I’ve got a bone to pick with some of my fellow entrepreneurs. File this under friendly advice from a colleague who’s been there.
A few days back a second or third FTE at a startup called the head of a small nonprofit. To ask for help. He got it. Then, appropriately and predictably, the nonprofit head asked if he or his organization would consider making a donation to the nonprofit, which is dedicated to advancing the field the company is entering. The response was, to paraphrase: "We love and respect what you do but are not in a position to donate right now."
This is particularly true in biopharma, where there are as many struggling nonprofits as there are diseases, and their staffs know more about the disease, and have more connections within the particular patient and provider communities, and are more motivated to help than anyone.
Apparently this happens all the time. Newcos think nothing of calling for advice or input or for background or to bounce ideas or whatever. They extract whatever benefit they can, then pat the nonprofit on the head and hang up.
That. Is. Unacceptable.
I know what it's like to bootstrap, and I get that writing a big check to charity is not a priority. What to do?
Write a small one.
$10, $20, $50. Put it on your own credit card if you have to. Anything is better than nothing. Most nonprofits are in perpetual bootstrapping mode. Their staffs work as hard as you do. If someone at a small nonprofit drops everything to help you, return the favor.
Any level of support means a hell of a lot more than nothing.
