Write a formal business letter to a successful local company (You pick one.) from the non-profit organization, The Other Side Academy. You are asking the company you chose to commit to a donation of at least $5,000. A donation of $5,000 would be tax deductible for most companies since the maximum allowable tax deduction for charitable giving during most calendar years is 10 percent of a company’s taxable income. If your research shows that the corporation you are targeting is extremely successful and has a history of supporting charitable causes, ask for more. You decide. Make your decision based on your audience.
Companies support local non-profit organizations for many reasons. These reasons are often more related to the company’s reputation and branding than to pure, charitable motives, so think about who your audience is, what they care about, and what is important to them. While statistics may be personally interesting and important to your readers, they are acting on behalf of a company and have responsibilities for how they allot corporate resources that are earmarked for community engagement or charitable donations. As such, think about how you can appeal to the corporation’s priorities.