How to Donate to a Charity in Your Business' Name

Businesses donating to charity is fairly commonplace.  If your child plays sports, you may notice that the field is sponsored by a company as are the uniforms.  In our church bulletin, the entire back page is covered with ads by companies that sponsor the bulletin.

As a small business owner, you may wonder if you should sponsor a charity and how to go about doing that.  While this is a personal decision, know that if you decide that you'd like to, there are plenty of ways to donate to charity, and not all of them involve money.

Free Way to Donate to Charity

If you're a blogger or have a website, you can donate for free by writing a post about the charity that you'd like to support.  Essentially, you're spreading the word about the charity, and you are offering them free publicity.  That can make a big impact, even if you're not spending money.

Other Ways to Donate

No matter how you choose to donate, it's best to choose a charity that is close to your business' mission.  For instance, if you're a Christian homeschooling mom, you'd likely want to donate to a Christian charity.  If you're an artist, perhaps you'd like to donate to a program that helps artists from underprivileged areas.  For tax purposes, you're less likely to have the IRS question your financial doings if the charity is closely linked to what you do.

One time gift.  You can choose to give a one-time gift to the charity.  This is a nice way to give that doesn't require a commitment from you or your business.

Donate a percentage of your sales.  If you'd like to donate more on a regular basis, you can decide to give a certain percentage of the sale of an item (or all items, you decide) to the charity.  Make sure not to make the percentage too high because you want your donation to be sustainable.

Also, check with your accountant; likely you'll be able to claim your donation on your tax return.

Do you donate to charity through your business?  If so, how do you do it?