To assist you in making your fundraising event a success, we’ve compiled a list of companies to contact for nonprofit donations. Most companies have a community outreach department and will make donations to schools, churches and nonprofits. The key is to visit their websites and follow the process outlined for charitable donations. Click visit our Pinterest to see a collection of companies who will make donations.
Southwest Airlines supports
• Organizations that aid Families Facing Serious Illnesses
• Programs and organizations that provide support for our Military and their Families when separated by duty
• Organizations that assist in Disaster Preparedness and Response
• Programs that foster action and create ideas to benefit our planet
Carnival Cruise Lines supports a broad range of causes and organizations, with primary funding interests in the following areas:
• Culture
• Community Affairs (human/social needs and children/social welfare)
• Education
• Health/Human Services
Special emphasis is given to requests focusing on the education and welfare of youth.
Nikon: In assessing sponsorships, they evaluate the overall opportunity which includes how it fits with Nikon’s marketing brand strategies, consumer reach, consumer engagement, partnership opportunities and the impact on the communities in which we serve.
You must fill out their online form, at least 6 months prior to your event to be considered.
SeaWorld partners with charities across the country whose values and missions are aligned with our own, including hospitals, organizations that serve children with disabilities, and animal shelter and rescue groups.
One important thing to keep in mind is to make your solicitation early, 6-9 months prior to your event. This gives the company the time to process your request and send the item or certificate to you. Summer seems to be the best time to solicit companies for donations. Most people are not asking during this time and many retailers are not as busy during the summer months. For some companies, like Nikon, January is the best time to solicit because their budget runs out quickly.
It is often a time consuming task to research the various companies and send in the solicitation forms, but well worth it when the donations come rolling in! This is a great task to assign to a volunteer committee. Ask each volunteer to research and solicit 10 to 20 companies. Many hands make light work, so asking many people to solicit a few companies works much better than asking one person to take on the daunting task of all solicitations! Make a strategic plan, research on the Web, and send out the requests. Be careful, because many companies will accept donation requests via email or phone, but most still require a formal request on the organization’s letter head. Click here to get ideas on writing an effective solicitations letter. Good luck!