Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Risa Sherman, Manager of Philanthropy & Cause Marketing at The Boston Beer Company, about the company's signature cause initiative, Brewing the American Dream.

This innovative program champions the great ideas and dreams of small business owners nationwide who are pursuing their passion in the food and beverage, hospitality, and craft brewing industries.

On the show, Megan, Risa and I discuss...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Stephanie Bagley, COO at Charity Miles, about the new Pokemon Go game and how it can be used to raise money for good causes.

On the show, Megan, Stephanie and I discuss...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Brittany Hill, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Catalist, an agency focused on providing corporate partnership professionals tangible and sustainable tools to meet their fundraising goals.

Megan, Brittany and I discuss Catalist's recent report, Revelations at the Register: A Look Into Sector Specific Consumer Giving Preferences at the Register.

On the show, we cover...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Elicia Azali, Associate Vice President at insurance and financial services provider Nationwide. We discuss their cause initiative Make Safe Happen, which seeks to reduce accidental injury at home, the number one cause of death among children.

On the show, Megan, Elicia and I discuss...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Matt Hodges, Vice President of Public & Investor Relations at GameStop, about the chain's first-year fundraiser for Autism Speaks, which raised a whopping $1.2 Million.

On the show, Megan, Matt and I discuss...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to frequent guest Mollye Rhea, President of For Momentum, an Atlanta-based cause agency. 

On the show, Megan, Mollye and I discuss For Momentum's first survey of U.S. nonprofit executives responsible for selling cause partnerships in the Nonprofit Partnership Sales Cycle Research.

We cover...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Julie Cottineau, founder and CEO of BrandTwist, a brand consultancy, and creator of Brand School Online, a learning program that teaches small business owners, entrepreneurs and non-profits how to create powerful brands that break-through crowded markets.

Julie is also the author of a new bestseller: TWIST: How Fresh Perspectives Build Breakthrough Brands.

On the show, Megan, Julie and I discuss...

The 2016 Cause Marketing Forum Conference was held in Chicago last week. As usual, it was excellent and full of learning, inspiration and friendship. Congrats to David Hessekiel, Megan Strand and the whole CMF team for an outstanding event.

The conference is that one time of year I get to see everyone in the cause marketing world. I'm definitely recharged! Here are the slides from my preso, 5 interviews and 29 must follow cause marketing peeps to follow on Twitter.

Public's Phil Haid and I spoke at the 2016 Cause Marketing Forum Conference in Chicago today! 

We presented Get Your Creative Juices Flowing: 20 Kick-Ass Concepts. Check out the slides and the links below for additional learning! 

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Linn Jordan, Director of Retail Marketing for Walgreens, about its efforts on behalf of Red Nose Day. This UK import is dedicated to raising money to help children who are most in need, both in the U.S. and in some of the poorest communities in the world.

Walgreens has sold more than 12 million Red Noses and raised $18 million since kicking off their campaign on March 28th - twice the amount sold during the entirety of the campaign last year!

On the show, Megan, Linn and I discuss...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan I talk to Hil Davis, founder of BeautyKind, an online retailer where consumers can shop prestige beauty brands while raising funds for charitable causes.

Launched In November 2014, BeautyKind is an online beauty retailer with charitable giving at its core. Customers can shop their favorite beauty, hair, fragrance and skin care brands, while directing five percent of every purchase to causes of their choice, whether that is a local cause or a national organization.

On the show, Megan, Hil and I discuss...

I had a great trip to the National Restaurant Show in Chicago on Saturday. It was quick trip - in and out so I could be at New Strategies at Georgetown University on Sunday afternoon - but I had the chance to moderate a panel of speakers who were there to discuss the powerful intersection of cause marketing and employee engagement to support Share Our Strength.

All three presenters - reps from Arby's, Grimaldi's Pizzeria and Dairy Queen - did an excellent job explaining why they were involved with Share Our Strength and how cause marketing has had a powerful - if not profound - impact on their respective businesses.

Here are their slides and some key takeaways from each presenter.

Last April my family checked a big destination off our bucket list: the Grand Canyon. Looking out over its colorful, steep slopes we were hushed into silence. I was the first to speak: "No Starbucks as far as the eye can see."

An elbow poked my ribs. My wife had responded. It might as well have been the whole world. No one wants a corporate logo to despoil the Grand Canyon - or any other national park.

But that's just what park lovers are afraid of. Steve Casimiro, writing in Adventure Journal, is downright angry: "What a sad day, when America's best idea has to whore itself for a few dollars here and there."

Before Steve and other park lovers throw themselves off the North Rim, let's be clear on what companies want and what the National Parks Service (NPS) would be losing by not prioritizing corporate support. Finally, I'll share three ideas on how corporate support doesn't mean replacing Lincoln's face on Mount Rushmore with a McDonald's sign.

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Gentry Lane, founder of TDO Productions, a company that is harnessing the power of virtual reality and leveraging it for social good. TDO's virtual reality experiences are formulated to inspire massive empathy that drives viewers to immediate action. 

On the show, Megan, Gentry and I discuss...

Purchase-triggered donations (or percentage of sales fundraisers) is a long name for a simple cause marketing promotion. When shoppers buy a product or service from a business a portion or percentage of the sale is donated to a good cause.

For example, Dunkin Donuts ran a one-day promotion here in Boston that donated $1 from every ice coffee sold to Boston Children's Hospital.

After a charity pinup program, purchase-triggered donations are one of the more lucrative cause marketing fundraisers. So pay attention!

Here are three resources to learn more about purchase-triggered donations.

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Crayton Webb, Vice President, Corporate Communications & CSR for Mary Kay, about the cosmetic giant's Don’t Look Away campaign which works to educate the public on recognizing the signs of an abusive relationship, how to take action and to raise awareness for support services.

To date, Mary Kay and The Mary Kay Foundation have given $50 million to domestic violence prevention and awareness programs in an effort to end the cycle of abuse.

On the show, Megan, Crayton and I discuss...

I've had a ton of new signups for my newsletter and I'm getting more questions about what exactly is cause marketing? Great question! 

These three posts will give you some answers - and will surely give you a few more questions that I'm happy to answer in the comments or in future posts.

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Steve Spangler - America's Science Teacher - about Fueling Education, a CITGO program in partnership with National School Supply, We Are Teachers and Steve Spangler that offers educators a chance to win up to $5,000 in school supplies as well as STEM-teaching workshops.

On the show, Megan, Steve and I discuss...