someone asks you to donate your service to a local PTA.
A school in a suburban ($350,000 home value and up) area wants me to donate our service to raise funds for their Parent Teachers Association…
I think they would be auctioning off different items.
Do I do %50 off complete window cleaning?
Do I donate a days work just for the visibility and top of the mind awareness that comes from being involved with their PTA??
Should I give $100 off?
What would you do???
I just dropped-off 4 each gift certificates (of $50 each) as a donation to my local senior center. They have a fund-raising event next week. I have an expiration date listed with one restriction – no combining of “coupons.”
It allows me to assist those in need (this is basically a long-time retirement community) with the benefit of company name exposure. I also volunteer hours regularly at the center itself.
Have you decided if that PTA is something you want to contribute to? Who is the recipient of the “funds?”
What [I]should [/I]you do ?
It’s up to you.
Charity stuff can be extremely effective as a marketing strategy, and it’s also a nice thing to do to help people who need it.
What you give, how much you give, and why you give it is all YOUR business.
Paneless I like the fact that you do not point fingers and give directions. Rather you say something that sparks the mind and let the individual decide for themselves.
I respect that.
My question here is what would you do?
The funds are going to the school who already has enough money to do what they need. My children go to another school, but at the same time philanthropy is my hobby.
We change the world by one random act of kindness at time.
But while changing the world I gotta eat. So… what would you do?
All this planning kinda takes the random-ness out of it… 
[B]“philanthropy is my hobby”[/B]
It is also a form of advertising, and likely the main reason to initiate this post in the marketing forum. To figure out a way to resonate more business.
If we are talking about [B]giving[/B] of ourselves to a greater cause, we give away a window cleaning for [B]free[/B]. No valueless certificates, no half off.
I will be doing con cleans for the Habitat for Humanity for free this year. It is great that I will be able to talk about the experience and of course bolster my “image”, but honestly… it is 90% just to be a tiny part of something wonderful. (ever watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?)
I hope no finger pointing was involved here…
From my experience of donating to local charities they like to have a dollar amount donated instead of a percentage off window cleaning. So I would do something like $X amount off a full house window cleaning. And like llaczko said I would put an expiration date on it.
I like the charity model, and I’ve been incorporating it into my business model for a few years now. It works for lots of reasons, so sure, I would seriously consider the opportunity you’ve described.
In most cases, I donate a gift certificate with a set dollar amount to a silent auction event, which the highest bidder can use towards the purchase of our services.
So, my item advice is DOLLAR AMOUNT, not hours, or percentage.
I’ve attached a snapshot of the gift certificate format I use, if you need some layout/design ideas.
can you attach a slightly larger image? I’d like to read the fine print 
Hi Louie,
If you are slow at the moment I would do it for free. If not, I feel that it may be your weekend gone 
I would also make a stipulation that if you do take the job, a free ad in the PTA magazine or the newsletter is required (for the next 50 years lol), informing them of the wondrous job you did to benefit the school even though your kids go to another.
I mean its not really a charity is it?
You want [I]ALL [/I]my secrets, eh?
Who’s gonna buy the wicked-cool-amazing new book “The Naked Window Cleaner” if I show you EVERYTHING now??
Nah, just kidding. Here you go.
Do you stick that on glossy photo paper Kevin? in my experience the photo’s from the laser jet fade over time - or is that the plan?
I won’t ask for any enlarged pictures with that title:D
You got me on that one bro…
You are absolutely right… I posted this in the marketing section because it is a marketing ploy with a touch of altruism. Not much… just a touch.
I like the Newsletter idea Carlos shared with us… I think that would be good press.
Paul… you don’t point fingers either. You and Paneless are really good about that. It’s never, “here do this.” It’s always, “here what do you think about this.”
Much respect…
Beyond Paneless and CFP… Has anyone had any experience doing this type of marketing???
What is your experience?
What works?
What doesn’t work?
Experience… not conjecture.
Yup. Glossy photo paper all the way.
I’ve done a couple of charity cleans small scale.
I find that because they percieve you as free, you get others ringing up to get the same price!!! On another note, I’ve had some pretty big jobs because of the donation of my services.
The beaut in your situation is the neighbourhood the school is in. From my experience the pupils have to live within a certain radius to attend.
But you have to ask yourself why a rich school is asking for charity when they have rich parents?
I think this is a gut feeling sort of job. I’d ask someone local who you can trust.
I also do janitorial cleaning and clean a pregnancy help center for free. The office is small and I do it once a month. They send out a letter every month or so to tell what is going on to the local churches and business that support them. I am not one to brag and say “put me on the front cover”. I have ask them not to put my name in the letter because it is something I want to do and not say look at me! By not being in the letter- ever, some big supporters have found out that I clean the place and that I want no public thank you. This has led to word of mouth advertising - which is better than print. People will stop me in a store and thank me for doing this and ask for a business card so they can support me. So far my 1 1/2 hours a month has turned into some big window jobs. Matter of fact, I got a call this past friday and I am pricing it tommorow.
If you are doing it for free to do a kind act- then just do it.
Now if they say we will put your name in a magazine to let everybody know you did this- count this as advertising. Still I would do it for free, because if they like your work they will call you back. How many times have you spent passing out fliers for 3-4 hours and got no customer? Spend 3-4 hours one time and gain a customer!
A long post I know, but truly how I feel.
I think the burning question here is, “Are you pro-life or pro-choice?”
hahaha…
