Mayor Newsom with Cole Hardware's Rick Karp
There are corporate philanthropists, family foundations, community foundations and giving programs started by wealthy techpreneurs, but ... small business philanthropy? It could happen.
And it does happen, at San Francisco's Cole Hardware.
Could your nonprofit use a gift card for free merchandise? Or maybe, at your next fundraising event, you'd like to sell donated bottles of water and keep 100% of the profits.
These are just some of the benefits available to community partners of this San Francisco institution.
SMALL BUSINESS PHILANTHROPY - WHY NOT?
A few weeks back, I covered the top corporate philanthropists in the Bay Area. It occurred to me that doors down from my office in the Mission was a generous, thriving, community-gem with a strategic and well-utilized charitable program.
Dave Karp purchased the little Cole Valley nuts 'n' bolts shop known as Cole Hardware in 1959. A few years later, Dave's son Rick Karp came on board and secured his place as "Keeper of the Karma" (it's on his business card), and grew the business into its current four locations.
COLE=COMMUNITY
The store's name has become nearly synonymous with community involvement. Cole is unique as a small business that focuses intently on charitable giving. The company's School and Community Assistance Partnership Program, now in its 15th year, has over 400 participants and gives away more than $60,000 in goods and gift cards each year.
Rick Karp explained that some years ago, he was feeling inundated by requests from community groups for donations. When he tried saying "yes" all the time, he felt like he was giving the store away and losing money. But when he said no, he felt guilty and knew there had to be another answer.
As any philanthropist knows, one must be strategic and create a framework for giving, and that's precisely what Rick did. From Clearly Cole bottled water for fundraising to silent auction donations and gift card rebates, the Community Partnership Program encompasses a variety of ways for nonprofits to benefit. Charities that "work" the partnership can find themselves with thousands of dollars in merchandise and savings at the end of the year.
GOOD FOR BUSINESS
Rick will be the first to say that Cole Hardware's community giving supports its business goals and is good for the bottom line. He encourages other small businesses to be proactive about their giving so they're prepared with a solution when those community groups call to ask for donations.
Rick notes, "I wanted to turn all those donation requests into a positive and embrace the giving."
That embrace certainly seems to have paid off for Cole, which is embraced and loved by San Francisco consumers and the community at large. That dedicated following is fed, in part, by Cole Hardware's community programs.
PARTNERSHIP MADE EASY
Unlike some other grant opportunities, it's very easy to join Cole Hardware's community partnership program. Generally, an organization simply needs to send in a request on letterhead that includes the group's or school's name, address, phone, contact name & email and tax ID.
Cole Hardware's community involvement doesn't end with a gift card donation. The store provides marketing opportunities for its beneficiaries by featuring partner news and information in Cole Hardware's monthly circular. Cole is continually looking for ways to support its community partners. Last month, the company hired the Center for EcoSystem Survival to present its "traveling bug show" for a family event at one of the stores.
To learn the latest Cole news, sign up here for the e-Line newsletter. Or get to know the great folks at Cole Hardware by attending one of the many upcoming special events:
Sunday, September 20 - Cole Valley Fair at Carl and Grattan Streets "With kind of a Mayberry feel to it."
Saturday, October 3 - Coffee Break at Cole Hardware
Saturday, November 7 - 20% off bag sale
Wednesday, December 9 - Hardware Holiday Party
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