Youth Venture

Contact local businesses.

Local businesses are sometimes more likely to give than national chain stores. Local businesses often feel invested in the well-being of the community and want the community to know that they are giving back.

Building a relationship.

Before you approach a business, call to find out who the best person to contact is and how you should approach him/her. It may be helpful to prepare written materials about your Venture, such as a flyer, to give to the contact person. Think about the long-term needs of your Venture and why the business might want to help you. For example, a copying business may be willing to print all your team’s flyers for the year in exchange for putting their logo in the corner. Always thank the contact person for his/her time, even if the business is unable to make a donation at the time.

Seek sponsorship.

In return for a business’s donation, they may want to be publicly recognized. You can publicize a business by adding their logo to your T-shirts, website, or flyers. If you are having an event, announce the sponsors and list them in the hand-out materials.

Ask for in-kind donations.

In-kind donations are items or services that are donated instead of cash. Examples of in-kind donations include office supplies, food, space for an event, and free advertising. When approaching businesses in your community, it is usually easier to ask for in-kind donations rather than cash. If they turn you down, ask for a discount instead.

Use donation cans/boxes.

Do you ever see donation cans near the cash registers in your community? After getting approval from the management, your Venture team can place donation cans in local shops, cafes, and restaurants. People will most likely drop in a little bit of change at a time, which will add up. Make sure to clearly mark the can with your Venture name and briefly explain why a person might want to donate.

Find businesses with a “matched giving” policy.

Start with the companies where your parents, relatives, or friends of the family work. Find out if anyone’s company has a matched giving policy. Matched giving means that the company will give the same amount to your Venture that one of their employees gives, or they may donate the same amount of money to your Venture that you raise from other fundraising efforts.

Thank the business for helping you.

Always thank a business for any donations you receive. A personal thank-you call or note is the first step toward building a lasting relationship with a business. It is also a great way to let a business know how important their contribution is to the work that your Venture Team is doing.

More YV Tip Sheets

• Sample Donation Request Letter

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