The Voice of the Wine Industry
How to deal with wine donation requests
One of my main objectives for 2009 is to get the word out about my very new winery. The few magazine/newspaper/internet ads I've tried produced disappointing results to say the least. I see a better "return" to sponsoring events or donations to non-profit organizations. However, I'm becoming overwhelmed with requests. I'm amazed at the number of requests that I'm receiving to donate wine to charity/fund raising events. This week alone I received five requests. Everything from a single bottle of wine to all out cases. Some want the wine just donated... others want me to pour it at the event. It's difficult to say "no" to the majority of these people who are doing incredible things to help up people who need help. I'm trying to judge each request individually, but I may run out of wine to sell...
My question is: how do wineries deal with this? Do you have some sort of policy implemented in writing?
For now I've put together a request form to hand out to people making these requests for two reasons. 1. So that I can keep track of all the requests. 2. So that people can at least explain in writing why I should donate.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Thanks,
Marco
Views: 60
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jon Bjork on -
At one winery I used to manage, we got so many requests it was ridiculous. Some of the requests were from organizations that were probably not non-profits. I had a few two-packs of wine that I had built up to be "donation packs." The wine wasn't our best, but it wasn't bad either - mostly older vintages that were slow moving. I refused to pay shipping to get donation wine out. They had to pick it up. There wasn't much of a barrier to them getting the wine. I just said, "The wine is worth $X. Please send me a letter on your non-profit letterhead for my accounting dept. and it's yours."
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Permalink Reply by Robert Sobon on -
Have a plan. What are your favorite causes? Children, schools, environment, medical issues,... Think about the local inpact. Does it really help to support a athletic program in Fresno? You may think its good PR or marketing, but an event of 200-300 many not wine drinkers...? Limit regional events. 1 per month/2 months in a given area. Don't let an empathetic heart over rule your business mind. Don't give away the store.
Tastings at least allow you to speak for your product, but if you are small and unknown amongst 100 other wineries what is to gain. We will do some of the bigger benefit tastings every other year. Create an evaluation form for each event.
Create a regular item. Do several cases of magnums of a low-mid range wine and have them signed. Cost is not too bad, or create Gift certificates with a display bottle, get the person in your door and a large percent are never redeemed.
We require all requests in writting with details on the Non-Profit. Make sure they are a 501-C3. Gets you out of a few. Remember no Raffles, game of chance not allowed.
We don't think you have to spend the time replying to every request. Especially when you start to get 30-50 a month. This takes a lot of a secretary's or your time.
Hope this helps,
Robert
Sobon Estate & Shenandoah Vineyards
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Permalink Reply by Nicole Bacigalupi on -
When we first started out as a winery in 2002 we would get a lot of donation requests too. My solution was to focus on one type of charity and make it a company policy that we only donate to this type of charity. Our winemaker and also my cousin's mother died of cancer so we chose as a family and a winery to just donate to cancer related issues. This way when other associations call your not really saying no, your just sticking with the policy of the company.
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Permalink Reply by Marco Montez on -
I like this... I might have to implement this sometime really soon.
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Permalink Reply by Marco Montez on
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Jon and Robert,
Thanks for your feedback... much appreciated.
Marco
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Permalink Reply by Dave Winters on -
Try this. Tell them all to write you a letter and it then goes into a big bag. Once or twice a year you pull 5 or 10 letters from the bag and those are the folks that get the wine. Makes everyone plan ahead and do a little work to get your product and also gives everyone a fair shot at getting the wine.
Beyond that, give to the ones that make sense and pour at events that will hit your demographic target.
You will never be all things to all people, so be true to yourself and your business.
Dave
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Permalink Reply by Marco Montez on
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Not a bad suggestion either, but I'm guessing that I would upset a lot of people :-) You are right though, in business you can't satisfy every single person.
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Permalink Reply by Sandra Rex on
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We've not had a very clear policy though for events, we've decided to pour at only wine-focused events, not big parties where they are there for other reasons and don't care what they are drinking. I like the idea of having a 2 pak and the idea of generally limiting to specific charities.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Natan on -
I get a lot of requests for donations as well and so am putting a box on my contact page of the website that will explain the policy it has now taken me a couple of years to develop. Here are the things I've found we had to decide:
1) set a monthly limit on donations (six bottles, 12 bottles, etc)
2) have people e-mail requests, including details about the organization. I also insist that they be able to send me their 501c3 papers.
3) a random drawing once a month for all requests received that month
4) charities must be local
5) if not local, then for a national organization it has to fit into a specific category (e.g. enviros)
I have found that you get a lot more business donating tastings for charity auctions than giving wine for events, you get a lot more potential customers. But donating wine for events is a good way to move some bottles that aren't selling too.
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