Down East 2013 ©
Down East strives to support nonprofits and community causes whenever possible, continuing in its tradition as a vibrant member of the business community and a good corporate neighbor. Down East supports the involvement of its employees as volunteers in civic and nonprofit organizations.
We welcome applications for complimentary ad space, gift subscriptions, books, and cash donations according to the guidelines listed below. We look forward to working with any organization that perpetuates the high quality of life that we all enjoy by living and working in the state of Maine and sharing its unique natural resources in a wise and responsible manner.
Corporate donations are an extension of the business ethics articulated by the Down East staff. To whit, Down East incorporates the following values in its daily operations and products:
* Honesty
* Modesty
* Integrity
* Individuality
* Simplicity
* High-quality
* Craftsmanship
* Inventiveness
* Ingenuity
* Resourcefulness
* Thrift
* Community Spirit
* Outdoor Ethic
* Quality of Life
* Quality of Environment
Organizations that reflect some or all of these values will be considered for donations. This way Down East ensures that its corporate giving is being used in a way consistent with its own corporate values.
Down East expects that any cash or barter donations will be made to organizations holding a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status with the IRS, or to local projects where no financial gain is being generated for the benefit of any specific individuals. Down East reserves the right to ask for proof of a recipient organization's 501(c)(3) status, in the form of a letter of exemption from the IRS.
Requests for donations from Down East should, when at all possible, be made in writing and addressed to: Corporate Giving, Down East, P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843. Please avoid phone calls. Allow up to six months for consideration by Down East. If the request is more immediate, please indicate the time frame as part of the request.
Once a request is submitted, an organization is asked to wait a full year before submitting another request to Down East. Only one request will be considered for a specific nonprofit organization during each calendar year.
The decisions of the Down East staff are final. Donation requests will be answered by mail or e-mail. Once you have received an answer to your request, out of respect for limited staff time, please do not appeal the decision. You are welcome to re-apply the following year.
Down East focuses the majority of its donations within the state of Maine due to the location of its corporate offices and the company's desire to impact the local communities where its employees reside.
Preference for donations of products (subscriptions, books, etc.), ad space, and/or cash will be given to organizations with which the employees of Down East have established affiliations, either through volunteer work or leadership involvement. Down East encourages its employees to participate in the worth-while work of nonprofit organizations locally and nationally. The company will support employees' affiliate organizations to the best of its ability.
When submitting a request to Down East for consideration, please include the following information to assist us in our decision.
* A brief history of the organization
* Mission statement
* Scope of impact in terms of numbers or area served
* Demographics of the population served by the organization
* Role of the organization within the local or state community
* Web site address for the organization, if applicable
* Board of Directors and/or key organizational leadership list
* Complete contact information for the organization, including e-mail address and phone.
* If the organization is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), please submit a copy of the IRS 501(c)(3) letter.
Although not essential, some consideration is given to the type and extent of exposure that Down East will garner through the affiliation with the organization to which it chooses to donate. For instance, if an event is applying for sponsorship, please include potential audience and anticipated media impressions, specifically:
* How many media mentions are expected, and where?
* If external publicity will be generated, what is the total number of impressions expected?
* How many people are expected to attend the event and see sponsors' information?
* Will brochures or programs be printed and, if so, how many?
* Will all materials contain sponsor information?
* How will materials be distributed?
* If posters or other promotional items are planned, please detail quantity and intended distribution.
* In general, what level of exposure should Down East expect for its sponsorship?
Recipient organizations to whom Down East contributes in any way (cash, barter, donated ad space, consulting, donations of time given by staff, or gifts, such as subscriptions and books) are asked to fully acknowledge Down East in a manner consistent with its brand promotion.
When Down East participates as a media sponsor for an event or project, it is preferred that Down East be featured as an exclusive media sponsor. If there is any question about the definition of the exclusivity among media sponsors, please clarify at the time of application by arranging a time to speak with the publisher and/or marketing manager or by corresponding via e-mail.
Sponsorship policy guidelines are articulated clearly in advance to all participating organizations to avoid confusion. This policy states how Down East should appear in the published credits.
The organization sponsored by Down East should offer a hotlink on its Web site to the relevant Down East Web site(s). Web listings should comply with logo specs as directed by Down East.
Down East reserves the right to promote its sponsorship or donation in the following ways:
* On its Web site, Down East will feature a page describing its involvement in the local and national communities and its affiliation with the recipient organizations.
* In its publications, Down East may use extra space to list the organizations it has given to in the past two years.
* Press releases distributed throughout New England will discuss Down East's involvement with the organizations it supports.
* Photos may be arranged featuring executives of Down East with representatives from the recipient organization.
* Press releases may detail Down East's involvement with barter arrangements, donated ad space, and other types of gifts. They may also feature involvement by Down East employees who serve as volunteers, as long as the employees consent to this publicity.
* The recipient organization's mission is likely to be quoted in press releases to establish Down East's affiliation with the mission, thereby generating goodwill within its potential markets.
* Where advertising space is donated, a small banner and/or logo may appear within or across the corner of the ad promoting the fact that Down East provided the space free of charge to the nonprofit organization. The manner in which this information is depicted is at the sole discretion of Down East staff. Organizations that have an established history of being featured in the publications free of charge will receive the same treatment for donated or bartered space as any new recipients. This means that no organization is grandfathered according to past use.
* If a receiving organization is creating posters, programs, flyers, or other promotional items related to an effort that Down East Enterprise Inc. has helped sponsor, the organization is asked to include the associated Down East brand's logo on all promotional materials wherever possible. In doing so, the organization is also asked to comply with the specifications that Down East employs in promoting its brands. Failure to feature Down East Enterprise Inc. on promotional materials may result in Down East ending its donor relationship with the organization in the future.
Down East Enterprise Inc. is proud to support the following organizations:
E-mail Sue Smith for more information [1]. [2]
Links:
[1] mailto:Sue Smith <ssmith@downeast.com>?subject=Sponsorship Proposals
[2] mailto:lhollins@downeast.com