Betty L. Campbell - Symbiotic Business: How Nonprofits and For-Profits Can Change the World Together

Symbiotic Business: How Nonprofits and For-Profits Can Change the World Together
Copyright 2022 by Betty L. Campbell

Published by
Legacy Layne Publishing
Hillsboro, Oregon

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review.

Edited by Tammy Moore
Book design by Veronica Yager, YellowStudios
Author headshot by Gochenour Photography

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7378121-0-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021917701

Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to my family, who stood by me from my early writing years through the delivery of my first book.

I also would like to acknowledge David Josephson, who taught me about the importance of networking, and who left me with the words,If someone hands you the mic, take it.ringing in my memory.

I must also tip my hat to my coaches, Darcey Edwards, an incredible coach, mentor and inspiration, and Richard Zielke, who combines the nonprofit and for-profit worlds in an amazing and professional manner.

When my good friend, Betty Campbell, asked me to write this foreword, I was honored. We have had many conversations about the foundational value all business must have: positive relationships. In this small volume, she has compiled information that not only describes the symbiotic relationship between the for-profit and the nonprofit worlds, but she has gone the next step in providing hands-on suggestions for both. I wish I had this book to guide me when I was an executive director of a nonprofit serving families who were homeless during the recession of the 1980s. It would have saved me a lot of head and heartache as well as provided wisdom I sorely needed.

I learned from those early mistakes, being fortunate to have had mentors who picked me up and helped move on to my current position as a business coach. I now work with new start-up businesses and within the nonprofit world as well, being on the Executive Committee of Nehemiah E-Community. I have watched Betty lead Xpose Hope over the past few years, but more import-antly, I have watched her give back to her community in the form of the All About Business and All About(various cities in our region) groups. In Symbiotic Business you will find that Betty draws from her own business experience as well as her experience leading a nonprofit to give us a full understanding of the symbiotic relationship: how businesses can give back to their communities and why they should; and how nonprofits need to be visible in the business community, not just to seek donors but to gain the visibility necessary to draw their volunteers with like-passioned people, develop mutual referral relationships, and support for their own organizational needs.

As you have opened this book, you have some interest in either furthering your companys involvement in your community or are trying to figure out how to be a nonprofit presence in your community. You will find in these pages helpful suggestions to fulfill both of those inquiries. And after she gives us that information, she presents a challenge for us, for-profit and nonprofit businesses, to dream big together. Who knows what those relationships are going to produce?

Richard Zielke
Zielke Coaching Solutions
& Nehemiah E-Community

For-profit business and nonprofits are both businesses. Both keep a balance sheet. Both employ people. Both add diversity and function to the community. They often use one another; the nonprofit approaching businesses for donations and the for-profit model using their donations to gain tax advantages. But there can be so much morethat much more is relationship.

There are more than 1.3 million charitable nonprofits in the United States. They help our communities and they help fulfill our dreams in the hope of helping others. The premise is more than giving and taking; they bring us together to serve.

Nonprofits are everywhere they are part of us. But we dont think of some of these organizations as charities. Churches, the YMCA, many hospitals, youth organizations, many of our community service agencies, most zoos, many education institutions, are not-for-profit!

As a consumer, much buying power is within the nonprofit pocketbook. Every nonprofit utilizes numerous businesses in their community just to accomplish their mission. Employment agencies, bookkeepers, toilet paper vendors, and automotive repair companies benefit from the existence of nonprofits. Yes, charities impact our economy positively, in the same way for-profit businesses have changed our society. Our human experience has been changed because someone dared to ask what if, and created a new product or service. The computer Im using to write this volume is an example. A foldable kayak was invented because getting a kayak off the roof of a vehicle is too difficult for some people. The LED light has changed the way we light our homes and businesses. Innovation continues to push us forward.

So how do for-profit and nonprofit businesses move and merge in society together? We need innovation, and we need to believe that we can change the world for the better.

Our relationship is truly symbiotic. We need one another. Businesses that give attract the public by showing that they care. While helping other people, they lessen tax liability. When they give, they can help humanity move forward.

Nonprofits benefit from receiving the advice and wisdom from businesses who are outside in order to grow. They are greatly helped with financial donations and connections to multiple resources with people who care. They need to be seen.

This type of investment in one another can be considered relationship equity. If you have built up a lot of collateral in advance, other members of the community will invest back into you and into your business.

By working together to support and invest in each other, for-profit and not-for-profit ventures can grow together. We can change the world in so many ways, together. Tomorrow can be one of putting all of our pieces of time, treasure and talent on the table to make one spectacular puzzle.

Think of giving not as a duty, but as a privilege.

John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Melissa Blackburne owns Sparkling Perfection House Cleaning. Shes been at it a few years, and the business is growing. Her staffing needs have increased, and she considers herself a community-minded business.

I give a lotin fact, I have had to tighten up our pricing structure. My heart goes out to people, and I often discount when I shouldnt.

Its easy to find ourselves giving extensively, but questioning if we are making an impact on the world around us. Giving is so important, in fact, it has been the theme of multiple business books and manuals. One of the largest networking organizations in the world, BNI, uses the tagline Givers Gain. A very well-known book called The Go-Giver became so popular that it spawned an educational series for high schools, and at least four other volumes!