| When I took it upon myself to work on the first project | | | | tax incentives for companies that donate a larger |
| that my company was going to release, I learned a | | | | percentage of their annual earnings to charity, there will |
| great deal about non-profit organizations. Since this first | | | | also be a need to monitor those programs, as well as |
| project dealt with charity awareness and donations, a | | | | the companies that are taking advantage of them. The |
| great deal of my research was focused in that arena. | | | | Better Business Bureau currently handles charity |
| Charities and public service programs are the most | | | | evaluation, but it is optional for charities to belong to this |
| common form of non-profit organizations, and have | | | | community. Perhaps, with the increased amount of |
| the most awareness and visibility of the public. | | | | donations, as well as the pressure of Corporate |
| However, later, I was greatly surprised to find out that | | | | America, it will then become a requirement for |
| there are a tremendous amount of non-profit | | | | corporations to belong to the Better Business Bureau |
| organizations, whose sole purpose is to raise funds for | | | | community instead of it being an option. With an |
| charities and public services programs! | | | | extreme elevation in the amount of charity |
| Once I learned about all of the methods in which | | | | corporations being monitored, it will then become |
| charities earn funds for their organizations, I suddenly | | | | necessary for the B.B.B. to hire a significant amount of |
| noticed a flaw in the system. Why were there so | | | | people to support this increased effort. The IRS will still |
| many non-profit organizations needed to raise funds | | | | be responsible for monitoring corporations and their |
| for charities and public service programs? This was | | | | donations, but even they will need to hire more |
| the question that I began with. However, just as | | | | personnel in order to account for these new tax |
| anyone that knows me personally can tell you, I'm | | | | structure changes and the amount of hours required to |
| never satisfied with identifying a problem. I also have to | | | | properly monitor and audit these corporations and their |
| come up with one or more solutions. Little did I know | | | | use of them. |
| that I was going to later answer my own question | | | | How will corporations choose which charities to donate |
| better than all of the research in the world! | | | | to? Well, of course corporations can pick and choose |
| Charities spend a certain percentage of their income | | | | using any means that they feel to be appropriate. With |
| each year on programs and events which are | | | | these changes, organizations like United Way will |
| designed specifically on fund-raising for their | | | | probably have an elevated demand due to the fact |
| organizations. This is extremely familiar to the public, | | | | that a lot of corporations may want to donate to |
| and is a large percentage of most charities' annual | | | | organizations that will blanket their donations over |
| income. Good Samaritans, or private donors, also | | | | many charities, instead of simply donating to a few. |
| donate a large amount of money each year to various | | | | This is good because it will also ensure that most of |
| charities and public service programs. We are all | | | | the annual donations from corporations don't go to a |
| familiar with the many telethons, fund-raisers, and silent | | | | select few charities, causing the remaining charities to |
| auctions we are presented with in a year's time. There | | | | miss out on the benefits of this program. Corporations |
| are even corporate sponsors, or products which | | | | could even split their donations over several of these |
| donate a portion of their proceeds to affiliated charities. | | | | charity communities, to maximize the number of |
| However, whenever you analyze the total revenue | | | | charities actually benefiting from their donations. |
| donated from a single corporation to their total annual | | | | However, there will also be corporations that are |
| income, it is a small percentage indeed! | | | | looking to make a specific difference, and will market |
| So, where does a solution for fund-raising non-profit | | | | their assistance to these specific charities to the public. |
| organizations come into play? As I said, I answered my | | | | What does this mean in the bigger picture of things? |
| own question. My first project was one which donates | | | | Well, charities will have more visibility from the |
| twenty-five percent of its earned revenue to | | | | government due to the new tax programs for all of |
| participating charities. I then later made a conscious | | | | the contributing corporations. Charities will also gain |
| decision to ensure that each program that I launched | | | | more visibility from the public due to their increased |
| would have a contribution, direct or indirect, to charities. | | | | visibility from donating corporations. Some corporations |
| This would basically mean that the program would | | | | may directly market their donations to specific charities |
| have a donation to charities that was visible to the | | | | to the public. However, increased revenue to charities |
| public (i.e. the program is designed to create donations | | | | will mean that they can also spend more on marketing |
| for charities), or that the program would be a | | | | and advertising, and will most likely provide at least a |
| money-maker for my company, and I would simply | | | | small amount of cross promotion for their major |
| donate a portion of the earnings to a charity or group | | | | corporate donors as well. This will provide yet another |
| of charities. By focusing upon this promise, it will | | | | benefit and incentive for corporate donors. |
| increase my own awareness of charities that need | | | | Charity integrity will increase, and charity fraud will |
| help, and will help them even more than just an | | | | decrease. Having all charities required to be a part of |
| individual personal donation would. | | | | the B.B.B community, will mean that they will also be |
| Now, this percentage will not always be twenty-five | | | | participating in the B.B.B. stringent investigations and |
| percent, as my first project currently donates. | | | | guidelines. This will mean that any charity that is not |
| However, perhaps I can consider a more realistic | | | | found within the B.B.B. website should be immediately |
| percentage of say ten percent? Since I just started | | | | reported to the authorities. It will become extremely |
| my company in 2007, I can easily structure my | | | | difficult to fool the public into donating to a false charity, |
| company to constantly account for a ten percent | | | | and will make it easier for the Justice Department to |
| donation of earnings to charities, and I do understand | | | | find individuals that are running charity donation scams. |
| the difficulty involved for large or established | | | | The public will have greater power to report fraudulent |
| companies to suddenly start to donate ten percent of | | | | charities, and they will be engaged to report them. |
| their earned income to charities. However, I am also | | | | Good Samaritans hate being scammed, especially |
| aware of how easy it would be to begin a charity | | | | when it comes to money that they are donating for a |
| donation program starting at one percent, and then | | | | cause that they are passionate about! |
| gradually increasing that donation percentage over the | | | | In the end, after all of the changes settle and the final |
| years. Or, how about new corporate divisions which | | | | kinks are dealt with by policy changes as well as new |
| are created over the years? How difficult would it be | | | | laws, we are finally looking at a total lack of a need for |
| to ensure that new corporate divisions or projects are | | | | fund-raising non-profit organizations. The total annual |
| structured to donate a percentage of its earnings to a | | | | charitable donations from corporation will increase in |
| single charity, or group of charities? | | | | the billions. Charities will finally have the increased funds |
| Now, consider this solution, but on a much larger scale. | | | | that they need without having to scramble and hunt for |
| If all new corporations donate ten percent of their | | | | donors, meaning that they can focus more time and |
| earnings to a charity or group of charities, how much | | | | money on the actual issues that they are addressing. |
| revenue would that generate for charities annually? | | | | Charities will also not have a pressing need to |
| Then, take the next step and have all existing | | | | advertise and market to obtain funding, and instead will |
| corporations begin their charity donation program by | | | | probably do so in order to raise public awareness. In |
| beginning to donate one percent, or even a half of a | | | | the end, the increased contributions to charities will |
| percent of their annual earnings to charity. Then, these | | | | mean that they will be able to hire more people within |
| existing organizations can increase this amount over | | | | their organizations to get out there and to make a |
| the next ten to fifteen years, depending upon their | | | | greater difference within their communities. More |
| profitability, until they also reach ten percent. In the end, | | | | helpers mean more people being helped. Every single |
| you would be looking at a monstrous amount of | | | | one of these benefits elevates the ability of a charity |
| donated money to charities in America and around the | | | | to effectively make a difference in their cause, thus |
| world every year! | | | | raising their overall effectiveness. |
| What happens at this point? First, the need for | | | | In closing, I have begun my journey down this path by |
| non-profit fund-raising organizations slowly diminishes. | | | | administrating my company in the manner detailed |
| So, as their need goes away, and as they go away | | | | within this article. I do so in hopes that perhaps my |
| themselves, what happens to the jobs that they | | | | projections and predictions may become a reality, but |
| created? Well, the charities, that are now getting | | | | also because I simply want to help the charities that I |
| tremendously more donations annually than they every | | | | am assisting to make a difference. I cannot expect |
| have in the past, now can afford to hire more people | | | | others to do the same, or for these changes to |
| to assist them in accomplishing their goals. Hiring more | | | | become a reality in the near future, even if |
| people was definitely not an option in the past due to | | | | corporations begin to move towards making these |
| limited funding. However, with Corporate America now | | | | changes. However, I still move down this path in the |
| providing a tremendous amount of charity funds that | | | | hope that perhaps other corporations will follow. |
| never existed before, it would now be possible for | | | | Setting a good example is about the best thing that |
| them to hire more people and to assist more people | | | | any company owner can do for the public, as well as |
| through their efforts in the process! | | | | for their corporate community. Time will simply let me, |
| Secondly, the need to monitor charities, and how they | | | | and the readers of this article, know if my efforts truly |
| administrate these highly elevated earnings, increases. | | | | did make a difference. |
| Also, since there will most likely be new government | | | | |