Newsletter: How to Host a Shopping Day Fundraiser 🛍 ; Crayola Launches a Cause-Related Flower Business 💐 ; Are Corporations Really Committed to Ending Childhood Hunger? 🤔
I'M BACK!
What a trip! The sites! The pesto! The gelato! 🍨😋 Northern Italy was a-mazing, gang. 😋🍝🍷🍨
Still, I'm happy to be back home and writing today.
And today is extra special because IT'S ALSO MY BIRTHDAY! 🎁🥳🎉 Fortunately, I stopped counting years ago. 29-forever, friends!
While I didn't find any great examples of cause marketing in Italy, as I did last year, I did find a potential cause marketing opportunity in my inbox when I got home.
This is for those readers who always ask me for ideas for LOCAL CAUSE MARKETING.
"Joe, we don't have a lot of chains in our area, just lots of independent and mom-and-pop businesses. How can we do cause marketing and raise some moolah?" 🤑
Scrolling through the thousands of emails I got while I was away, I came across this bakery crawl in my hometown of Newton, Massachusetts.
BTW, something like this is right up my alley. I'm not interested in a bar crawl.🥱 But host a crawl that includes cookies, cupcakes, and sprinkles, and I'm there faster than I can eat a box of PEEPS and wash them down with an orange Pixy Stix.
This is a great idea for an event, but one thing is missing: A benefiting cause. It's the one ingredient that would make this event even tastier!
Here's how a Bakery Crawl for a Cause (aka Shopping Day for a cause) would work.
🧁 First, you could work with JUST bakeries or JUST restaurants, or you could work with a mix of different businesses. Just remember that geography matters. They need to all be in the same general area.
📅 Second, pick a day or weekend for a shopping day event.
🚨 Third, and this is critical, ask businesses to host a point-of-sale fundraiser and/or donate a percentage or portion of sales from a product or service for a week or two before the event. The goal is to promote the shopping day and raise money for your organization.
% Fourth, ask each business to offer shoppers a discount or incentive on the shopping day. For example, 10% off everything in the store.
🦵🏻 Fifth, this part isn't necessary, but you'll raise more money. Recruit shoppers from your donor base to fundraise for the event. Just like a walk, bike, or run, ask them to solicit pledges from friends, colleagues, and relatives.
This strategy works because I did it myself years ago.
We asked participants to raise a minimum of $250 for a shopping day. In exchange, they got a pink canvas bag with a special logo that, when shown in stores, was all they needed to unlock incentives and discounts.
Clevah, right?
Everyone wins with a shopping day. Your nonprofit raises money. The business owner gets new customers. Participants have a great time raising money for your organization and saving money on their purchases.
Who's going to try this shopping day idea? Try it for the holidays!
✍️ Partnership Notes
1. A quick update to a question I posed in my last newsletter: whether companies can claim a deduction for donations made at the register. The author of this Wall Street Journal article said they could. 🎁 (🎁 = I'm a subscriber and am "gifting" you the article.) The truth is they can't.
Thanks to Kurt Reiber at the Freestore Foodbank for sending me this article! Kurt has done his share of cause marketing and knows his stuff!
2. Let your kids write this on the walls. Crayola Crayons is launching a flower business that will double as a fundraising platform.
3. How do you like those apples? How one supermarket chain is combining point-of-sale with product donations.
P.S. Scroll to the bottom of the press release to see an example of a very clear donation disclosure.
P.P.S. No, the business can't claim a deduction for donations at the register, but they can for the apples because the supermarket is making the donation.
🤑 Marketing Your Cause
1. "Poison in every puff" and “Cigarettes cause impotence” are just two warnings coming to individual cigarettes. 🎁 But will these warnings and other new measures convince people to stop smoking? 🚬 🤔
2. The Superhuman newsletter always has great prompts for ChatGPT. This prompt will turn ChatGPT into your personal intern.
I'm working on a comprehensive report about [insert research topic]. Please conduct thorough research and develop a detailed guide with step-by-step instructions to assist readers in achieving [desired outcome]
3. This article suggests that using friendly and creative "from names" in your email campaigns will get you more email opens. It's worth a try!
Hmm... what should I change my "from name" to? Boston Joe? Selfish Giving HQ? Mr. H20s?
Remember, no other component of an email triggers an open MORE than who the email is from. It's worth paying attention to.
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause
1. Corporate Partnership Officer, Wisconsin Historical Foundation, Madison
2. Director, Corporate Giving, CDPHP, Albany, NY ($100k - $130k)
3. Director, Corporate Partnerships & Business Development, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Southwest Region
4. Administrative Assistant, Corporate Membership Program, The Leapfrog Group, Washington, DC
🧠🍌 Brain Food
1. Are corporations really committed to ending childhood hunger? 🎁
2. Do you agree? This is how companies should vet their nonprofit partners.
3. Fake news! The Boston accent is the most annoying IN THE WORLD??? Ahh you kidding me? Italians told me it was like music to their ears. The Pavarotti of accents!
Next, read this article on the woman who killed her Southern accent and now wants it back. Fool. There's no way I'm giving up my accent!
