Top 10 Steps to Donating Your Coaching Services

Donating coaching services is a great way for new and established coaches, alike, to gain new clients. It’s also a wonderful way to contribute support to charitable and other organizations which support communities, locally and globally. It is important that we all contribute something back to our community and donating a coaching package is the perfect way. Your donation may be entered in a silent auction, raffled off, or even awarded as a door prize. It’s a win-win situation for everyone; you’ll be able to do what you love – coach – and at the same time, help raise money for a cause that you believe in.

1. Determine what services you are willing to donate.

Consider donating a one-month coaching package. Be certain that you are very clear on exactly what that package will comprise, including any client intake material you might need to send. Also determine how many sessions you can offer and how long each will be. You will need to provide all of this information in the package that you submit to the sponsoring organization. Finally, make sure that you have the time in your schedule and the business stability to provide these services, as they will not be contributing revenue towards your business.

2. Determine which charities or organizations you might like to support.

Make a list of fifteen or twenty organizations to which you would consider donating your services. These might include hospitals, private schools, organizations which support a particular health issue, as well as groups that support animal rights or the environment.

3. Gather detailed information about each organization.

Research and read about each organization you might wish to support. Make a detailed list or database where you can record the organization’s name, address, telephone number, website, and the name of the main contact person. Call each organization and ask when they schedule their fundraisers and if they will accept a donation from you. It is good idea to have this information because you will need to plan in advance to make sure you don’t miss any potential opportunities. Fundraisers are scheduled throughout the year. Also, many organizations have required paperwork to be completed and returned along with the item you are donating, so it is a good idea to find this out in advance.

4. Select the organizations you wish to support.

Once you have a list, determine how many donations you can afford both from both a financial and time standpoint. Don’t over schedule or over burden yourself by making too many donations. For most coaches, making one to two donations per year would be doable and affordable.

5. Create a gift certificate.

Use a package like Microsoft Publisher or even a word processing program to develop a certificate that is either 8 ½ X 11 inches or 4 ½ X 11 inches. Print the gift certificate on heavy bond paper and laminate it.

6. Include important information on your gift certificate.

Make sure that you include your company name, logo, and contact information at a minimum, on the front of the certificate. Include a statement that the certificate is “Not Redeemable for Cash.” Finally, make sure to add an expiration date. Most organizations expect that you will have an expiration date at least one year from the date of the fundraising event. You may also choose to include other identifying information like your name, website, and telephone number.

7. Create an information package to accompany the gift certificate.

Create two information packages. One package is for the organization to keep for their records. They need this information, along with your signed contract, for tax and recordkeeping purposes. The other package is for them to give to the gift certificate recipient. You may want to enclose this in a sealed envelope. Each package should include your business card, some information about coaching, as well as how to redeem the gift certificate.

8. Maintain a log and detailed records of your donations.

Keep good records. For each donation that you make, record the name of the organization, the contact person, the event date, how the service will be used (silent auction, raffle, door prize), and the expiration date recorded on the gift certificate. You might want to create a separate file folder for each organization so you can maintain copies of any email correspondence, thank you letters, a copy of the contract, as well as a copy of what you sent to the organization. Later on when the gift certificate recipient contacts you, you can use this file as a “client file”.

9. Wait patiently for the recipient to contact you.

Not everyone who bids on or receives your package will follow up on it. Sometimes people bid on things with the best of intentions, but they get busy or forget about it. Don’t be discouraged; instead, be happy that you contributed to something that your believe in and that the organization benefited in some way.

10. A client is a client is a client.

Once the gift certificate recipient contacts you, make sure that you treat them exactly as you would any paying client. Not only are you representing yourself and your business, but you are also, indirectly, representing the organization to which you made the donation. Enjoy the experience, have fun, and most of all know that you, the recipient, and the organization are benefiting from this donation.

Copyright 2004 by Tara Kachaturoff