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Nonprofit Startups and the Power of Bartering
By Lorna Doone Brewer
Is there anything with more enthusiasm and less money that a startup nonprofit organization? While you’re likely devoting a fair amount of time and brain power to figuring out financial options for your startup, make sure you also consider reasonable barter situations.
Whether you’re planning to operate from your home or are setting up shop in an actual shop, there is no feeling in the world that compares to that mixture of ecstasy and terror. One of the first questions you have to ask yourself – and everyone else will want to know, too – is “How are we going to pay for this?”
There are, of course, the obvious answers.
- From your own pocket
- With donations
- Through grant funding
But the aspiring nonprofit founder has to be realistic. Your own pocket is only so deep. There are never enough donations to go around. And grant funding? We’ll, that’s most likely something that is being pushed to the backburner while you’re getting things established.
One of the cheapest ways to get what you need in those early days is to barter for it. You can trade goods and services with other nonprofit organizations, for-profit businesses, and even individuals.
In order to barter with others you must have something of value to trade in the first place. Take a little time to evaluate your assets.
Space
Having a spare bit of space can be a great start when you want to barter. If you have an extra office space in your building, for example, maybe you could trade it for the services of an accountant who is looking for a little place of his or her own. Or perhaps your animal sanctuary has an extra outbuilding where another business could store a truck in return for allowing you to use it for vet appointments.
Equipment
Did you inherit a photocopier or purchase a postage meter or end up with a backhoe somehow? What kinds of trades could you work out based on this equipment? Perhaps the nonprofit garden down the road would be willing to barter some landscaping in return for access to your fax machine.
Services
Is it possible that your constituents would have something to offer in trade for your services? If not, consider what other types of services you might be able to offer and who would benefit from them. If you’re a Notary Public, for example, perhaps you could trade that service to an attorney who would be willing to draw up a couple of simple contracts in return.
Yourself
Chances are that you are the most valuable thing your startup nonprofit organization has going for it. Why not leverage your skills and abilities to barter for the things you need? If your rabbit rescue is looking for some hutches, maybe a local farm would give you some of their old ones in return for mucking out stalls. If you were a chef in a former life, offer to cater a monthly lunch for a local advertising company in return for their services.
After you’ve determined just what you have to offer, you have to figure out exactly what you need. Make a list of these goods and services and try to come up with at least three potential sources of bartering for each item. Then it is a matter of approaching these potential sources with the same enthusiasm you have for your nonprofit organization.
In order to get the most out of bartering, you need to take the time to really inventory yourself and your startup nonprofit organization. Be creative with your ideas. You will also need the confidence to make the barter request. You may just be surprised at how often you’ll hear “yes.”
Topics: Getting Started |
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