I spend a lot of time speaking to businesses to secure donations of goods. Whether soliciting an in-kind donation of food for the opening party of your campaign office, or asking for donated space for an event, one of the biggest keys to success I've found is coming prepared. What's that mean?

If you're like most organizations, funds are tight. But you also want to host community events, such as happy hours or picnics, to engage your constituency. Here are some ideas on how you can both build great community relationships and get great donations to make your events the talk of the town.