Money Magnet Idea No. 4: Ask Corporations for Money and More

Habitat For Humanity has held onto multimillion-dollar corporate donors, even while other charities have lost them to the recession. Mark Crozet, the charity’s senior vice president for development, chalks up that accomplishment to “deep relationships”
with companies that go far beyond grants.

Whirlpool, the appliance company, is a good example, he says. Each year the company donates a refrigerator and stove to every home the charity builds in the United States, makes cash grants to the organization’s work overseas, and involves employees in Habitat volunteer projects.

Now in its 10th year of supporting the charity, the company is in the midst of negotiating a new commitment that would provide $40-million in cash and donated products to Habitat over the next four to five years, says Mr. Crozet. “They are trying to be part of every family we serve.”

The Nature Conservancy last month announced a new $10-million agreement with the Dow Chemical Company that also goes beyond just getting a corporate check. It also includes a pledge from the company to help advance the charity’s conservation mission. Under the deal, the conservancy will place scientists at three of Dow’s manufacturing sites to help the company determine the value of natural resources on or close to the sites. Dow has pledged to use that information to minimize the harm its business operations do to the environment.

Both organizations have promised to share the Nature Conservancy’s findings widely in hopes of motivating other companies to adopt similar approaches.

Nature Conservancy officials concede that the agreement with Dow is likely to draw criticism from people who question the chemical company’s environmental record and motives. But they say the new alliance exemplifies the type of in-depth collaboration between business and charity that is needed to protect natural habitats.