There is a prevailing attitude that some people involved with nonprofits should get everything for free. Please do not get me wrong as I appreciate it when a professional offers their services at no charge, or a business provides a product for free. However, I never expect this rather appreciate it when it happens. Too often those of us in nonprofits expect most everything for free and when this does not happen we complain and worse, bad-mouth the person or business that did not give us whatever we wanted for free.

Nonprofits are businesses and I think we could do a better job of budgeting and working with others on establishing nonprofit discounts. Maybe we could find ways to partner and collaborate so those who are giving us complementary services and products or discounting these also get something from us. How well do we promote and market the businesses who support our nonprofit? Are we doing word-of-mouth marketing for those who support our cause? Or do we complain about them because what they provide is not free, or discounted enough?