In the world of marketing, philanthropic contributions represent something of a double standard. On one hand, properly presenting and showcasing these contributions is an amazing public relations and marketing tool. On the other hand, presenting them in the wrong manner can some off as bragging and showboating. This leaves many companies in the dark as to the best ways to tactfully showcase their philanthropic contributions. In this article, we will explore two excellent methods any company can use to achieve this, as well as gain public relations points in the process.
The first and best method is to present your contributions by asking others to support the same cause. For example, if you donated to a campaign for building a school in Africa, you might decide to reach out to your customers and those subscribed to your newsletter in a bid to raise more donations. This gives you not only an ideal way to present the contribution you have made, but also gives the cause you have donated to the chance to raise more funding. This method allows you to give details of exactly how much you have donated, what you have done to raise donations from others, and what you plan to do for this cause in the future. Involving your client base is, by far, the best way to showcase your contributions.
Secondly, you can have the cause you have donated to do the work for you. Many times, when large philanthropic contributions are made, the organization that receives the donation is more than happy to tell the world of your generosity. This circumvents the issue of a negative presentation altogether by allowing an outside party to showcase the contributions. This removes you, as the contributor, from any possible criticism for making too large or self serving a display of your charitable activities. In the digital age, this method is easier to implement than ever. Most philanthropic organizations maintain well optimized websites and social media profiles. These make the ideal platfom for them to tell the entire world how you have contributed. It is also not in any way improper to ask an organization you have made a large contribution to to make such a posting.
While there are many other excellent methods for showcasing philanthropic contributions, these two are by far the best. Whatever you decide to do to showcase yours, ensure that it is done in a manner that will garner positive public attention and will not seem self serving.
