I've been having alot of conversations about sponsorship and raising money these days and I've come to the conclusion that there are people that get it, and people that don't. University Travel is a local travel agency that my company has worked with for years. They've received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of business from my company over the years. Not only did they not give us money, they didn't even have the courtesy to respond to the letters, emails and phone calls we sent. Don't they understand when its time to give back? Don't they understand that I can take my business elsewhere and will and that in the process I will tell the story over and over.
Julie Ganong of The Provident Bank here on the Seacoast gets it. She does a "Lobby for the Arts" opening in each branch once every few months and its great. The artists sell stuff, people come and learn about the bank and the artist, they engage in conversations, and the image of The Provident goes up accordingly. Now in the interest of full disclosure, The Provident is a sponsor of our concert but they're not a big sponsor and that has nothing to do about this rant.
What I'm hoping people will help me understand are those people that don't get it. The local businesses and individuals that refuse to donate time or goods or services to a good worthy local cause. I have a friend, a local drummer, that refuses to do benefits. He's a great drummer, but his stance on this particular issue is adamant. So while he's sitting at home, we're badmouthing him and we find other drummers and they get the exposure.
I don't understand the logic.
A few years ago, I might have understood the hunkering down mentality, but in an age when organizations like Stonyfield Farms and Toms of Maine have skyrocketed their value because of their good corporate social responsibility, you'd think more people would get it.
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