Businesses and Corporations
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Become A Corporate Sponsor
Corporate Sponsorship
Corporations no longer view sponsorship strictly as an altruistic gift to a nonprofit organization. It is an opportunity to market the company or product directly to an organization's constituency, so this can be a strategic as-well-as charitable decision. Corporate sponsorship offers businesses a variety of ways to reach out to their target audiences while receiving corporate recognition for having a positive impact in the community. To get an idea of sponsorship levels available, look at the websites of profiled on 501Connect (profiles include a link to the organization website).
Give Through Pro Bono Work
Use your professional expertise in areas like marketing, human resources, design, technology or management to strengthen your community.
Help a deserving nonprofit achieve sustainable results by using your existing skills.
If starting a pro bono program is something your organization is considering, you can get information from experienced program designers at organizations like . Taproot has an extensive library of tools and resources, including a blueprint for building a successful pro bono program.
Partner With A Charity In A Cause Marketing Campaign
Cause marketing or cause-related marketing refers to a type of marketing involving the cooperative efforts of a "for profit" business and a nonprofit organization for mutual benefit.
According to cause-marketing consultant , cause-related marketing (CRM) is a mutually beneficial collaboration between a corporation and a nonprofit in which their respective assets are combined to:
• create shareholder and social value
• connect with a range of constituents (be they consumers, employees, or suppliers)
• communicate the shared values of both organizations
Cause-related marketing is a powerful marketing tool that businesses and nonprofit organizations are increasingly leveraging. The benefits for nonprofits include an increased ability to promote the organization's cause via the business' resources. The benefits for business include positive public relations, improved customer relations, and additional marketing opportunities.
According to a study by Cone, 89% of Americans would switch from one brand to another brand of a comparable product if the latter brand was associated with a "good cause". The same study also indicated that a significant percentage surveyed would prefer to work for a company that was considered socially responsible.
Cause marketing can be carried out in numerous ways, including: Local partnerships; Product, service, or transaction specific;
Promotion of a common message; Product endorsements; Employee volunteer programs.
One example of cause-marketing would be the partnership of Yoplait's "Save Lids to Save Lives" campaign in support of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The company packages specific products with a pink lid that consumers turn in, and in turn Yoplait donates 10 cents for each lid.
Other examples of cause-related marketing programs include:
• Requests for small donations for charities at the supermarket checkout
• Public awareness campaigns for breast cancer, heart disease, and other causes
• Licensing of well-known charity trademarks and logos
For more information or help getting started:
Located in Chesterfield, Missouri, consults with organizations interested in implementing cause marketing campaigns. Steve Drake, president of SCD Group Inc., is a regular contributor to 5O1Connect Nonprofit News writing on the topic of Cause Marketing. Read Steve's three-part series on Building A Local Cause Marketing Campaign , and . Steve also writes a weekly piece, , located in the Resource Roundup news section. You can request a copy of Steve Drakes Cause Marketing Power Point presentation by emailing [steve (at) scdgroup.net].
Incite is a social impact marketing firm that uses marketing for good. Contributing 501Connect writer, Libby Nolan, leads their efforts in St. Louis and Missouri. Deeply rooted in the media industry, Incite maximizes earned relationships with target audiences to connect people with resources that drive positive change using local media and grassroots activation. Incite has offices in New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Austin.
and Joanna MacDonald are the team behind the cause marketing success of Boston Medical Center, and the creators of . Six Figure Cause Marketing is an online training program designed specifically for local and regional organizations that takes you from start to finish in creating and executing successful cause marketing campaigns.
Start An Employee Volunteer Program
Everyone stands to gain from promoting volunteerism in the workplace.
There are benefits for those who volunteer, for the companies that support employee volunteerism, for the organizations that have access to these volunteers and for the broader community.
Recognizing and supporting an employees personal community service commitments is important, but companies can go a step further by developing organizationally-supported employee volunteer programs.
Going beyond financial donations and in-kind support, an area of interest to companies these days is Employee Volunteer Programs (EVPs). EVPs allow companies a more active role in the local community by sharing their human resources with organizations in need. In return for this help, companies benefit with more productive and satisfied employees, an improved standing in the community, and a better bottom line.
Some of the Benefits to Employees
• increased pride, better morale and job satisfaction
• sense of fulfillment, contributing to community
• provides leadership and teamwork activites
• learning new skills to enhance career, personal development, career growth
• networking opportunities
• increased community awareness
Some of the Benefits to the Company
Research shows that one of the most effective methods of enhancing a corporations public image is through the contributions of time and talent from employees. Companies reap many benefits from employee volunteer efforts including:
• improved relations with the community
• enhanced corporate image and reputation (socially responsible corporate image)
• a positive impact on employee morale, stronger employee commitment
• a healthier economic and social environment
• increased ability to attract and retain high-quality employees
• increased trust and loyalty among consumers
Below are some resources available to help your company get started in creating a successful Employee Volunteer Program:
Corporate Matching Gifts Program
Matching Gifts is an important employee benefit that supports company employees and retirees in their personal philanthropy and fundraising efforts.
Matching gifts start with a contribution from an employee or other eligible individual, like a spouse or retiree.
When made to an eligible organization, the gift is matched by the corporation. Current match ratios vary widely with some corporations matching employee gifts one-to-one, while other organizations may match up to five times the employee contribution. Programs have also become more flexible in recent years, in some cases matching time with a monetary contribution.
For information on how to start and administer a Corporate Matching Gifts Program, see the following publications:
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