Why I don't donate signs.

[kevinanthuis]

I feel your pain... My News Years resolution is to practice the "law of attraction"... like attracts like, I like the exchange of $ for services/ products rendered... I rarely get anything but a thank you for in-kind donations.

 

[ova]

We donate signs to three Scrambles a year. Most are just a couple of add ons, or a new 18x24 text only sign. The deal is we get to put a team in the scramble. This works good for me since my employees golf. I would have a team in these scrambles even if I wasn't envolved. All the others are told we have exhausted our freebee signs.

I haven't seen any decrease in business because of this. Most everyone that we do golf signs for understand we can't give to everyone.

The last thing we donated was a table banner for the local radio station that went to the Super Bowl. They had it signed by any celeb that walked by and will auction it off for charity. The whole time they were there, we got air time from the broadcast back home. When they got back, we got an email saying we were getting 30 days of free air time every half hour. Sometimes things do work out when you donate, but not always.

Dave

 

[btropical.com]

make the banners , donate , let them put banners up , steal banners at night goto bar have a drink

 

[CentralSigns]

make the banners , donate , let them put banners up , steal banners at night goto bar have a drink

Ya if you use lacquer thinner the ink will come off right away and you'll get a buz from the fumes. That way it will be cheaper at the bar cause you will already be high and you can reprint the banner next day for the next poor sucker.

No really, we always see benefit from sponsorships/donations. Sometimes we get a call the next day for work. People must still hold that dear in small towns.

 

[ProWraps]

hey at least it wasnt for trade! I LOVE TRADE! i get to give people what they want, in trade for getting f*cked!

 

[copythat]

Incredible

I just tell them there is only one foundation I donate to, cause it's close to my heart. All others I apologies to with a smile on my face to keep it real. Oh my foundation I love is ME!



Sign up!

 

[mortil]

Not happy about donations at all.. but did an exception 3 weeks ago for my girlfriends dogowners club with stickers and signs for 2 contests they are having. material cost was $60 and it already payed back with 4 company bosses seen my name on the club. orderd sh!t load of job that i actually dont know how to handle right now..

 

[Bly]

I never donate to customers' charities and that's what I tell them.

 

[petrosgraphics]

i do donate to only one non-profit....... Habitat for Humanity, it is a great cause......

to me, it benefits all the right people.....

at the end of the year they send along a thank you letter along with a value

statement for the work i had done over the course of the year.....

it makes for a good deduction at tax time, and they truly do appreciate the

work done through out the year.....

 

[Mainframe]

in kind,,what is that made up bullcrap, I heard that one before,,it is crazy!, a donation is a donation! they should be grateful! I think nonpofits are the worst!

 

[kgirl]

we've donated some signs in the past to Extreme Makeover of a senior center.....but declined the video acknowledgment of it.....the parties were cool to attend and we had fun with that.....

 

[drive]

in kind,,what is that made up bullcrap, i heard that one before,,it is crazy!, a donation is a donation! They should be grateful! I think nonpofits are the worst!

^this

 

[Colin]

It's a standing rule here....DO NOT GIVE AWAY YOUR CRAFT. I've always been pretty adamant that giving signs to charity is a complete negative all the way around. I'll donate cash, I'll donate time, but I'm not giving away what I rely on to make a living. I've never seen a dentist cleaning teeth at a golf tournament.....I'm not giving my work away either.

I see other businesses donate stuff all the time.

Does it have to be all or nothing? Why not give them a good deal, and perhaps freebies for really small stuff? I guess for me it depends too on what it's going towards; is the golf tournament benefiting some already wealthy individual or group/business, or are all the proceeds helping to send handicapped kids to summer camp?

 

[Bly]

I've done some cheap banners and posters for an ad agency who was sponsoring a medical charity, on the proviso I got some other full price work off them, but nada.

Now I think if somebody wants to support a charity good for them. Pay me for my work and donate it. It will be a proper donation by them then.
They can then feel as good about themselves as they like. But not at my expense.

I do support other charities btw. I just don't try and scam stuff for free and pretend it's from me.

 

[GB2]

Pat, I think the problem was that you imposed upon the other donors banners, not that your donation had no value. It was an in kind donation and if you wanted, I think you should have made a seperate banner for yourself, then no one would have an issue with it.

 

[Mosh]

I used to donate stuff all the time and just tell them it was on me. Now I have them give me a recipe. It freaked me out seeing how much it added up. Last year was around $4,000 in donations. Now with the recipe you can write it off your taxes. A little banner here and a little sign there add up quik.

This of course is a double edge sword. One you feel good, second word spreads that you give out free signs!!! I only donate to stuff I am into and GOOD customers, that I know I will have a return on.

 

[ProWraps]

donations for recipes. hmm. i like food. i have to rethink this.

like ddarlak says i should caulk it up as experience, AND learn to cook some good food!

f*ck man. if i would have known i could write off taxes with recipes...

 

[Mosh]

Well if you need the work don't donate at all. In my situation I like to help and don't need the income, and the tax write-off gives me the added incentive.

 

[ProWraps]

 

[Mosh]

just telling what I do, can I be serious for a minute?