Is there a cause that you, your employees, or your customers care a lot about? Do you wish you could involve your business somehow? One of the best ways to give back to the community is to partner with a like-minded nonprofit. This will not only raise awareness about an important issue, it will probably also give your business some good press.
Don’t know where to start? Here are a few ideas to steer you in the right direction:
1. Picking a cause
If you are passionate about a certain issue, then this is a great place to start. On the other hand, if you care about several issues, and are having a difficult time deciding which one to focus on, this could be a great opportunity to engage your staff and customers. Most people want to work for or contribute to something greater than themselves, and this could be a meaningful way to let your staff and customers influence the business.
2. Finding a nonprofit that aligns with your cause.
If you need help finding a like-minded nonprofit, try searching Charity Navigator.
3. Figuring out how you’ll work with the nonprofit.
There are many ways, large and small, that you can partner with charitable organizations.
- Donate your excess inventory. This is a true win-win situation. If your company often has excess inventory, it could be highly advantageous to find a nonprofit that could benefit from your extra supplies.
- Donate labor. Volunteering services is a wonderful way to help many nonprofits. Many are in need of not just program volunteers, but also administrative, HR, and communications assistance.
- Sponsor an event. Nonprofits often have public events, such as walks, movie screenings, galas, and golf outings. There are a variety of ways to donate to such events, and in turn, get some publicity for your business. You can donate a flat amount, place an ad, put your logo on low-cost items that donors can purchase for the charity, give them needed supplies, as well as other options.
- Co-create a branded cause marketing campaign. A cause marketing campaign is a cause-related campaign that a nonprofit and business partner to produce, and benefits each party. This effort takes the most time for both you and the nonprofit, but could yield the largest results: According to a 2013 Cone Communications/ Echo Global CSR Study, given comparable price and quality, 91% of consumers are likely to switch brands to one associated with a good cause.
For example
The Boston Strong Tee campaign helped victims of the Boston bombing last year. Two Emerson students made t-shirts through the business Ink to the People, which customizes shirts for campaigns, and donated the proceeds to One Fund Boston. They sold almost 60,000 shirts and raised almost one million dollars! If you have an important cause, creative idea, and product that people will want to buy, a cause campaign could be an important addition to your marketing strategy.
What causes are you passionate about? Share with us in the comments below.
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