THE POINT IS...
We all have mortgages to pay. We are all trying to make a living. Small businesses are difficult to keep afloat. In our case, we are a service business so we are also working daily to educate the world on the value of what we have to offer. Still, for us, there is no greater joy than to take the skills we have and use that to support organizations whose goal is really the greater good.
"Find a non-profit you believe in and offer to help them in any way you can. Non-profits always need support from small businesses. But do it because, in your heart, it is the right thing to do, not because you have any expectations for what your partnership will do for your company."
This advice was given to me when we decided to open our office in Tacoma. It has guided Two Dogs Barking Productions every day for over six years.
THE PROCESS WAS...We wanted to get entrenched in our community after working in the Seattle TV market for many, many years. We are residents of Tacoma and we love this town! I read about the Dugan Foundation in the Tacoma News Tribune not long after I was given this advice. And I am very proud to say Two Dogs Barking and Dugan Foundation have enjoyed a fantastic relationship since the very first time Julie Dugan and I met at Meconi's for a glass of wine. During that meeting, I told her what we do and asked her how we could help. She had zero budget for video. It didn't matter to us one whit. We believed in the Dugan Foundation mission, and that was enough.
THE FINAL RESULT...In the years that have followed, and we believe it is partly due to the non-profit education we've received from the Dugans, we have had many opportunities to work with other non-profits in a variety of ways - from videos to event management. Every time we partner with a non-profit, we walk away with a sense that we have had played some very small role in helping them reach their goals. There is a euphoria that comes with that ~ a feeling that doing what we do is more than a job, it can change lives.
I don't want to make us sound more philanthropic than we really are. Over time, the Dugan Foundation managed to find a budget for having us produce videos for the Fur Ball. And somehow, Julie persuaded me to stage manage the event... which I do with gladness in my heart as an unpaid volunteer. But also through that relationship we have formed life-long friendships. We have been given free access to the ups and downs to starting, growing, and managing a non-profit. We have also developed a trust with them that allows us to be an on-call creative brain trust.
A LITTLE PIECE OF DUGAN...A couple of examples of what a great relationship can look like...
First, this was pulled from a larger video produced for their main fundraising event, which included a peak at a PSA we produced for them.
This one helped the Dugan Foundation raise around $15,000 during the fund-an-item portion of the Fur Ball in 2009. Not bad for a day's work.
MAY I OFFER THIS ADVICE...
Business is about relationships. Go out and find a non-profit that stirs your soul. Give freely of your talent and skills. Do it without expectation. You will be the one in the long run that reaps the greatest benefits.
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