filter by tag: donations

February 3, 2012 at 10:15 AM by Research & Insights

There's no question social media has become the great equalizer of our time – amplifying the messages of individuals, small organizations, grassroots movements and activist minorities that otherwise may not have had a voice. Through social media, people have banded together to create calls to action, solve for tough social problems and help direct corporate philanthropy. Yet even in today's wired world, sometimes there is still no replacement for the power of advertising – crowdsourced, of course.

 

 

LoudSauce is the first crowdsourced media buying platform, which helps small social ventures, nonprofits or individuals amplify their messages in a way that was once reserved for bigger brands with even bigger budgets. By rallying supporters through an online crowd funding platform, LoudSauce raises enough funds to purchase TV, billboard, radio, print or online ads that were originally out of reach for smaller organizations. In one case, 259 individuals joined forces to help a local nonprofit, Uniting NC, fund three digital billboards in North Carolina to promote religious and cultural tolerance across the state. In another example, censored Canadian environmental artist Franke James found support in just 55 funders, who raised funds to line bus shelters with ads, seen by over 1 million Ottawans, to raise awareness for her plight.

With this innovative fusion of social media crowdsourcing and traditional media advertising, no longer are Facebook and Twitter the only marketing channels at the disposal of smaller causes. These groups too can put a "CMO" to work for their cause – a crowdsourced marketing opportunity.

Tags: marketing cause donations crowdfunding crowdsourcing

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January 26, 2012 at 4:34 PM by Research & Insights

While charitable giving is finally back on the rise, so too are the pressures facing nonprofits in appealing to corporate partners. Gone are the days of writing checks to the CEO's favorite "pet" charity, as companies look deeper into the business case for philanthropy. Two new studies released this week demonstrate that employee engagement and ROI from product donations are often key drivers in determining which nonprofit organization to support.

 

 

A recent study by Forbes Insights found that 72 percent of the 311 global senior executives surveyed said they primarily donate to charities that also allow their employees to volunteer. Moreover, respondents cited that in addition to social benefits, the top two goals behind philanthropy and community involvement programs are employee motivation and increased skills/leadership. In the case of MasterCard, sending employees to volunteer with Grameen Foundation in Colombia gave staff on-the-ground experience in microfinance and mobile technology, as well as a new perspective of the financial reality of people across the globe. Employees returned armed with new skills to make a difference in their own communities.

Another recent report released from Indiana University examined the business case for product philanthropy. The report found that beyond environmental and social benefits, there is actual return on investment in donating excess inventory instead of liquidating or destroying it. Nonprofits are already cropping up to fill this need, including Good360, an online product donation platform used by some of the world's biggest brands.

While companies may be writing new rules for corporate philanthropy, nonprofits can come to the table prepared. Nonprofits can look to create a diverse spectrum of employee engagement opportunities from company-wide days of service for broad participation to leadership skills-based volunteering. Organizations that work to create sought-after business case metrics for corporate philanthropy will take the lead. While these pressures may be difficult for many nonprofits to manage in the short-term, the end result is strong corporate partnerships, a new group of ambassadors and enhanced capacity for greater social impact.

Tags: philanthropy product employees corporate donations giving

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April 15, 2011 at 12:26 PM by Sarah Kerkian

Move over SMS and QR, there’s a new acronym in the giving game – ATM. That’s right, the old automatic teller machine may have a new life as a powerful channel for consumer philanthropy.

 

 

Since March 14, a “Donate to Charity” button on Wells Fargo ATMs has raised $1.5 million for the American Red Cross for disaster relief in Japan. The month-long program is believed to be the first national effort by an American bank to solicit ATM donations. The campaign may owe its success, in part, to its simplicity. The program is flexible, allowing consumers to donate any amount from one cent up to $249.99, and each ATM automatically prints a tax receipt for the donation. But what really differentiates the effort from other giving applications today is there is no overhead or transaction fee – 100 percent of every donation goes directly to the Red Cross. Wells Fargo is also chipping in $500,000 of its own, as well as matching employee contributions up to $500,000.

 

Unfortunately, the effort ends today, but we hope Wells Fargo and its competitors pick up where this campaign leaves off. What could be better on an ATM than these words: “In lieu of a $2.00 fee, would you like to make a donation to charity?” Now that you could take to the bank.

Tags: AmericanRedCross corporategiving donations Japan disasters philanthropy

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