Going Beyond Just the Money

Some corporations really do get it. They get how to be the most help to a nonprofit and also grow their own employees in the best possible way.

Starbucks is an example. The company lent a star administrator to CARE..sent her off to work at CARE. Starbucks paid her salary while she worked full time for a year, helping CARE develop a marketing campaign, serving as an executive mentor, and bringing in elements of Starbucks' own project management system.

Other companies that are this enlightened in their approach to philanthropy include Accenture, Procter & Gamble, and Toyota Motor. These "executive externships" seem to have taken on more urgency post-Enron, says an excellent article in Forbes. The companies burnish their reputations and the nonprofits benefit from top level expertise, on the ground, in their own organizations.

But, this sort of partnership takes an enlightened nonprofit and nonprofit leaders. Such is Sharon Darling, founder and president of the National Center for Family Literacy. She has worked with Toyota to secure both money and expertise. She has also replicated the experience with Toyota on a smaller scale with other donors.

Read the Forbes article about this volunteer/philanthropy combo and explore more about volunteerism with these articles:

• Americans Volunteering More
• Volunteering Enhances Women's Career Development