Teach a Cause to Fish
To infuse passion into a cause, organizations can look to this classic adage for inspiration - “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” In the cause-related marketing space, we’re seeing this concept play out as some organizations offer not just philanthropic dollars and product tie-ins, but the actual tools and infrastructure needed to empower consumers to rally their own supporters for the cause.
Case in point is the recently launched Bisquick Pancake Nation (Cone client), which provides consumers with the tools they need to host a successful pancake breakfast in support of a cause. Bisquick bypassed the more traditional cause route (i.e., donating a portion of sales) and instead is offering a collection of resources to help the organizers of the nation’s many community pancake breakfasts plan, promote and execute successful events. The Web site offers everything from pancake recipes to signage templates and downloadable placemats. In addition, there are grants available for organizations to promote their events.
Other recent examples of “teach a cause to fish” include Macy’s holiday 2009 “Come+Together” campaign and Yahoo’s 2009 year-end “You In?” campaign. Macy’s approach encouraged consumers to host a dinner party and ask guests to donate money to Feeding America (Cone client) in lieu of the traditional hostess gift. In addition to matching any donations, Macy’s provided celebrity recipe ideas/meal plans, invitations and music ideas to create the perfect dinner party. Yahoo harnessed the power of consumers by asking users to commit to random acts of kindness and use the Yahoo network to post their good deeds and encourage others to do the same.
Empowering consumers to lead cause efforts encourages a deeper level of engagement with both the brand and the issue and a bigger impact in the communities where it’s most needed. When consumers have an active role in the program, they’ll be evangelists for your message and more likely to engage in future efforts, too.
Have you seen other examples of this approach? Please share!
Tags: newmedia corporategiving causebranding campaigns trends
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Guest Post: Driving Good Intentions to Greater Impact
The following is a guest post by a Cone client. Evan Hochberg directs Deloitte’s national Community Involvement program where he provides strategic direction for philanthropy, volunteerism, pro-bono and workplace giving.
It has been 10 months since the Serve America Act was passed into law. During that time, the tremendous buzz created by President Obama and others on the subject of service has been palpable. However, much of the discussion has been focused on driving numbers – volunteers and volunteer hours. Today, as the corporate giving community celebrates International Corporate Philanthropy Day, I encourage the corporate philanthropy and nonprofit communities to extend the service dialogue beyond transactional goals and metrics. If volunteerism is to be a powerful driver of social impact and business value, we must focus not just on more volunteers, but on more productive volunteering.
It is not enough to simply encourage our employees to volunteer, when volunteerism too often equates to unskilled labor. Nonprofits are sophisticated organizations and they need more from us. When it comes to impacting critical issues through volunteerism, we must remember that this is not an area where more volunteers necessarily equals greater impact. Volunteers are a means to making a positive contribution to society, but it's what these generous people do with their time that is really important. We must design volunteer efforts that can truly make an enduring difference. For example, at Deloitte, we have developed initiatives that harnesses and contributes the best thinking of our people, including our $50 million pro bono program, our Deloitte Center for Leadership and the Community, and many other skills-based volunteering programs. By sharing our personnel’s critical business skills and knowledge, we are able to deliver more valuable outcomes to the nonprofits with whom we work and to the communities that depend upon them.
Deloitte has also been proud to serve as a co-convener of Reimagining Service, a coalition of leaders from the government, nonprofit and corporate sectors who seek to increase the impact of volunteers and their ability to address our country’s most pressing social issues.
Too often, talented people with good intentions are given volunteer tasks that do not leverage their skills and knowledge. A key to our success as a service nation is not just getting people to care, but also helping them figure out how they can make the greatest difference, given their time, their skills and the pressing needs of the community.
- Evan Hochberg, National Director of Community Involvement, Deloitte Services LP
Tags: philanthropy research corporategiving
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Practical Tips for Selling Cause Partnerships to Corporate Sponsors
Cause sponsorship remains the fastest-growing slice of the sponsorship pie, projected to grow 6.1% in 2010, according to IEG. As a nonprofit, finding the support to keep your organization growing is more crucial than ever. No matter your size, now is an ideal time to tap into the power of cause marketing by aligning your organization with like-minded companies who see the strategic value of association with a cause. Here are a few tips for getting started on your selling journey:
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Create guidelines. While corporate partnerships are a proven method to grow revenue, expand relevance and enable program delivery, even more important is protecting your organization’s brand and reputation. Before you begin the selling process, convene the key stakeholders in your organization and come to consensus around what types of companies/industries you will and will not partner with. Put these decisions on paper and make a simple process for determining if new companies fit your standards moving forward.
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Recognize that it’s not just about the cause. Coming from a nonprofit background myself, I still find it hard to believe – but many companies won’t be sold on supporting your work simply because it is important or meaningful. While you should absolutely educate the company on the social benefit of your organization’s work, your primary job is to show sponsors that association with your work will positively impact their bottom line. A great resource for data to support your case is Cone’s Research and Insights page.
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Prepare to sell. Ensure that the program or package you’re selling has a specific target audience, multiple points of engagement and a built-in plan to measure success. Develop solid criteria and objectives about the types of organizations you want to work with, research which have a history of (or potential of) supporting cause programs and approach each with its own tailored opportunity.
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Find the right contact. Don’t overlook networking – you never know when your plumber’s cousin or mom’s best friend might be your ticket to that breakthrough meeting. If you don’t already know the right person, look first for contacts with marketing or brand responsibilities, (they typically have the promotions budget) and quickly identify if they have access to the tools that make things happen at your target company: decision-making authority, budget ownership or a weekly golf date with the CEO.
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Know their WIIFM (“what’s in it for me?”). Do detailed research on a prospective partner before the first meeting. Tailor your pitch to their needs and share initial ideas of what you envision a partnership becoming. Be clear about the benefits they will receive as a sponsor and show how their key audiences will engage with the program, and by extension, their brand.
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Close the deal. Don’t let the “ask” linger. Set out a timeline by which you need a decision. Simply ask – what would it take for you to say YES to this opportunity?
And always remember – love your sponsors! No matter what organization you represent – the sponsor is taking a risk by committing to a partnership. Recognize this and delight them with your attention and recognition and you’ll be on the road to creating a true partnership.
- Emily Nichols, Account Supervisor
Tags: corporategiving corporatepartnerships causebranding charity donation
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The Giving Climate Unveiled
With all the chatter about the ups and downs of charitable giving during the down economy, it’s refreshing to hear some definitive - and positive - news. According to the 2009 Giving in Numbers Report, released this week by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP), corporate giving was actually up during 2007-2008, despite worries that corporations would back down from charitable commitments as the economic turmoil raged in the second half of the year. What’s more, the data show that companies got creative when the economy started to sink, opting for pro bono work and skills-based volunteerism instead of simply backing down from their social commitments. In fact, the Wall Street Journal this week profiled how four chief executives at leading companies are rethinking their philanthropic strategies.
Other key findings from the CECP report include:
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A majority (51%) of companies surveyed increased giving from 2007 to 2008 despite 68 percent experiencing profit declines
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Among Fortune 100 companies, who experienced greater-than-average profit declines, 60 percent increased giving from 2007 to 2008
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Of companies surveyed, a full 91 percent report having an employee matching-gift program
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Ninety-four percent of survey respondents have at least one formal domestic volunteerism program and 49 percent of respondents have at least one formal international volunteer program
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The median number of pro bono time donated was 1,080 hours by companies that reported having such programs
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Consistent with past years, 86 percent of companies report having a corporate foundation
To download the full report for free, visit CECP’s Web site.
Tags: Volunteer charity economy donation philanthropy corporategiving research
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The Power of Positivity
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is taking a results-driven approach to promoting American investments in global health efforts by releasing an advertisement centered on impact. The video, part of the Living Proof Project, will strike a chord with policy-makers, philanthropists and citizens alike not by centering on unmet need, but by highlighting true and measureable change: “Polio cases reduced by 99%;” “Mother-to-child HIV prevention in 16 million pregnancies;” “Malaria cases down 50% in 29 countries.” This approach instills confidence that funding saves lives.
Aimed at policymakers to sway additional funding, the positive message will reach stakeholders beyond those already engaged with the project. The Gates Foundation hopes the commercial, and specifically the measured results, will encourage grant makers and individual philanthropists to give where it counts. As Bill Gates points out, “We see that these things are working, and we’re willing to continue to make investments. I think then other people say, Okay, it must be working or people wouldn’t put their own money into it.”
Additional messages on the project’s Web site encourage advocates to pass along the positive thinking and to “Dispel the myths. When you hear someone say ‘It’s just money down a hole,’ or ‘Saving lives just leads to overpopulation,’ tell them why they’re wrong. These investments work. They empower people, and they’re appreciated."
In the bevy of important social and environmental issues that ask stakeholders for financial support every day, programs that show impact are in high demand. The pressure is now on nonprofits to show the ROI.
Tags: advocacy corporategiving philanthropy roi nonprofitcausebranding global nonprofit
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Making a (Collective) Difference
It’s the little things that count - when you add up the small efforts of many, they can create real change. As consumers, we adopt simple behaviors that can make a collective difference; turn off the faucet, pick up a piece of trash, buy a product that donates to a cause, recycle a soda can. When times are tough and cash donations are in short supply, how can companies adopt this concept to make a difference in society?
While cash remains critical to any nonprofit’s ability to fulfill its mission, this recession has led to innovative examples of companies leveraging assets, beyond cash, to solve social problems. Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University notes that many companies wanting to conserve cash have shifted from financial donations to in-kind contributions – taking a little and making it into something bigger.
Some companies offer employees a few hours time to volunteer for nonprofits, which combined can amount to hundreds of hours in professional services otherwise unaffordable. Others are donating new or unused materials that meet the needs of nonprofits, which when taken collectively can have big results.
In an interesting new approach to in-kind, a group of airline financiers has established a program called ISTAT AirLink that allows easy donation of unreserved airline seats and cargo space to causes who need to get volunteers and supplies abroad. The program brings together several airline carriers with excess space, offering valuable resources to nonprofit organizations.
A key part of this program’s success is the centralized organization, which allows aid agencies to list people, medicine and supplies they need shipped on a Web site, and permits airlines to post spare seats or cargo space. The result; nonprofits get people and resources on the ground, and companies are able to put to harness space which would otherwise be vacant. There is small added investment for the airline – extra cargo handling or passenger service – but the benefit to the nonprofit is huge. As airline financier and founding member Bob Brown notes, "If we can save an NGO a dollar in cost, that should flow right through to the people they're serving."
What excess capacity does your organization hold, and how can it be put to use for the greater good?
Tags: Volunteer charity trends economy donation corporategiving nonprofit sharedresponsibility
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Employee Giving: Flexible, Meet Focused
Attention employers: your employees need some focus. OK, maybe not news to you, but we’re not talking about the memo that should have been done last week (hardly our business!). We’re referring to your employees’ company-supported charitable giving.
At a time when many companies are moving toward more focused corporate philanthropy, fewer may be tapping an underutilized resource – their employee giving programs. More strategic employee giving can provide a number of benefits for the company, its staff and the nonprofit beneficiaries, and like its name (“strategic choice employee giving”) implies, it can be both focused and flexible.
To learn about strategic choice employee giving and the role it plays in a focused corporate philanthropy program, download Cone’s latest insight, “Corporate Philanthropy: Are Your Employees Working Hard Enough?” and read on… Then take a moment to participate in our poll question on this topic to the right.
Tags: philanthropy corporategiving employees
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The First National Day of Service and Remembrance
If there is an upside to the economic turmoil that’s plagued 2009, it is that it has renewed Americans’ spirit of service to others. And the icing on the giving-back cake is that, as part of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, September 11 is now recognized as the annual National Day of Service and Remembrance. A date already engraved in the memories of Americans, September 11 is well-suited for a day of service, to remember those lost and to celebrate those who volunteered time and even risked their lives to save others during the tragedy of 2001.
Photo credit: http://image.guardian.co.uk
However, the national call-to-service is not only aimed at individuals. It is also motivation for businesses and organizations to address the needs of the communities where they operate. Many organizations have already responded, establishing programs that motivate employees to roll up their sleeves and get to work for their neighbors.
To spur the business community’s involvement in economic recovery, the U.S. Chamber’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) created a collaborative campaign called “Together For Recovery.” And today, the BCLC is featuring various community service projects that companies are undertaking to celebrate the first annual National Day of Service and Remembrance. To name a few:
- IBM employees will volunteer in Washington, D.C., making quilts for children of deployed service members with Greater DC Cares.
- GlaxoSmithKline will host an employee volunteer project in the Harlem Children's Zone, during which GSK employees will lead class discussions with school children about H1N1 prevention and other healthy lifestyle topics.
- Hasbro’s employee volunteers will come together to assemble much-needed kits for two worthy organizations – World Vision and Birthday Wishes.
Although ranging in sector and scale, these organizations can serve as inspiration for others to come together for social good. When businesses or organizations encourage volunteerism, individual contributions can be elevated to an effective, collective effort for change. Are you doing something special to celebrate this day of service? Tell us about it by leaving a comment.
Tags: employees september11 corporateresponsibility currentevents corporategiving
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Utilizing New Currencies for Cause
In Cone’s recent nonprofit brand report, we encouraged organizations to consider adopting “New Currencies” as an essential element to help boost their brands. These alternative forms of philanthropy include non-cash support such as in-kind donations, pro bono service and skilled volunteerism. Every organization needs dollars-in-hand to fulfill its mission, but when the financial resources of companies and consumers are dwindling, savvy nonprofits recognize the value to be found in more creative tender. These currencies allow organizations to expand the scope of sponsorships and engagement opportunities, and foster relationships even when traditional financial contributions are waning. At a time when the nation is flush with volunteers – according to a new study from the Corporation for National and Community Service, Americans donated 8 billion hours of volunteer time in 2008 – this trend likely won’t reverse even when the economy recovers.
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University found these philanthropy vehicles to resonate particularly well with Gen X donors. Citizens in their 20s and 30s are more interested in social advocacy and engagement philanthropy and are more likely to want to work directly with organizations instead of just donating money.
The future landscape of philanthropy will include the next generation of not only high net-worth donors, but high-engagement contributors who want to offer their skills and engage in a more meaningful way. As this shift occurs, nonprofits will need to prepare to accommodate this influx, including establishing the necessary space, guidance and structure for eager volunteers, a challenge many organizations are already experiencing. Yet, for this effort comes the reward: the valuable assets skilled volunteers can provide include legal advice, IT support and consulting services, to name a few.
Tags: nonprofitpowerbrand100 corporategiving economy research donation
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Chronicle’s 2009 Corporate Giving Survey
Corporate giving in 2009 may not be quite as dire as anticipated. According to a new survey from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, about half of responding companies said they would maintain roughly the same giving levels in 2009 as they did last year.
The Chronicle study (premium login required) on the state of corporate philanthropy is composed of corporate giving data from 108 of America’s largest companies. It’s chock full of useful data and information that address some of the most common questions among cause marketers and those interested in corporate giving trends.
A few key findings the Chronicle reported:
• 2009 Predictions: Of the 96 companies that provided predictions about how much they would donate in cash and products this year, 51 said the amount would stay roughly the same as in 2008, 15 expected it to decline and five said it would grow.
• 2008 Giving: The survey found that despite the gloomy outlook, cash giving among big companies grew in 2008. Of the 71 companies that provided data for 2007 and 2008, cash donations rose from $3.6-billion to $3.9-billion, a 9-percent increase — or about 5 percent when adjusted for inflation.
• Biggest Givers (cash & in-kind): When both cash and products are counted, the computer software company Oracle gave the most in 2008 ($2.1-billion), followed by Pfizer ($1.9-billion) and Merck & Company ($821-million). Product giving makes up most of corporate philanthropy, accounting for 66 percent of what the companies in the survey donated in 2008.
• Biggest Givers (cash): Among cash contributors, Wal-Mart led the pack, awarding $320.5-million, an increase of almost $20-million over 2007. The second and third largest cash donors were Bank of America ($226-million) and Exxon Mobil Corporation ($188-million).
• 1% Rule: Businesses awarded a median of 1 percent of their 2007 pretax profits to charity in 2008. This represented a decline from last year, when they donated 1.4 percent of their profits.
• Matching Gifts: Ten companies have reduced or cut their employee matching-gift program.
• Business Alignment: The results also show that companies are becoming increasingly strategic with their giving, often focusing on basic human needs and decreasing giving to arts, culture and capital campaigns. The article discusses giving among financial and automotive companies, as well, given the stress these industries are under.
Tags: corporategiving
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