Join Me for This 2-hour Seminar for Nonprofit Leaders:

7 Secrets You NEED to Know to Create Lasting Business Partnerships!

Here are the details:

DATE: Friday, April 30th

TIME: 1:00 – 3:00 pm MT

PLACE: Virginia Village Library, 1500 S. Dahlia at E. Florida, Denver, 80222

NOTE: There is plenty of free parking available.

Click here to download the pdf flyer.

If you are like most nonprofit leaders, you probably are very concerned these days about the impact of a tough economy on your ability to get needed resources for your organization or program. You see the need mushrooming in your community every day…and you see the companies around you starting to tighten their philanthropic belt. So what to do? No matter how good your program or organization may be, if you can’t clearly make the case for why a business should support YOUR nonprofit organization over all the others also seeking their support, you are bound to fail. You need to know the right formula for approaching businesses to create win-win partnerships to secure the resources you so desperately need.

In this FREE seminar, Susan Hyatt reveals 7 secrets you need to know to create lasting relationships with companies that choose to partner and share their resources with you. If you want to strengthen your “ask” and improve your success rate, you definitely need to attend this FREE seminar.

Get ready for two hours of information and insights that will change the tone and success of your business partnerships forever.

Space is limited so please sign up below TODAY to reserve your seat.

Do you want your company to be more involved in the community but are having difficulty making the case for business giving in this economy?  Check out the following benefits of strategic philanthropy that your company can also tap into.  You can “Do Good AND Do Well.”

STRATEGY – Instead of just throwing money here and there, we now have a deliberate strategy that directs our efforts for maximum impact.

VALUES – Our company’s philanthropy is a way for us to demonstrate our values are heartfelt and go beyond just making a profit.

INTEGRATION – Our giving is now integrated across our departments and locations to leverage more impact in the community and strengthen our internal cohesion.

VISIBILITY – Our strategic giving program sets our company apart from our competition.  We have gone from being “just like everyone else” to doing something remarkable that makes a difference.

SALES – Consumers like to know the products and companies like ours that they invest in are doing good with their money.  Our customers do business with us because they see that we care about the community.

MEDIA – Our community involvement and giving have helped us get invaluable attention from the media – we couldn’t have afforded the great positive buzz this generated for our company.

IMPACT – We were able to create a sound business case for this program.  It’s not just feel good fluff, but work that creates a win/win – for our company’s bottom line and the community.

PRODUCTIVITY – Our employees feel good about being part of something larger than themselves.  Because they feel pride in our company and themselves, they are more productive in their jobs. “We work for a company that cares.”

MAXIMIZE – We are now clear where and how to focus our scarce resources to do the most good in the community.

RESULTS – We actually know how we are going to measure the results of our giving programs.

What can your business do to give back?  How can your give back program be in alignment with your core products or services and company values?  If you can use assistance in being more strategic with your giving program, contact me at shyatt@BNConnections or 303-512-0808…I can definitely help!

Talking with Julio Blanco co-founder of Sun Turtle Naturals earlier today, he mentioned to me that in honor of Earth Day, his company was planting trees in Brazil through a Nature Conservancy program.  How cool is that?  I got excited because Sun Turtle Naturals is a great example of a small company that has integrated their giving into the fiber of their company from the beginning and in ways which directly support their business values.

Sun Turtle Naturals is a Colorado-based family business founded by Julio and Debbie Blanco. Their goal in creating Sun Turtle is to inspire each of us to take a few minutes each day to slow down and pamper our bodies and spirit with a wonderful little luxury.

I was first exposed to Sun Turtle’s wonderful line of natural artisan body care just before the holidays last year.  Their handcrafted soaps smelled so great that I bought enough to give as gifts to several business colleagues and my women’s book group.  My gifts were definitely a hit and didn’t break the bank.  Each of their soaps smell fabulous – the lavender is my personal favorite.  Check Sun Turtle products out – you can get them online!

Great job, Sun Turtle Naturals, for supporting Earth Day and demonstrating your company values!

So…how can you follow Sun Turtle’s lead?  It’s not to late to plant some trees of your own.  Go to: Plant a Billion Trees to find out how.

What can your business do to give back?  How can your give back program be in alignment with your core products or services and company values?  If you can use assistance in being more strategic with your giving program, contact me at shyatt@BNConnections or 303-512-0808…I can definitely help!

OK…I admit it…oatmeal raisin cookies are my favorite…and I don’t trust me to make a batch from scratch as I will eat them all in one sitting.  Recently, I ran across Immaculate Baking Co.’s ready to bake oatmeal raisin cookies in the refrigerated food section at Whole Foods (you can bake one or the whole batch)…so I decided to try them and test my self-discipline because the package said “Cookies with a Cause” on it and I am drawn to products with cause promotions every time!

The back of the package stated, “When we think about all the folks who have helped us become who we are, we know that giving back is important.  Here at Immaculate, we want to inspire creativity in ourselves and others by donating art supplies, offering folk art workshops, and even holding “giant” bake sales for creative-minded nonprofits.”

On their website, I found their Donations Page which stated: “Immaculate Baking is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. So, we offer in-kind donations of cookie dough (and sometimes, pre-baked cookies!) to special events. If you think you have a special event, please fill out the form below. Please be patient…we receive so many donation requests that, unfortunately, we can’t fulfill them all.

Here are some guidelines for our donation program:

• Must be a non-profit organization
• Priority is given to requests from organizations/ events that align with our mission to nurture creativity in children through support of the arts
• Priority is also given to first-time donation requests
• We ask for a minimum of 60 days notice before the event
• Cookie dough donations require adequate refrigeration for storage from receipt until they are baked”

I liked that they stated their criteria for selection clearly and then provided an online form for requests from nonprofits.  They also had another page which listed some of the nonprofits they have supported in the past, which I also appreciated.

Immaculate also had a page for fundraising which stated, “Lots of folks have been asking us if we’d be willing to partner with their organization in fundraising efforts. The answer is a resounding yes! If you’re interested in exploring fundraising with Immaculate, let us know. We’ll try to tailor a great program for you!” And then gave the email address of staff person to contact.

Nicely done, Immaculate Baking Co.!  (NOTE:  Their cookies were VERY tasty…and I ate them all in one sitting…!!)