It is generally well known that one good way to get your small business noticed is to sponsor or support a local project or initiative. However, supporting a local charitable organization is another good way to gain exposure for your business.

Both organizations can benefit from such a partnership, and it really should be considered to be one, just like any other partnership. The charitable organization will benefit from your donations or gifts, of course, and your small business can benefit in a number of ways from the exposure it will get.

Supporting a local charitable organization should be much more than simply writing a check that is then delivered in a cold, impersonal manner. That is not really a partnership--it is more akin to performing a duty. The check, especially if it is a generous one, will undoubtedly be welcomed by the charitable organization in question, but this type of support will do little if anything to get your small business noticed by anyone.

A better approach might be to initially discover which charitable organizations exist in your back yard. Some will probably lend themselves more readily to a partnership with your small business than others. Or it may be that you feel more inclined to support a particular charitable organization that appeals to you in some way.

You should also research local charitable organizations to see how they are spending their money; you most likely do not want to partner with a charity that spends it money badly. Charitable organizations in your own back yard are harder to research in this way, but you can find out a lot from web sites such as www.guidestar.org, for example. To get the best bang for your buck you should discuss with the charity leaders how they measure their performance, and what are the percentages that go to administration and the costs of fund-raising.

When you have decided on a charitable organization to support, you should first arrange to meet with the organizers of the local charity and discuss with them the various ways that both parties can benefit. It is likely that you will be met with a degree of enthusiasm since you have expressed a desire, indeed, an intention, to provide goods, services or money to the charitable organization.

You are seeking to get your small business noticed in ways that can ultimately benefit you. One way might be for the charitable organization in question to have your business address, telephone number and web site, printed on any promotional leaflets, letterheads, etc, that they have. You would normally be listed as a sponsoring partner of the charitable organization.

If the charity has a web site, then again you can ask to have your business details listed there. And if they do not have a web site, then you could arrange for them to have one as part of the donation you will make, thereby ensuring that your details as the charity sponsor and supporter are placed prominently. The web site will also serve to promote the charitable organization, so it will be a win-win situation for both of you.

Of course, you do not have to stop at partnering with just one single charitable organization. Choose as many as you feel you can comfortably partner with, and approach them one at a time. It is even likely that word will get around and perhaps in time some of them may start approaching you.

Remember also that there are tax considerations for donations made to charitable organizations. Always keep records of all donations of goods, services or money that your small business makes.