The donation of goods and volunteer service, in addition to or instead of cash, has been the subject of two recent news reports. Donors Forum Members Bank of America, Deloitte Services LP, IBM, and Microsoft Corporation were mentioned while Abbott Laboratories and Kraft Foods, Inc. were listed as companies who gave 50% or more in products rather than money in 2009 in a new USA Today article, "Companies donate employees' time, service instead of cash."
The article discusses a study done by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and USA Today, in which they surveyed the largest U.S. corporations to find out how much money they donate to charities and which causes they support. The results showed that the economic recession dramatically affected cash donations, but also showed a growing trend of companies donating their employees' time, advice, and service instead of cash.
In a similar vein, a Chicago Tribune article recently featured Family Focus, a Forum Partner, and Donors Forum Member MB Financial Bank in an article about Family Focus receiving donations of architectural design, legal services, and construction costs to help them install an elevator in their Evanston location.
RELATED RESOURCES FROM DONORS FORUM: Find more information on Donors Forum’s website about corporate giving. Nonprofits interested in engaging corporate volunteers and securing corporate support should attend Building Strategic Relationships with Corporations and Foundations on August 19, 2010. One of the 21 shared interest groups that Donors Forum convenes on behalf of grantmaking Members is The Corporate Committee. Members can log in to find more information on The Corporate Committee here. I invite grantmakers interested in joining Donors Forum, its Corporate Committee, and other shared interest groups to contact me at 312-578-0090.
~ Robin Berkson, Senior Vice President, Donors Forum
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