Q&A: Hints on getting corporate donations for charity events

Q: I asked one of our vendors to be a golf tournament sponsor for a charitable organization. I was told "no" and wondered why. What can I do to have better luck next time?

Be sure to clarify the vendor's policies and practices for charitable giving. Perhaps the vendor administers this sort of donations on a regional or national basis. Further, it's always possible that, from the vendor's perspective, giving to a golf tournament isn't deemed as favorable as an outright donation to one of the charity's missions.

Send your money management questions to [email protected] (please include your regular postal address). Answers to our readers' questions were provided by Steve Austin (left), executive vice president of Commerce Bank in Tulsa, Oklahoma.