Estimating Mission Impact for Gift-In-Kind Donations

Introduction

World Vision

World Vision World Vision (WV) is a Christian relief and development organization working with children, families, and communities worldwide to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice; every child deserves to live life to its fullest potential, and healthy educated children have a better chance of improving the future of their entire communities.

Part of WV’s strategy is to use corporate gifts-in-kind (GIK)—new firstquality products donated by corporations—in its development projects and emergency responses. Although the products are donated, the logistics and transportation costs are paid by WV. Thus, WV is constantly working to improve its supply chain efficiency.

However, unlike corporate supply chains, the goal is not to deliver the desired products on time at the lowest logistics cost but to efficiently deliver items that align closely with the goals of its programs. One area where WV sees an opportunity for improvement is in the process of deciding whether to accept an offered donation. Because of a limited budget for transportation costs, WV cannot accept everything offered. Tim Covell, World Vision International’s Supply Chain Director for Corporate Engagement, posed the question of developing a model to guide accept/decline decisions. These decisions need to consider how the product aligns with WV’s mission, the current needs ofWVprograms, transportation and other costs, WV budget constraints, and possibly WV’s strategic relationship with the donor.