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Charities and Business: Not So Strange Bedfellows
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Dec 17, 2007 Posted by Layla Masri
When the local high school band musicians ring my front doorbell, I buy whatever they’re selling. I want to be a good community member and pitch in. But increasingly, I am asked to donate at places where I don’t know anyone or the charity behind the ask. Whether it’s the grocery store checkout clerk or the telephone sales operator, I’m unlikely to donate to an organization where I don’t feel I know where the money is going.
Community businesses are now starting to understand that and include charitable work as a part of their operating structure. We interviewed a local business owner, who started right here in Tyson’s Corner and has since expanded around the country, about how she has served both her canine and human customers by setting up a charity.
Amy Nichols, Founder and CEO of Happy to Be Here, Inc., the franchise company of Dogtopia, http://www.dogdaycare.com/, daycare for dogs, invites her customers to help military dogs serving overseas through donation drives, an annual Dog Wash, and in-kind donations including everything from chew toys to cooling beds for dogs serving in the desert.
Why did you decide to host your own fundraiser?
[Amy Nichols] We had been involved with several charities already…rescue groups, shelters…but we wanted to create something uniquely our own.
How did your customers respond?
[Nichols] The response was phenomenal. We had to move the Donation Drive from the front of the store to the back because it was blocking our entrance. The Dog Wash raised $9,000 in one day, with a $1,000 check coming from our first donor. People not only donated personally, but they collected donations at their office and brought in bags from PetSmart and Petco.
What made you decide to establish a permanent non-profit arm?
[Nichols] K-9 Support, Inc. http://www.k9support.org/ is a separate entity run by staff on a volunteer basis. We felt that if donors knew the money went straight to a nonprofit and was not diluted across the company, they would be more likely to get involved. And, we felt that through the mission of K-9 Support, we would be better able to decide if projects fit with what our donors want.
What would you recommend to business owners considering establishing a non-profit arm?
[Nichols]
1. Figure out something you really, really care about.
2. Find something that matches your customer base.
3. Select a charity that matches your business to keep you inspired and tap into the networks, vendors, and relationships you’ve already established.
How aware do you think your customers are of your charitable work and do you think it makes them more loyal?
[Nichols] Today, people look at your website first. And we know that our customers recognize our charitable work and like that we’ve chosen to do that. Customers walking in the door also mention it when they talk to us. An unintended benefit has been our relationship with veterans, some of whom have chosen to work with us as a franchisee because they respect our charitable work.