Helping non-profit organisations

[Avatar Consulting]

As small business owners we usually have a very specific skill set or trade qualification that we establish our services on to earn money.

Being a small business owner often means we have little money to sponsor or donate to charities or organisations that need help.

I have found it very rewarding to devote some of my time and skills to help a single non-profit organisation each quarter at no cost to them. It is a good way to share and build communities.

Anyone else done similar and want to share the feeling that comes from providing your skills for free and helping someone that needs it.

Regards
Paul

[gregpritchard.virtualcio]

We find a lot of not-for-profits get huge value from our technology advisory expertise (i.e. what technology do they, how much its going to cost, how are they going to evaluate suppliers/vendors, what cost-effective alternatives are available to them, what are the trade-offs in using one solution over another, etc).

We do a mix of paid and pro-bono work. Any of the pro-bono work we do comes from http://www.goodcompany.com.au.

While we still offer great service; its often a good, low-risk way of testing out new techniques/methodologies/technologies that we want to explore in a real-world context.

[Carole]

I was trained as a Convenor so that I could lead an ASCA(Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse) Self-Help Support Group all of last year. Unfortunately, the support groups have been phased out now.

[Burgo]

I run a not for profit association for cleaners, carpet cleaners and restorers on a voluntary basis.

Many members we help are just starting out in business and we have a core of highly qualified and experienced members that do a lot on mentoring and networking with these new members. So far it has been working well byt we need to go further, looking inexpensise short courses that can help our members develop business skills to enable them to grow their business.

We hope they can start working ON their business rather than woring IN their business. The short courses we are looking at would cost somewhere around four hundred dollars per person for a two or three day course.

[Rachel Reeves]

I really enjoy the work I do for not-for-profits whether it be paid or volunteer work. The need is there and the appreciation expressed is often higher than usual.

[Sef]

My line of business doesn't really lend itself to working with not for profit or non-profite organisations. However a small thing that each business can do (maybe even should do) is to sponsor one of more children with Plan. If your business is making a profit, the $43 per child per month means nothing to you, but it means the world to a child in need.

[Linda Cerzs]

Hello all:
In my opinion non profitable organizations are the best prove that individual profit is not the only important thing in the world.
Good luck with your organization.
Linda Cerz
New York