Article at a glance:
Can nonprofits afford to look a gift horse in the mouth? Sometimes they can't afford not to: under the wrong circumstances, it can cost an organization more to accept an in-kind donation than to buy a substitute. But how can nonprofits gracefully explain that to largehearted corporate donors?
The take-away
Nonprofit organizations should create mutually beneficial partnerships with their corporate donors and have frank discussions about what is needed and when. By considering the total cost of ownership of donations, including such variables as transport and repairs, nonprofits could know when to accept them and when to say "no thanks."