar to what we use, that is always a plus.
6. How developed is your cover letter? A cover letter can tell a lot about a person.  I tailor my cover letter for every single job I apply for.  It’s an added effort, but it helps out in the long run.  I’m sure to highlight skills that would be of particular interest to that specific position, and I make sure to triple check my letter so I’m haven’t referred to another position I’ve just applied for.  I can’t tell you how many cover letters I see like this.
7. Ask a non-profit professional to review your resume & cover letter for you. That doesn’t mean ask your friend who just graduated from college & landed her first job in non-profit.  Instead see if one of her supervisors or ideally her own executive would look over it for you.  That way you get a perspective from someone who not only has already been in your shoes, but who also thinks like those who would be potentially hiring you.

LOOKING & EXPANDING
Just like preparing before you begin the job search, it’s important to go the extra mile when looking for a job in non-profit.  Here’s some ideas you should take into consideration:

1. Where to look? There are a million job sites out there claiming that they are the best way for you to land a job, but let’s face it, right now, the market is saturated, and the truth is most job sites suck.  My overall recommendation is to try multiple avenues, job sites, organization’s sites, blogs on non-profit jobs.  If you you seem to be getting positive results with certain ones, focus on them.  Everyone has their favorites, but here’s some that I recommend:
   

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   OpportunityKnocks.org – A national online job site focused exclusively on the nonprofit community.  I personally have both found excellent candidates and found my own positions through this site.  However, I will note, it can be of greater use in certain cities.  It was very useful when I was in Atlanta, but they don’t have a large base in Charlotte where I currently am located.
   Idealist.org -An interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives.
   Jobs For a Change – The non-profit job section of change.org.

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2. Send your resume to organizations you’d like to work for. Not everyone would agree with me on this, but I’ve seen it in action.  A really great resume came across my desk of someone from someone who had a connection to our cause and wanted to see if we had any openings.  At the time we didn’t, but not soon after a position did come available, and she was first on my list to call for an interview.
3. Volunteer to work at non-profits you’d like to work for or in industries you’d like to gain experience in. VolunteerMatch & HandsOn Network.  I currently have nearly a half dozen volunteers that are either looking for work/experience or new to the area and looking to network.  Some are volunteer in our office several hours a week and some are on our steering committees.  It is an excellent way to see what areas of  nonprofit you like, get your foot in the door somewhere you’d like to work, and it can be a great resume booster.You can find some really great opportunities through places like
4. Take time to increase your knowledge base. Make yourself more marketable by expanding your non-profit training.  If you are currently unemployed, take advantage of the extra time to expand your horizons.  Online seminars are a great way to do this, and the beauty if most are free or very inexpensive.  Places like Wild Apricot Blog even post a monthly list of webinars that various entities are conducting.

Anyone who has worked in non-profit for more than 48 hours can tell you, the competition is tough and the expectations are high.  I used to laugh when people found out I worked in non-profit and immediately asked, “Is that a full-time job?”  To which I’d always reply, “More like 3 full-time jobs all at once.”  But year by year, non-profit careers are garnering greater attention, understanding and appreciation, which means everyone wanting to get in & stay in better roll up their sleeves & get to work.

Christine John-Fuller is a Non-Profit Consultant for Phoenixfire Solutions, as well as President & CEO for The Lupus Foundation of America, Piedmont Chapter.  A non-profit executive with nearly a decade in the industry, Christine has blended her experience in special events, fundraising and media relations to help lead several national organizations on a local and state level. In these roles, Christine has developed a keen sense of the ever present needs of non-profits and small businesses which includes a balance of administration, marketing, programming and raising of funds.  As a consultant for Phoenixfire Solutions, Christine offers thorough investigation of an organization’s current makeup, insightful analysis of areas of need, and implementable action steps for moving forward.  Connect with Christine on Twitter: @christinemjohn and LinkedIn.

A colleague sent me an article today that I wanted to expand on a bit and share with you.  The post was for the “Diary of a Social Venture Start-up” over at Good.is. The point of the article is pretty straight forward and something I’m sure  most of us would agree with perception is important, and what you need to do to change the perception of  your organization.

Your Packaging Needs to Pop.

Hire a professional designer or web designer to build a brand that is representative of your mission. It should be consistent across all channels and help be part of why the donor picks you off the shelf.

The way it looks matters more than you think. How much does it matter? 60 to 65 percent of the population are visual thinkers, meaning they prefer images to words. Your mission critical messages have zero impact if you can’t get people to stop and see them. If your development teams are spending their time developing materials, then who is building and maintaining the relationships your going to need going forward.

In-store Display

Listening and interacting with your donors and constituents is essential. Its not enough anymore to put an ad in a magazine or newspaper (if you can still find one in business to put an ad in ). You must be engaged in social networks.  I mean on there really listening, talking to the people who can help your cause, and adding value to their efforts as well.

In 2009 Americans have almost tripled the amount of time they spend on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. In August of this year 17%  of all time spent on the internet was on social media sites, up from 6% in August of 2008. (via Nielson Co.)

So what do these numbers mean to you. They mean your donor base is there, interacting with their friends, posting pictures of events they were recently at, and talking about your organization. They are talking about how they wish they could contact you there because they have questions. They are talking about how you screwed up their donation, and how they will just give to a different organization next time. The point is that they are there, and they are talking, and the best part is that they would love for you to be part of that conversation.  Social Media has unlocked something extraordinary for non-profits, an opportunity to talk one on one with donors, participants, constituents, and sponsors. The kind of access your development staff has dreamed about since the day they first stepped through your door.

As much as we all wish the mission was enough, its not. You are competing for a withering attention span, against nearly 1,010,400 other charitable organizations in the US alone. Does your product have what it takes to catch the consumers eye?

John Fuller is the President of Phoenixfire Solutions and a professional with more than ten years experience in IT, seven years in non-profit, and four years in design.  Taking his love for all things technological and all things artistic,Phoenixfire Solutions came into being.  John’s expertise offers a unique perspective from someone who has been both the client and the vendor.  After experiencing years both the good and bad of outsourcing solutions, John has made it his mission to bridge that gap for companies and non-profits that have fallen prey too many times. Connect with John on Twitter: @phoenixfire8383 & LinkedIn.

During the month of August we will offer a free logo to one of the follwoing non-profit organizations, and you’re going to help us decide. Read a bit about the non-profit organizations below, and vote for your favorite. The organization with the most votes by August 31st at 11:59pm EST will win. Additional information about the logo for good program can be found at an earlier post.

Additional information about the non-profits is avaliable below. Thanks For Voting. Non-profits are listed n the order they submitted.

Theatre Charlotte (link)

Theatre Charlotte is a volunteer-based community theatre dedicated to creating outstanding theatre opportunities relevant to the people of the Charlotte region.  As the oldest arts organization in Charlotte and the oldest continuously producing community theatre in North Carolina, Theatre Charlotte is committed to making theatre relevant in the lives of more people by demonstrating that theatre engages, inspires and unites communities. Now in our 82nd season, Theatre Charlotte produces a 5-production Main Stage series and a holiday production annually. Theatre Charlotte holds open auditions for volunteer actors and crew for all of our Main Stage performances and enlists the assistance of more than 500 volunteers annually

Triple J Great Dane Rescue (link)

Triple J Great Dane Rescue is organized as a non-profit organization for the prevention of cruelty to animals. We strive to promote animal welfare, decrease the number of homeless Great Danes, and prevent cruelty to animals. Triple J Great Dane Rescue provides foster care including food, lodging, and socialization to Great Danes. We make sure that all dogs at Triple J get proper veterinary care including vaccinations and spaying/neutering.

Habitat for Humanity Charlotte (link)

Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte has been serving families in need since 1983, partnering with them to create hope for their future through homeownership opportunities. We have served over 900 families utilizing our traditional model of new home construction as well as making critical repairs to existing homes. Also, we have recently begun to purchase vacant, foreclosed homes in an effort to serve even more families as well as preserve and stabilize existing neighborhoods.

We are so thankful for the loyal volunteers and donors who have helped make our mission possible over the past 25 years. We have become increasingly aware of the importance of engaging this and younger generations in our mission to eliminate poverty housing. It is their determination, their focus, their volunteer hours, their gifts – that will sustain our organization in the years to come. Our main effort to engage this demographic is through our group the Habitat Young Professionals of Charlotte (HYPC). Currently the HYPC is over 500 members strong and is growing all the time. Habitat Charlotte sees the huge value and unprecedented potential they hold and we want to take the HYPC to the next level. Our goal is to have a movement of young people supporting our mission with their voice, their time and their gifts. We want to offer our members as many opportunities to help the eliminate poverty housing in the Charlotte community as we can and allow them to set an example of service for those in their sphere of influence.

The Parish School (link)

The Parish School is the only school in Houston, public or private, which offers a multi-age, language-based, developmental curriculum for children 18 months through fifth grade. Children served have communication and learning differences, but average to above average learning potential. These differences may include problems with speech/language, learning to read, focusing attention, visual motor areas, social skills, and auditory processing.

The Parish School utilizes a classroom based therapy program implemented by certified teachers and speech/language pathologists. Classroom ratios are low and treatment/education plans are individualized to maximize the success of each child. The state-of-the-art facilities include parent/therapist viewing areas, built in assisted listening devices, play and picnic areas, gardens and large, bright classrooms. The creative and visual arts play a large role in the academic program and incorporate the focus on expressive, receptive and pragmatic language skills while giving children a creative outlet in which to express themselves.

Urban Harvest (link)

Urban Harvest is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the community about local food. In a commercial world, driven by the latest consumer buying trends, we are educating a community to sustain itself on the basic necessity of life. By teaching the entire community how to grow and prepare food, we aim to show all walks of life that local, organic food is the key to a healthy community.

Working with local volunteers, we build both residential and community gardens in various locations around Greensboro, NC. We use these residential and community gardens as a platform to teach the community how to landscape using edible plants. We believe that the future of our food is in the hands of the local farmers- and we want to educate everyone to be a local farmer

Updated – Vote Now

Here at Phoenixfire Solutions, we believe that good design shouldn’t be relegated to for-profit companies only.  Some times all a non-profit needs is a little help for their idea to come to life.  With this notion in mind, we’ve created our Logo4Good program. During the month of August we will offer a free logo to one non-profit organization, either for the organization itself or one of their events.

Beginning July 31st and ending August 15th we will be accepting stories from charities.  To submit your charity for consideration, complete our Contact Us Form and be sure to include your story, charity name and URL.) We will gather up all submitted stories, post them on our blog and open online voting beginning August 18th.  People will then be given the opportunity to vote for the story of their favorite organization or event thought August 31st. The organization with most votes will receive a free logo design (see design details). So tweet it, post it on your facebook, sky write it if you have access to a plane, and send it to your mailing lists because winner takes all.

Accepting story submissions:  July 31 – August 15th
Online Voting:  August 18th-31st
Voting will end on August 31st at 11:59pm EST.

Design Details – We will meet with the winning organization to discuss the organization/event during the discovery phase to see what they are looking for. We will then provide the organization with 3 preliminary designs. The organization will provide feedback on a design for us to work with further. The final product will be provided to the organization in multiple formats for easy use.

On Wednesday the 29th at 9:00 pm the Phillip Morris plant  in Concord closed. Many would say that it is a great victory for the general health of people everywhere, and more than anything else a sign of the times with North Carolina’s new restaurant smoking ban on its way in.  I think one of the groups that is going to be hit hardest by this (aside for the employees and their families obviously) is Charlotte Non-profits. Now we all know that at the end of the day Phillip Morris is just buying a little good will. Lets face it 16 million dollars since 2000, is a lot of good will. While some organizations will see these funds dissolve from sponsorship budgets, many local nonprofits will feel the impact as their participants fundraising totals are missing that all important company match.

Say what you will about their intentions and the obvious short comings of  the industry as a whole, at least some of that money was being used to fuel research and help people in need. It ‘s going to be increasingly difficult for charitable organizations in the Queen City to bridge the gap especially in a year when everyone has also seen a decline in funding from the banks.

John Fuller is the President of Phoenixfire Solutions and a professional with more than ten years experience in IT, seven years in non-profit, and four years in design.  Taking his love for all things technological and all things artistic,Phoenixfire Solutions came into being.  John’s expertise offers a unique perspective from someone who has been both the client and the vendor.  After experiencing years both the good and bad of outsourcing solutions, John has made it his mission to bridge that gap for companies and non-profits that have fallen prey too many times. Connect with John on Twitter: @phoenixfire8383 & LinkedIn.

This week there was a decision made here in Mecklenburg County, NC that most people probably didn’t even hear about and if they did, it most likely didn’t even cause a stir. But for the “little guy” non-profits in the area, it was a victorious week.

On Tuesday evening, the Mecklenburg County Commissioners voted unanimously to open up charitable giving through employee payroll to more non-profits, which until now had only allowed payroll donations to go to the United Way of Central Carolinas and the Arts & Sciences Council.

So you may be asking yourself, why is this so great? First let me preface this by stating that this is not a diatribe against United Way. But rather perspective through the eyes of the organizations I’ve worked for. All three have been local or statewide chapters of national non-profits. While the concept of participating in a federated group such as UW was something we’d either wished to do or had tried, the bottom line was this. The requirements of a member agency were too cumbersome for an office of less than a handful of staff (Ex: Adherence to fundraising blackout dates, required staff participation in UW activities). So it wasn’t lack of desire, but rather a decision not to try in participate if we couldn’t hold up our end of the bargain. In my case, I may be the President & CEO by title, but I’m also the Programs Dir, PR Specialist, Dir of Finance, HR Manager, and at times, the janitor. So no matter how well intentioned, the desire to participate & the ability to do so didn’t go hand in hand.

The end result for organizations like us is to look for the few and far between employee giving programs that were not actually UW campaigns. Of course we always had the possibility of receiving funds through direct designations given to us through UW.  But what so many don’t understand is that we don’t receive 100% of those funds. There’s a percentage taken off for UW processing fees. (Sidebar: While I don’t protest a need for a fee, the amount of that percentage…well…that’s a whole other blog in and of it’s self.)

Lest I digress, I do need to add, that for us, we found a great resource in Community Health Charities, a federation yes, but with a much more user-friendly approach to their member agencies. Still, when only one or two federated groups are allowed in a campaign, we still miss out.

So allow me to loop back around to the County Commissioner’s decision this week. For the first time ever, our little “non-profit that could” has a real chance of connecting further with our supporters who work for the county. And that is music to the ears of an organization with a whole lot of heart & a whole lot of dreams, that just needs the backing to continue to support the amazing growth they are experiencing. Our national CEO says all the time, “No money, no mission” and while the optimist in me is required to test that theory every single day, I feel it’s truth all too well when I look into the eyes of someone we serve and know we could be doing so much more for them. And so it is for those eyes and the eyes of all those my fellow “little guys” serve that I claim Tuesday, July 7th as a day of victory, a day worth celebrating. Thank you to all those that stood up as advocates for us, most specifically the folks at Community Health Charities & Earth Share North Carolina. Finally, thank you to Mecklenburg County for giving us a chance!  My hat is off to you.

Christine John-Fuller is a Non-Profit Consultant for Phoenixfire Solutions, as well as President & CEO for The Lupus Foundation of America, Piedmont Chapter.  A non-profit executive with nearly a decade in the industry, Christine has blended her experience in special events, fundraising and media relations to help lead several national organizations on a local and state level. In these roles, Christine has developed a keen sense of the ever present needs of non-profits and small businesses which includes a balance of administration, marketing, programming and raising of funds.  As a consultant for Phoenixfire Solutions, Christine offers thorough investigation of an organization’s current makeup, insightful analysis of areas of need, and implementable action steps for moving forward.  Connect with Christine on Twitter: @christinemjohn and LinkedIn.

I just wanted to take a quick moment and say thanks for dropping by. On our blog you can expect to see posts about design and marketing trends, case studies on the clients we are working with, non-profit resources, and the newest technologies.