Five Non-Monetary Ways To Assist A Charitable Foundation
By Mike Tancredi for UnlockingBrainTumors.org
February 21, 2008

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One thing I've quickly learned is that when you launch a charitable organization, you are likely to be approached by friends and colleagues who would like to get involved. It can be a testament to your cause, and one of the most important ways you can honor this is to be prepared to find meaningful ways for them to contribute. Beyond the monetary contributions that are so important, I wanted to list five non-monetary ways to assist a charitable organization that would seem to me to be valued at any time, by any charity.

VOLUNTEER YOUR IDEAS

In a recent to our Project Sponsor, I asked what areas of need our organization might have for those who wanted to get involved. He gave a thoughtful response that I think is valuable advice for any charitable foundation: Where the goal is to reach a certain critical mass, one of the most important things we should seek is the ideas of others - especially the big ones. For example, does someone have a great marketing tie-in where our charitable organization would be well aligned, and more readily generate interest and support? Does someone have an idea about a particular way to share our message that would help it resonate with more people? We can quickly get so involved in the day to day activities and tactical execution of our strategy, enough time isn't allowed for idea generation, or rather, we aren't availing ourselves of the ideas of others. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.

VOLUNTEER YOUR EXPERTISE

Lend your expertise and talents to a charitable organization. Assist in launching the organization, defining its purpose, crafting or refining its identity or message, tracking its effectiveness, getting the word out, applying for grants, identifying collaborative marketing plans or publicity strategies, supporting events or interfacing with like-minded organizations. While the charitable organization may still be defining areas where its needs are most urgent, reflect on what you do best and how it could support the charity of your choice. BE A CONSULTANT.

SHARE LINKS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHARITY WITHIN YOUR NETWORK

Charitable organizations thrive when their viral marketing kicks in. You can help spread the word by sharing information or links with individuals who may find the cause particularly meaningful and worthy of their support. In a time when it is very easy to be public, on the web, producing your own PR and networking with others, that also means it's quite possible to get lost in the shuffle. Through the referrals of trusted friends, others may choose to get involved, share their ideas or make a contribution. SPREAD THE WORD.

ORGANIZE, HOST OR DEDICATE AN EVENT

While this tends toward a greater time commitment that may span a few months, any charitable organization can benefit immensely from fundraising or awareness events hosted in its name. Whether you can find a way to have a charity designated as the beneficiary of a volunteer event in your community, or you can convert your next dinner or party into an event benefiting a charitable organization, your ability to reach friends and colleagues on behalf of a charity can be an easy, socially-conscious way to lend support. HOST YOUR OWN BLUE PLATE.

SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE CHARITY

Sharing crucial information with a charity can be extremely valuable. Whether it's sending along news about events, legislation, research, technology, trends, fundraising/marketing techniques, or complementary organizations, passing information is a time- and cost-saver that any charity would be glad to have. Because many charitable organizations rely on the assistance of volunteers who are time-strapped, they can suffer from a shortage of availability that facilitates this monitoring. While newsletter subscriptions and RSS feeds can help direct key information, no organization would be unhappy to know that it has some extra assistance. LEND YOUR EYES AND EARS.