Corporate funders offer tips for hard times

If your organization counts on corporate donations, how do you adapt to an economy so weak that most of the largest U.S. corporations expect to flatten or reduce their giving this year? Caroline Preston shares suggestions from corporate giving officers and other experts in her article, "Advice for Approaching Corporate Grant Makers During Tough Times," which appeared in the Aug. 21 edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy:

• Focus on businesses that are thriving (yes, there are some), not faltering.
• Prepare for better times by maintaining the good relationships you've already established.
• Ask for pro bono help rather than cash.
• Show the results you've produced from previous assistance.
• Don't use the weak economy as your rationale for requesting support.
• Have some empathy for the corporate staff -- they're going through hard times, too.