You Don’t Have to Donate to Contribute

November 1, 2017Jon Umstead
Helping out those in need doesn’t always have to take the classic approach of donating directly to a particular cause. Sometimes a business’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program includes giving a portion of proceeds from sales to a named cause or charity. Some businesses, such as TOMS Shoes, have a policy wherein for every purchase of a good or product sold, one of equal value is donated to people in need. When specific disasters or tragedies occur, many businesses establish short-term programs to raise funds, goods or services specifically for relief efforts.

Texas Tough

T-shirt company Johnny Cupcakes set up one such program to raise relief funds for victims of this summer’s flooding in Texas due to Hurricane Harvey by designing and selling a special “Texas Tough” version of their collector t-shirts, then donating all proceeds to the Houston Food Bank, The Port Aransas Community Relief Fund, and the Salvation Army. In all, they raised almost $23,000 – a drop in the bucket, but not bad for t-shirt company. Just think if 100’s of businesses did something similar.

2-for-1

The Drew and Cole Deddens Foundation’s primary sponsor, iStorm Group, recently got in on the action, creating a 2-for-1 situation by purchasing several of the Texas Tough t-shirts from Johnny Cupcakes, then handing them out as gifts to iStorm Group partners and suppliers located in Texas. In other word, iStorm Group got to contribute to a worthy cause while simultaneously saying, “thank you and we care” to business partners. A win-win-win If you are looking for a CSR program, you might consider doing something similar. Of course, your tax deductible donations to The Drew and Cole Deddens Foundation is always welcome and an effective means for you to give something back as well. In either case, you don’t always have to directly donate money to a cause to ultimately make a contribution.