This is the first full day of fall. If you are in charge of marketing, you know that very soon you will be getting year-end giving requests from all kinds of charitable organizations. These types of requests typically get tossed to the marketing department to handle. Is there any marketing value to them or are you simply throwing good marketing dollars after a feel-good moment that has no pay back?

There can be a big benefit to your charitable efforts if you market it correctly. But before you say yes to the first person who calls you asking for a year-end gift, there are certain marketing boxes the charity should check for your business.

First of all, does it fit your brand? There are all sorts of causes. Many are good and some are questionable. Make sure your giving reflects the image of your corporate brand. For instance, if you want to give to causes that help children, giving to the local kids club – sports, Scouts, or anything that had a positive influence on children might be a fit for you. If you wanted to drill down a bit further and give to causes that help children with literacy, you might want to pass on all the sports-related charities and find one that engages elementary students in reading.

There is another consideration before you jump onboard with a charity: does it fit with your customers’ point of view? We are living in a day of strong opinions and loud expressions – and charities are often the target. Too many businesses have found themselves cornered by charitable groups whose philosophies run counter to those of their customer base – and it has cost them. Understand what the charity stands for and understand what your customers believe. Don’t let what you approve of become the undoing of your customer base.

If the charity passes muster, can you champion it? Is the charity offering any kind of corporate sponsorship where your name is attached to their fundraising efforts? If so, this can have all kinds of marketing value for you. Here is the rule in marketing sponsorships: if you can own it, do it! If you are one of a thousand other businesses involved, reconsider unless there is a way to distinguish your brand above the others.

Maybe you don’t want to give on a corporate sponsorship level. Are there other ways you can get a marketing bounce out of your charitable gift? Check to see if the charity will allow you to post something about your gift on your social media pages and your website. Turn your own giving into a press release, blog or photo op. Many charities will put your company’s logo on their site. If they do, ask if you could have it link back to a page on your own website that talks about your gift to the charity.

For many corporations, their involvement with a charity reaches beyond a monetary gift. Can your employees be involved beyond giving money? Many charities are looking for volunteers to help them do a myriad of tasks, including sitting on their boards, helping them reach people, giving service time to help with their cause. You might find that this has its greatest impact on your charitable gift giving, for if you can get the buy in of your employees, they will also help expand your charitable reach. In that way, everyone in your company is involved in marketing.

The season of charity is upon us from now until the end of the year. Make the most of it through your marketing.