When fundraising for a particular project or event it is important that groups are aware of all the funding sources available. Your list of potential funders may include, for example, Trusts, Lottery funds, and the relevant Statutory Agencies. But have you thought about the funding opportunities right on your doorstep?

Local businesses could provide that valuable piece of equipment, raffle prizes, free advice, sponsorship, and a host of other things—often without a lengthy form-filling exercise! Businesses that operate locally support groups by providing gifts in kind, small cash donations, and a number of services, either free or at a reduced rate. This factsheet explains the various ways the business community may be prepared to help.

About the Business Community

The business community will support Groups for a number of reasons:

To create goodwill with customers and potential customers
To support employees in the communities in which they live and work
To improve local community relations

Unlike Trusts and Statutory agencies, businesses rarely support ongoing revenue costs for projects and are more likely to support one-off specific requests for help where there is an opportunity to give ‘in kind’. For example, a supermarket may be prepared to put together a hamper for a raffle or a hardware store may donate paint for the community base.

For a Group to make best use of the businesses located in the community, they need to:

Prepare information about the project
Be aware of the various ways the business community can help
Know how best to approach the various businesses

About the Project

As with all types of fundraising, a Group should prepare information about the project in advance of looking for assistance. Information should include:

Details of the need/issue in the community that the project will address
Explanation of the project’s objectives
A timescale for the project: When will it happen? Will it benefit the community long term?
A list of everything you will need and what you would like the business to provide

Once this has been completed, think about the following ways the business community can help and how this may relate to your project.

How the Business Community Can Help

The support available will vary depending on a business's size and type. The following are examples of the different companies that make up the business community and the ways in which they can support local Groups.

Large businesses that give locally

A number of large businesses have established trusts to give money on their behalf to charitable organisations. These trusts will have their own programme of giving support to specific projects. For example, a large business may have a Community Affairs or Community Relations fund that will deliver support to local groups. An example of this is the Co-op Community Dividend Scheme, which delivers funding through the Coop Community fund.

Local branches of National Businesses

Many large businesses will also give to the community. For example, Marks and Spencer’s or Tesco’s stores operate funding schemes for local groups.

Local businesses

Local traders such as hairdressers, hotels, restaurants, and butchers—also support groups by donating services, providing raffle prizes, or lending equipment.

Types of Support

Most business support lies outside the field of cash donations, so groups should consider other ways that the business community may be prepared to help, for example:

Sponsorship/Promotion

The business community is often willing to become involved in activities that promote their reputation in the community, such as sponsoring fundraising events such as fashion shows, fetes, or festivals.

Business in the Community

Under the banner ‘Business in The Community’ (BITC), many companies in Northern Ireland have signed up to the principles of community involvement to build partnerships with local communities and to contribute to their development and regeneration. Contact: BITC Bridge House Paulett Avenue Belfast BT5 4HD 028 9046 0606 info@bitcni.org.uk www.bitc.org.uk

Arts and Business

Arts and Business may offer a match-funding scheme or provide advice to local Community Arts Groups.

Gifts in Kind

The business community will, on occasion, donate their products, stock or used equipment. This could be anything from small prizes for a raffle or a piece of equipment for the Community Base. Such gifts are often of little cost to the company but of immense importance to the group.

Advice

The business community encourages staff involvement with local groups, and employee skills may be made available for the group to access. The group will need to know exactly what they need help with and what they hope to achieve with the volunteer in advance.

Administration and Events

The business community donate all kinds of services, such as printing leaflets, using photocopiers, and supplying a venue to hold an event, free of charge or at a reduced rate.

Advertising

Local businesses may be willing to advertise in a newsletter.

Finding a Business

Is there a business in the community…

Who is a major employer in your area?
Who employs a member of your Group?
Who receives custom from local people?
Who is the supplier of a product or a provider of a particular service that the Group requires for the project to be a success?

Informal sources of information on the business community may include the local Rotary Club, Round Table or Chamber of Commerce. Keep an eye on local papers to see what businesses are coming into the area - they may well be worth approaching for help.

How to Make Contact

The personal approach

If you already know the owner or manager of a local business call in and talk to them. Explain what the group is doing, what it aims to achieve and why their support would be very important and beneficial to the local community. You may be asked at this stage to put the request in writing if the person needs to consult with others before a decision is made. Larger businesses may have a Charities Committee that makes the final decision on all requests for help, so ask well in advance, as these committees may only meet on a quarterly basis.

Approach by letter

If the group has no personal contact with the business, apply in writing to the appropriate person. This may be the manager, the company secretary or someone who deals with all requests for help, e.g. a Community Affairs Officer or Community Relations Officer.

Telephone in advance and ask for the name and title of the person to whom the letter should be addressed.

When writing the letter, take into consideration the following points:

Keep the letter to one side of A4 - short and to the point.
State who you are and give a brief history of your group to date.
State what your links with the business are. For example, they may be a major employer in the area.
Be specific as to what support you need
Stress the benefits to the business and to the local community if support is forthcoming.

Give the business an idea of the group's work and achievements. Enclose with the letter: