Today is National Wear Red Day according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLB).  Americans are encouraged to wear red to show their support for women’s heart health and help raise awareness for the number one killer of women.  February is the official month for heart awareness. Multiple heart health organizations teamed up to designate this day and unite everyone in the life-saving awareness-to-action movement by wearing a red dress, red scarf, red tie, red shirt, or even a simple red pin to urge women to protect their hearts.

Organizations such as American Heart Association, National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, NHLB, and many more are participating this month to share statistics, toolkits, warning signs and prevention practices.  Here are a few reasons why you should keep an eye on your heart health:

· Cardiovascular disease kills more women each year than the next four causes of death: cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Alzheimer’s, and accidents

·  432,709 cardiovascular-related deaths occurred in 2010

· 53% of cardiovascular disease-deaths occur in women

· Women’s total cholesterol is higher than men’s cholesterol beginning at age 45

Visit American Heart Association and make sure you understand and learn how you can lower and/or prevent your risks. Take action by donating to a variety of charities listed on YourCause.com and help reduce heart disease. 

Go red and support Heart Awareness Month!

Happy Friday,
Kassie Hernandez 

Resources: 

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2010 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association www.circ.ahajournals.org  

National Wear Red Day Toolkit, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

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Company: DC Entertainment, Warner Bros & Time Warner 
Cause: Humanitarian and Health 
Partner: Save the Children, Mercy Corps & International Rescue Committee  
Website: www.joinwecanbeheroes.org

Program of Action 

DC Entertainment, along with support from Warner Bros Entertainment and Time Warner businesses, has dispatched its superheroes to fight hunger in the Horn of Africa as part of their We Can Be Heroes cause marketing campaign. The campaign supports three nonprofit organizations: Save the Children, Mercy Corps, and International Rescue Committee.  DC Entertainment says it will match donations to the three nonprofits 100%. In addition, if you purchase a We Can Be Heroes product, 50% of the purchase price goes to helping save lives.  

We Can Be Heroes originated from a DC Entertainment comic book distributed in 1986 entitled, ‘Heroes Against Hunger,’ which benefitted the Ethiopian famine relief (“The Beat,” 2012).  Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment reprised the hunger relief commitment by raising awareness through the superhero platform and Justice League created through DC Entertainments comic books.  Individuals who contribute donations will join the Justice League as a hero, along with Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and many other legendary heroes who have tackled humanitarian crises. 

Best Practices 

DC Entertainment was relevant with the purpose of the campaign through the title, “We Can Be Heroes,” tag lines, “This is your time to be a hero” and a video that attracts the user with music, statistics and personal accounts.  In addition, the imagery on the site consistently reflects and addresses the issues occurring in the Horn of Africa and connects emotionally with consumers by asking them to become heroes, a call that young and old want to answer.

Before consumers donate, DC Entertainment lists what each donation amount can provide for individuals and children struggling.  By doing so, We Can Be Heroes educates their consumers on what their dollar amount can do and defines what the success will look like. 

Last but certainly not least, the authenticity and transparency of the overall campaign works.  The connections between comic books, superheroes, and saving lives mesh well and inform consumers exactly how this campaign and its partners work together.  Furthermore, the partnership with Warner Bros provides merchandise and products that incentivize children, superhero fans, or comic book aficionados to do good while purchasing a limited edition prize.

Program Outcome    

We Can Be Heroes is matching every donation, up to 1 million, this year.  Donations of any amount will be accepted and/or in the amounts of $10, $25, $50, or $100—those donations will be powered through our friends at Network for Good.  Help the people of Horn of Africa and begin saving lives by visiting We Can Be Heroes site and donating.  As the Justice League would say “One small act can make you a hero.” 

Your CM Aficionados,
Amy and Kassie

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Company: L.L. Bean
Cause: Environment
Partner: National Park Foundation 
Website: www.100.llbean.com/million-moment-mission

Program of Action 

To celebrate L.L. Bean’s 100 years of exploring outdoors they are partnering with National Park Foundation for their Million Moment Mission campaign.  The new campaign aims for individuals to share stories, pictures, ideas, or memories of outdoor experiences online or via an outdoor event in 2012.  For each photo, story, tweet, or “like,” L.L. Bean is donating $1, up to $1 million, to support National Park Foundation’s programs for kids.  L.L. Bean’s goal is to encourage family outdoor recreation and increase the number of children visiting national parks.  

Best Practices 

Million Moment Mission matches L.L Bean’s image and targets their demographic of outdoors enthusiasts.  In addition to the campaign matching the L.L. Bean brand, we cannot emphasize enough how important a partnership between a company and a nonprofit organization must make sense.  With L.L. Bean selling outdoor equipment, gear, clothing, and shoes, they not only display their appreciation for outdoor activities, but support parks, mountains, rivers, and forest preservations just as National Park Foundation does.

L.L. Bean also commits to campaign Million Moment Mission for an entire year.  Although, it is often challenging to keep momentum for a long period of time, L.L. Bean is engaging consumers with outdoor events, including: festivals, giveaways, tours, and outdoor discovery schools.  Focusing on a cause marketing campaign for a year allows potential consumers to become aware of the campaign and understand what their contribution means.  Consumers can also spread word about the campaign and help the Million Moment Mission to reach a wider audience.

Lastly, free giving is not uncommon, but is a great incentive for consumers.  For example, many companies encourage consumers to “like” a Facebook page and the company will donate a certain amount.  However, L.L. Bean goes beyond and asks for consumers to share a memorable outdoor experience, something consumers are glad to remember and look back on while supporting an organization that strives to offer other individuals similar outdoor experiences.  In addition, consumers can give back as much as they want at no personal monetary cost.

Program Outcome 

L.L.Bean aims to donate $1 million this year. Since the campaign began last week, the company has not posted the donation amount.  Consumers have time to donate, but with free giving in place, we encourage all individuals to tweet and share stories every day.  Visit the Million Moment Mission site, Twitter or Facebook page, to celebrate L. L. Bean’s 100^th anniversary and help support outdoor recreation and national parks.  

Your CM Aficionados,
Amy and Kassie

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Company: Heinz Ketchup
Cause: Human Services 
Partner: Wounded Warrior Project & United States Organization  
Website: www.heinzketchup.com/ourturntoserve

Program of Action 

Heinz Ketchup launches Our Turn To Serve campaign benefitting Wounded Warrior Project and the United Service Organization (USO) to show appreciation to our American veterans.  Heinz Ketchup asks diners to give thanks and scan a quick response (QR) code on the back of a 20-ounce bottle with a smart phone to send a personalized thank you to USO veterans.  For each “thank you” sent and “like” on Facebook, Heinz will donate 57 cents, up to $200,000 in support of Wounded Warrior Project. 

Each custom “thank you” with a personal message of appreciation created through the campaign will be sent to a USO veteran or an active military member.  This is the first year Heinz Ketchup is launching the campaign and the company encourages Americans to pour on their appreciation for those who have served our country. 

Best Practices 

There are two main reasons why we are fans of Our Turn To Serve. First, Heinz Ketchup grabbed our attention and others’ by placing specially designed packaging on restaurant tables and grocery stores.  While dining or grocery shopping, consumers’ attentions are caught by signs that display “Our Turn To Serve” or “Thank You Veterans,” which intrigue diners and others to discover more information about the campaign.  Heinz Ketchup uses their product strategically by displaying a strong message in places Americans actively go on a daily basis.  In addition, the message of the campaign leads with emotion as Americans feels prideful about the men and women who have served and are serving our country.

Secondly, QR codes are becoming more popular with the rise of smart phones (iPhones, Androids, Blackberries, etc.).  According to research, 14 million Americans scanned a QR code in July 2011 and 53% of users are between the ages of 18 and 34.  Heinz Ketchup uses the rising trend efficiently and at a great time to drive awareness, excitement and quick participation from diners and consumers who are of all ages and carry their phones almost everywhere they go. 

Furthermore, the campaign site allows others to learn more about how they can get involved in their local communities, make their own donations, and customize a post card that is more meaningful to American veterans and military members. 

Program Outcome 

According to Heinz Ketchup’s Facebook page, the company has passed their initial goal amount of $200,000.  However, consumers can still scan QR codes and send digital postcards to American veterans in an effort to support Wounded Warrior Project.  We are excited to hear the outcome of Our Turn To Serve and encourage you to visit www.heinzketchup.com/ourturntoserve and send your appreciation to a troop! 

Your CM Aficionados,
Amy and Kassie

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Yesterday marked Haiti’s two year remembrance of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that severely damaged the region.  An estimated 3 million people were affected by the quake with 316,000 deaths, totaling the cost of the disaster between 8 million and 14 million. 

Haitian people still struggle to get back on their feet with most living in camps, women fear sexual violence, children remain out of school, and the country still battles the cholera epidemic that killed 7,000 people since November 2010.  But yesterday, Haitians and others gathered together to remember the catastrophic quake by attending church, lighting candles, posting updated news, and even took to Twitter to motivate individuals to remember and donate. 

As of today, 12 billion has been donated to Haiti from multiple organizations.  With American Red Cross, Oxfam, Save the Children, Clinton Bush Foundation, and many more supporting the recovery of Haiti, the region hopes for repairing infrastructure, treating diseases, and providing clean water. 

You can take action by visiting YourCause.com and donating to organizations supporting Haiti’s road to recovery.

-Kassie Hernandez 

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Company: Campbell's
Cause: Education
Partner: Multiple K-12 Schools  
Website: www.labelsforeducation.com 

Program of Action

Campbell’s supports multiple K-12 schools, public libraries, care centers, and more by awarding free educational equipment through their Labels for Education campaign.  For more than 38 years, students, families, and members who provide proof of purchase from the Campbell’s family of brands including BIC, V8, GLAD, Emerald, and Dannon, will help their local schools receive free merchandise.  Below are the three simple steps members can participate:

1. Clip UPC codes (product barcodes) and beverage caps from Campbell brands

2. Give the codes and/or beverage caps to your child’s school coordinator

3. Earn points that can be redeemed for needed equipment  

Best Practices 

Labels for Education offers a points catalog that list the total amount of points for education equipment, such as footballs, paints, recorders, books, and much more to promote and share with students, members, and families.  This approach demonstrates a different spin to providing product donations rather than cash.  In addition, the catalog can be used as an incentive for students to view what they can possibly receive from Campbell’s and motivate them to earn more points.

School coordinators can customize a page for their local school to communicate and keep students and visitors informed on goals, current total amount of points, and share printable materials.  Creating a customizable page can engage younger students to join by relating to their personalized school page and be proud to view how they are helping their school receive new resources.  

The site also provides tool kits, guides, tips and instructions in two separate cultures, English and Spanish.  This is an exemplary approach that promotes cross-cultural marketing and gains attention from different members to participate. 

Though Labels for Education has multiple fun and smart approaches to the campaign, perhaps they can add competition to make it even more enjoyable for students.  According to JWT Social Good, game-based schemes offer an inventive way to drive donations and improve long-term commitment to a cause.  Campbell’s can designate a section where school coordinators and students can compare points with other schools in their district.  

Program Outcome 

To date, Labels for Education has benefitted 42 million students and have provided more than $114 million in merchandise to schools across the nation.  Members and families can continue earning points for the campaign since spring semester just begun for the 2011-2012 school year.  If you would like to see whether your school is registered, visit www.labelsforeducation.com and begin purchasing Campbell's products to help your local schools receive free equipment.

Your CM Aficionados,

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Do people donate because they want to feel good or do good?

I’d say both. A donation to a nonprofit gives individuals a warm glow and insinuates a positive result will come from investing in their cause. Though, to fulfill the ‘do good’ part, donors should be aware smart giving choices will have more of an impact.

But how do you know if you’re investing smart?

Nonprofit watchdogs are a start, but they are primarily unheard of among general donors. An article from Stanford Social Innovation Review, ‘Giving Blind,’ inspired me to write about charity watchdogs and provide donors the resources that I never knew about myself before I worked in the industry.

These organizations evaluate nonprofits and rate them accordingly from their assessment criteria. Investing smart is not as easy as a ‘click of a button,’ but neither is solving the world’s issues. If you invest smart, you’re one step closer to being a part of the solution for whatever cause you support.

Either way, know that you have an option and information is at your fingertips.

See below a list of charity watchdogs and their list of recommended nonprofits:

American Institute of Philanthropy’s Top-Rated Charities

Charity Navigator’s Top Ten Lists

Guidestar’s ‘Take Action’ List

BBB Wise Giving Alliance Accredited Charities

Independent Charities of America’s Members List

Happy giving,

Amy Chait

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Company: GLAD
Cause: Environment
Partner: Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education & Keep America Beautiful  
Website: www.glad.com/waste-less/one-bag

Program of Action

GLAD teams up with Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and Keep America Beautiful to launch their One Bag campaign, which targets college-aged consumers to dispose only “one bag” of waste to landfill and divert the rest to recycling or compost.  By aiming at college campuses and football programs, the One Bag movement motivates tailgates, teams, students and schools to download a free resource kit and host their own event that’s mindful of recycling and sustainability.  In addition, GLAD will provide ten $2,000 grants to help a stadium, sports league or team reduce their landfill waste and increase recycling. 

The average football game produces 50 to 100 tons of waste.  Therefore, One Bag campaign will grant winners with funding, products, and counsel from sustainability experts.  Also, GLAD and Keeping America Beautiful will expand their 27-year partnership to support the organizations recycling efforts on more than 150 college campuses.

Best Practices 

GLAD directs One Bag campaign toward colleges and students as their audience.  According to research, Millennials, who represent 40% of college students, are driving recycling efforts and encouraging college and university presidents to embrace environmental strategies on campus.  GLAD does well in recognizing Millennials (86%) take into consideration the opportunities they are given as to learn more about companies environmental issues (2010, Cone Cause Evolution Study).

GLAD also engages students through the sport of football which gathers a wide range of audience together and provides them with an opportunity to begin recycling and reduce waste on campus grounds.  GLAD provides toolkits to help with planning an event (tailgates, parties, BBQ’s, etc.) to host an event that minimizes the amount of garbage at the gathering.  In addition, the toolkits offer game-based methods such as adding challenges and organizing teams to add fun and competition for everyone involved.  

GLAD is a popular brand that markets themselves well, however, we would like to see more promotion around the campaign.  AASHE does mention the campaign through their website, which states their 97% diversion rate and lists each of their university members for students to learn more.  But perhaps GLAD can also provide a way for students to share through social media sites and offer a transparent way for schools to join the One Bag movement.

Program Outcome 

So far, GLAD has not reported the amount of colleges who have registered for the One Bag movement.  However, time is not an issue.  Individuals have till January 31st to enter and help move more college programs towards less waste.  We encourage you to visit www.glad.com/waste-less/one-bag and learn how you can waste less every day.  

Your CM Aficionados,

Amy and Kassie

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Check out our latest infographic supporting the Top 5 lists of where and why people donated their time and money during 2010 and 2011, which also correlates with our latest CSRinsights. 

Happy New Year,
The YourCause Team

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We thought we’d do something different for our end-of-year CSRinsights by highlighting where and why people donate their time and money. By using 2010/2011 data, we focused on the top five most influential stats we could find that influence the future direction of CSR and how online technology supports market demands.  

Top 5 Reasons that motivated individuals to fundraise:

• 69% Felt a personal connection to the cause
• 50% A friend or family member asked me to participate
• 37% Physical challenge
• 35% To benefit the local community
• 32% Wanted to be part of a company or other group team

As online fundraising shifts to become the preferred method for donors, companies  should keep in mind the top factors that motivate individuals to fundraise in the first place.  People are primarily motivated to fundraise based upon a personal connection to a cause or requests received from their network. For a successful fundraising event, use communication tools that allow for employees  to send invite requests and express their stories , which will motivate others. In addition, expand your giving programs to be year-round, so that there’s always an opportunity to fundraise due to a personal connection or special event.

 Source: Blackbaud, 2011 “Peer-to-Peer Event Fundraising Consumer Survey"

Top 5 Categories individuals volunteered for:

• 35% Religious 
• 27% Educational 
• 14% Social Services 
• 8% Hospital 
• 7% Other 

Religion is typically not a company-sponsored cause. However,  the category ranks as the number one place where people volunteer.  Companies could support employees religious causes by providing tools to track their efforts outside of the workplace. Moreover, the top categories where people volunteer are great for assessing the type of opportunities promoted to employees. Religious is a risky affiliation, though there are a strong interests in educational, social service and hospital opportunities that could draw interests from employees as well.

Source: Volunteering in America www.volunteeringinamerica.gov

Top 5 Largest charities by private support ($billion): 

• 3.9 United Way 
• 1.81 Salvation Army  
• 1.15 Feeding America 
• 1.08 American National Red Cross   
• 1.04 Food for the Poor 

These top five largest U.S. charities are based on the amount of private gifts received, demonstrating donor preferences.  Each one of these charities has collected an ample amount of charitable contributions this year and continue to stay as leaders within the nonprofit space.  To exemplify, United Way has a colossal amount of  partnerships including Wal-Mart, Exxon, General Electric, etc.  In addition, Salvation Army  and Feeding America have collaborated with multiple corporations for cause marketing campaigns gaining countless amount of new audiences. 

Source: Forbes, 2011 ‘The 200 Largest U.S. Charities'

Top 5 Issues consumers want companies to address:

• 34% Economic Development 
• 21% Environment 
• 12% Human Rights 
• 11% Poverty & Hunger   
• 9% Education 

Economic development is the number one issue consumers want companies to address. However, consumer staples and discretionary industries average 8-9% fund allocation in this area, according to CECP Giving In Numbers 2011. These industries are the most prominent in the public eye and depend heavily on the economic cycle, in which they could benefit from a brand reputation and consumer loyalty standpoint by listening to consumer expectations.

 Source: 2011 Cone/Echo Global CR Opportunity Study

Top 5 Reasons for expanding charitable programs:

• 96.9% Increases employee participation
• 71.9% Demonstrates a responsiveness to employee desires
• 65.6% Improves employee morale
• 56.3% Increases awareness of the company in the community
• 50% Increases campaign donations

Research reveals there are many reasons to expand charitable programs, including the fact that it increases employee participation and demonstrates a responsiveness to employee desires.   We know that employee participation makes for happier, more productive employees and therefore, a better business.  In addition, when you expand charitable programs, employees believe you’ve listened to one of their many requests.   Choice is key for employees if companies want to demonstrate responsiveness to employee desires.

Source: LBG Research Institute, 2011 “Workplace Giving Works! Make It Work for You"

Top 5 Internet users by language:

• 26.8% English
• 24.2% Chinese
• 7.8% Spanish 
• 4.7%  Japanese   
• 3.9% Portugese

Many CSR programs continue to expand globally and multilingual solutions have become a prevalent need.  In parallel, web users grow around the world with a surge of available languages on the web.  The once dominated  internet language, English, is expected to decrease.  Therefore, online solutions should cover the basis of the languages most used in the internet in order to cater to the most active international markets on the web. 

Source: Internet World Stats

Top 5 Most popular web browsers:

• 38.1% Firefox
• 33.4% Chrome
• 21.2% Internet Explorer 
• 4.2% Safari
• 2.4% Opera 

As of today, Technology is a necessity in a company and for the CSR market it is becoming an essential part to expanding charitable and volunteer programs.  Third party providers need to upkeep functionality and design to ascertain codes match for user preferences.  The above web browsers aim to provide a better browsing experience and give people greater access to the web, and in this case Firefox leads. 

Source: www.w3schools.com

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Company: AT&T
Cause: Leisure
Partner: Special Olympics 
Website: www.att.com/specialolympics 

Program of Action

AT&T and Special Olympics continue their campaign in supporting athletes across the country this holiday season.  AT&T will make a $60 donation to Special Olympics for each select product or service a consumer buys on the AT&T Special Olympics site (includes wireless, high-speed internet and U-verse TV).  Each donation helps Special Olympics continue their mission of providing year-round sports training and competition to individuals with intellectual disabilities.  AT&T originally announced the campaign earlier this year and, in an effort to spread the holiday spirit, decided to increase the initial donation amount by $20 to help support Special Olympics mission.  

Best Practices 

Here are two main reasons why we’re a fan of this campaign:

1. AT&T goes beyond online engagement by allowing consumers to make small text donations through their mobile phones

2. AT&T Special Olympics initiates AT&T’s support to assistive technology

First, AT&T Special Olympics platform offers different ways for consumers to donate such as through your mobile phone.  During the holidays, for every shopper who purchases a holiday ringtone or ringback, AT&T will donate $2.79.  In addition, consumers can participate through AT&T’s text-to-donate program and make a one-time donation of $5 to Special Olympics. 

Secondly, the meaning of the campaign presents AT&T’s initiative to take into consideration the needs of all customers when designing products.  AT&T not only supports Special Olympics but also provides technology that can make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities, such as wireless services that are included in the products AT&T will donate if purchased. 

On the other hand, the AT&T Special Olympics campaign secludes the audience on the amount that has been donated so far.  Perhaps AT&T can keep shoppers in the know and reveal the charitable amount and/or goal they wish to reach.  

Program Outcome 

Though AT&T does not list the total amount of donations, we enjoy simple campaigns that drive high engagement.  Shoppers have till January 7^th to support Special Olympics and we encourage you to visit www.att.com/specialolympics to donate and educate yourself on the determination and courage individuals with disabilities possess.

Your CM Aficionados,

Amy and Kassie

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Company: Macy's
Cause: Youth
Partners: Make-A-Wish Foundation 
Website: www.macys.com/believe

Program of Action

For the fourth year in a row, Macy’s teams up with Make-A-Wish Foundation to launch their Believe holiday campaign.  Young and old shoppers alike are encouraged to write a letter to Santa (stamped and addressed to Santa at the North Pole) and drop them off at Believe Stations in the official R.H. Macy Santa Mail letterboxes located throughout Macy’s stores.  For each letter stamped, addressed and received by Santa, Macy’s donates $1 (up to $1 million) to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps grant wishes of terminally ill children.

Best Practices

The inspiration to Macy’s unique theme “a million reasons to believe” is a historical story that matches the values of Make-A-Wish Foundation.  The campaign is inspired by a letter sent to the editor of the New York Sun in 1897 asking if Santa was real.  The theme of sending a letter emphasizes the importance of believing in something, which correlates with Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission to provide hope for children who only want their wishes to come true. 

Macy’s Believe campaign site engages consumers online and off by asking shoppers to create a letter with resources provided such as letter templates, background themes, font colors, etc. Once decorated, they can send their letters to the North Pole through letterboxes located at Macy’s stores.   In addition to engaging consumers in a creative way, these attributes also bring an imaginative approach to the campaign for children and shoppers to actually send a letter to Santa.

This year, Macy’s took a leap and not only engaged shoppers online but developed a mobile application for the holiday campaign called Believe-o-Magic.  As research states, people are spending more time on their mobile phones than ever before and global app downloads are expected to be at 29 million this year compared to the 9 million in 2010.  The app allows consumers to take part in the campaign at any place, as well as, take photos from the Macy’s in-store frame and share via email or social media sites. 

Though the values and mission of Make-A-Wish Foundation match the campaigns theme, perhaps next year Macy’s can integrate wish stories from the organization.  Adding wish stories from children can benefit Macys Believe campaign and grab consumer’s attention through a deeper emotional aspect.  

Program Outcome 

Macy’s Believe holiday campaign ends on the night of December 24 and has so far received 965,928 letters.  Shoppers have a few days left to reach Macy’s goal of 1 million.  We encourage you to visit www.macys.com/believe and join in the spirit of Believe and make children wishes come true!

Your CM Aficionados,

Amy and Kassie

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Company: eBay
Cause: Youth
Partners: Toys for Tots  
Website: www.eBay.com/giveatoystore 

Program of Action 

 Ebay launched their first Give -A-Toy Store campaign in New York and San Francisco benefitting Toys for Tots this holiday season.  The Give-A-Toy Store campaign is an interactive toy store displaying popular toys such as teddy bears and trains that let consumers virtually window-shop for good. 

Each toy represents a donation amount ranging from $2-$25.  Shoppers can download the eBay mobile app to scan QR (Quick Response) codes on the toys’ virtual price tags, which triggers them to animate and “come to life.”  If shoppers cannot install the eBay mobile app, they can visit www.eBay.com/giveatoystore to experience the Give-A-Toy Store campaign and make donations that will buy a toy for a child in need.  

Best Practices 

The creative campaign attracts online and offline attention by installing a virtual toy store on the streets of New York and San Francisco.  The virtual toy store provides instant interaction from consumers walking along the sidewalk and encourages children, families, and others to make donations.  Also, the online aspect is more than just a “like” on Facebook, eBay integrates fun and games by donating $1 (up to $50,000) for each toy that is personalized and built on their Facebook page. 

In addition, constant incentives are being tossed in a fun way.  After building a toy, consumers can enter eBay’s sweepstakes that offers consumers the chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree on eBay.  The fun Give-A-Toy Store allures consumers to return in the future by adding the eBay mobile app and liking their Facebook page. 

Lastly, eBay stayed true to Toys for Tots mission and ties the theme of the campaign to the organization’s values - to provide toys for children in need that may not otherwise receive.  Overall, shoppers have fun feeling good through the campaign, knowing they helped made an impact in a needy child’s life.   

Program Outcome 

Ebay does not mention an amount goal they wish to reach this holiday season, however in addition to consumer donations, eBay will donate up to $50,000 when shoppers customize a toy on their Facebook page.  Help eBay bring Christmas to these children and visit www.eBay.com/giveatoystore and offer them a positive memory they will cherish for a lifetime.     

Your CM Aficionados,

Amy and Kassie

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Company: Coca-Cola 
Cause: Animal Welfare/ Environment
Partners: World Wildlife Fund 
Website: www.arctichome.com

Program of Action

Coca-Cola continues to use their iconic polar bear holiday symbol to team up with World Wildlife Fund and kick off the Arctic Home campaign in an effort to raise awareness and funds to protect the polar bear's deteriorating habitat.  Through the Arctic Home campaign, Coca-Cola commits up to $1 million to match consumer donations through March 15, 2012.  Over the next five years, Coca-Cola is contributing $2 million to polar bear conservation efforts. 

Best Practices 

The campaign website, www.arctichome.com, immediately intrigues visitors with a video displaying rhetorical effects such as music, images, and facts about the bears that produce a sense of feeling to help their decaying home.  Once the video is over, Coca-Cola directly provides visitors a quick method for what they plan to do on the site by displaying an instant pop-up asking whether they would like to “Donate Now” or “Explore Now.”

Coca-Cola involves a unique navigator and interactive tracking with the campaign.  By moving your cursor, consumers have the ability to view information and facts about WWF scientists experiencing the Arctic environment designated areas (called virtual parcels).  Consumers choose where their donation is made, and a polar bear sighting tracker with additional facts such as their age, weight, and name appears. The site also visually displays real-time temperature and time in the Arctic and consumers donations, which are rarely tracked publicly. 

In addition, credit card donations powered by Network for Good and $1 text message donations are integrated with the site that will also be matched by Coca-Cola.  According to Cone 2010 Text-To-Give, 27% are more likely to text a donation if a company/organization matches their gift.

On the other hand, the amount of action and plethora of buttons and interactive effects may distract and confuse visitors.  Perhaps the designated site could demonstrate a how-to guide to explain each module and convenience the user experience.  

Program Outcome

To date, $60,059 has been raised and donated to WWF.  Consumers have till March 15, 2012 to donate with Coca-Cola matching each donation.  We encourage you to visit www.arctichome.com and WWF and consider donating to polar bear conservation efforts.  Or, just simply visit to learn more about these magnificent animals, their loss of habitat and greatest threats to survive.

Your CM Aficionados,

Amy and Kassie

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Today is World AIDS Day and we’re recognizing those lives that have been affected by the disease. We also want to celebrate accomplishments— such as increased access to treatment and prevention services that have made great strides in fighting the AIDS pandemic.  This year’s UNAIDS theme is, Getting to Zero, with a focus on achieving three targets in 2012:

• Zero new HIV infections 
•  Zero discrimination 
• Zero AIDS-related deaths

HIV/AIDS has been a global fight for the last 30 years with an estimate of 33.3 million people living with HIV worldwide and 1.2 million persons living with HIV in the United States, according to research.  More than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007 have died from the virus worldwide, making the disease the most destructive pandemics in history. 

Today is an opportunity for all of us to learn the facts about HIV/AIDS.  Let’s raise awareness on the spread of HIV, how it can be prevented and support those fighting the disease today.

Click here and take action today at YourCause.com by donating to organizations supporting this cause.    

-Kassie Hernandez      

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Perhaps employees don’t say this out loud, but it’s often a question that comes to mind:  Why should I get involved in CSR programs?  Most employees already work 40 hours a week, so devoting a hour of volunteering is just as valuable as donating $100 (both being as equally challenging  to extract).  But we know an inherent ‘generous’ attitude exists for us as human beings, so how can we stimulate this generosity?  

This edition of CSRinsights passes along some best practices and insights on how to incentivize employees to join your corporate social responsibility programs and initiatives, which ultimately drive engagement and the bottom business line.  

1. Make Your Programs Viral

There’s a reason why employees may not be participating…they don’t understand how to!  Frequently, employees aren’t even aware of programs taking place, leaving them confused and/or absent from volunteer and giving programs.

Therefore, the crucial first step (communication) should start at the top and ripple towards the bottom, with peer to peer encouragement happening in between.  You should yearn to make your programs viral with three simple communication methods in mind: Make it Simple, Make it Good and Make it Matter.

Make your programs viral and something worth talking about.  If you think you’ve communicated your programs, communicate some more!  Senior executives  can outreach to middle management about employee volunteering and giving programs, which encourages middle management to educate employees.  This initial top to bottom communication tactic eases employees  to become knowledgeable in programs, increases viral peer-to-peer discussion and creates social incentives to donate something, do something or volunteer for the first time.   

"For those who do not participate, more than three-quarters say that understanding the program and how it works would motivate them to participate, according to LBG Associates and LBG Research Institute, a community involvement research firm and publisher of “Motivating Volunteering in Tough Times,” 2009."

2. Create Program ‘Cheerleaders’ that offer Spirit and Support

Wouldn’t it be great if you had internal ‘cheerleaders’ to incentivize and motivate other employees to participate?  As talked about earlier, they could increase viral communication about programs by enthusiastically talking about the latest volunteer project or fundraising venture.

Though we refer to the word “cheerleader” because we think it serves better metaphorically, these program leaders are better known as “Champions” throughout corporations  because they do so much more than spread do-good energy that motivates others.  They, literally, serve as  program resources that can answer peers’ questions and concerns, as well as, provide any additional training for internal CSR programs and/or tools.

For example, Dell builds a strong 400+ team of engaged Champions who serve as the programs viral leaders.  Those leaders spearhead group challenges, create global volunteer recognition programs and utilize messaging tools to entice employees to become more engaged.

In addition, Cummins Inc. utilizes Community Needs Assessment Leaders to evaluate the possible intersections of skills that can be offered relative to the specific needs of a community.  They assign leaders (volunteers) across the globe to assess the community needs and design proactive, specific programs for that area to carry out Cummins community involvement initiatives.

3. Match and Multiply the Impact

Matching gift programs may be one of the most well-known ways to incentivize employees, so we won’t talk too much about it. If you currently have a matching program in place, you know it’s a sure way to attract and engage employees because their donation will immediately multiply its impact.  But we have some refresh tips for you as well,  so don’t skim just yet.

Year-round matching, workplace giving campaigns and disaster relief matching programs are a few matching tools to incentivize employees to give monetarily, especially if volunteering time is tough to fit in schedules.   If your matching programs are a bit dated, try amending matching eligibility requirements to part time and retiree employees; use communication tools to raise alertness and support; and expand matching to payroll deduction and mobile to increase giving/matching contributions year-round.  

"On the rise, disaster relief matching programs have played a major role in donations from employees in recent past years, increasing from 1% in 2009 to 7% in 2010, according to CECP “Giving in Numbers 2011."

4. Leave the Door Wide-Open for Volunteering

Gateway , by definition, is a means of entry or access.  Therefore, Gateway Volunteering is a tactic by which you can create a company-wide single day, week or month(s) event dedicated to making volunteering accessible to all employees – old and new.  Gateway Volunteering acts as an open door that recruits first-time volunteers to engage in a new experience with ease and allows for experienced volunteers to stay involved and engaged due to the company’s culture.

To exemplify, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) dedicates the whole month of October to global volunteering.  In 2010, they hosted their first annual global volunteer month.  As a result, a thirty percent increase from 2009 inspired employees to volunteer in fifteen AMD sites. 

"21% of employees stated that they would not be a volunteer if it weren’t for their employer’s encouragement, according to Society for Human Resource Management. 75% of employees want to get involved in their company’s cause-related efforts through company-sponsored volunteer days, according to Cone’s “2010 Cause Evolution Study."   

5. Tap into Creative Competitions and Gamification

Most individuals possess a natural competitive drive within them.  Definitely, as CSR leaders, we should tap into that.  Companies must make engagement into a fun challenge, using game-based schemes (gamification) to increase donations and enhance commitment to a cause while also making participating interactive and rewarding.  A high-fan fare campaign, challenge or contest can help build a volunteer-friendly workplace culture, according to BCC “Mapping Success in Employee Volunteering.”  

Establishing  a contest increases engagement because an individual gain of satisfaction and/or motivation occurs when an employee compares their performance to others.  Take, for example, the following volunteering competition:  a one-time challenge where different business units compete and volunteer 25 hours in a certain amount of time to receive a $1,000 grant donation to the non-profit of their choice.  It uses gamification to rally up awareness, interest, competition and engagement.   

"Gamification drives engagement and enables people to view and compare their  real-time standing with peers.  This influences their peers and/or gets them to consider donating something, doing something or going somewhere for the first time, according to JWT “Social Good Trend Report."  

6. Dollars-for-Doers, With No Time to “Do”

Dollars-for-Doers, the act of a corporation giving to nonprofits in recognition of employee-volunteer service, is the most frequent employee-volunteer program used by companies this year, according to CECP “Giving in Numbers 2011.” 

The program may seem as if it does not increase employee engagement or popularity amongst employees due to a low median percentage of employees participating (7%).  However, there was an increase from 2010 when the median percentage of employees participating was just at 3% (CECP “Giving in Numbers 2011”). 

Dollars-for-Doers should not be criticized as an employee-volunteer program incapable of working, for there is another reason why employees do not volunteer -- lack of time.  Seventy percent reported they do not have enough time to volunteer (2011 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey). 

Since, the minimum threshold to be eligible for Dollars-for-Doers is usually 40-50 volunteer hours a year, we propose creating a lower threshold of eligibility hours.  As noted, not all employees have the extra amount of time to volunteer.  Thus, decreasing the threshold for Dollars-for-Doers motivates and enables more employees to volunteer in their local communities. 

7. Volunteering on the Clock

You’ve seen the dismay of working 40+ hours a week and then packing on more hours of volunteering.  But what if you made volunteering part of the work day?  Paid time off provides employees an incentive to receive a day off from a regular day-to-day work schedule and help a cause they care about.  

Most CSR leaders feel like they might have a hard time selling this one, but if you look at the numbers, it’s an increasingly popular initiative program.  By managing a maximum or minimum threshold of volunteer hours and putting in place parameters, paid-time off volunteering is not so off-the-wall thinking anymore.  In fact, the program is quite successful , allowing for a new influx of employees (especially those that lack the time) to join the CSR initiatives.  Not to mention, there are plenty of business perks to gain from volunteering with coworkers, including the harnessing of communication skills, leadership and teamwork.

"59% of companies offer a formal paid-release-time program, according to CECP “Giving in Numbers 2011."

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Company: Hanes
Cause: Human Services
Partners: Salvation Army
Website: www.Facebook.com/Hanes

Program of Action

Hanes® kicked off their third annual Virtual Sock Drive this holiday season to benefit The Salvation Army. For every person who visits Hanes’ Facebook page and clicks on the “donate now” button, Hanes donates up to 250,000 pairs of socks from November 14 until December 12.   

Best Practices 

Homelessness is not a common cause in cause-marketing campaigns.  Instead, many brands get involved with children, animals, troops, and health.  However, it makes sense for Hanes to choose homeless for they are the number one apparel in America and socks are the number one needed item among the homeless community.  Hanes contributing product donations rather than donating money or meals this holiday season allows them to physically and literally share comfort to those in need.  Product donations have grown by 39% since 2007 and will continue to rise, according to CECP Giving in Numbers 2011. 

To commence the campaign, Hanes partnered with The Salvation Army and released a video of individuals handing out socks to Los Angeles' Skid Row homeless, showing the impact a pair of socks can do for an individual in need.  The video promotes the emotional aspect of the campaign that grabs the consumers’ attention to participate and donate.  According to research, only 33% of companies integrate videos but more should use this tool in order to capture the consumers’ attention and draw them into the cause. 

In addition, Mark Horvath, creator of the project Invisible People, is shown in the video.  Horvath, who once was a homeless man himself, now dedicates himself as an advocate for the community.  He uses his story to raise awareness and teams up with brands to help support the homeless.  We recognize his efforts and his help in handing out socks for those in need with Hanes and The Salvation Army.  

Program Outcome

 Though Hanes donated a total of 1.7 million individual socks since the inaugural effort in 2009, they should mention the number of individuals who received those pairs of socks.  This year their donation goal, with the help of their Facebook community, is 250,000 pairs of socks to be contributed to Salvation Army.  We encourage you to visit www.facebook.com/hanes and click “donate now” and make some ones holiday season a warm one.  

Your CM Aficionados,

Amy and Kassie

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Check out our latest infographic supporting the incentives that help drive employee engagement in the workplace, which also correlates with our upcoming CSRinsights. 

Happy Monday,
The YourCause Team

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Company: Pepto Bismol
Cause: Hunger
Partners: Feeding America
Website: www.Facebook.com/peptobismol

Pepto Bismol kicked off their first-ever campaign, Feast for All, where one click (via Facebook) donates an equivalency of eight meals through November 8^th – December 1^st. They partnered up with Eric Stonestreet from ABC’s Modern Family and Feeding America to help reach their goal of donating two million meals.

Pepto Bismol is a brand known to cure overindulgence, and in the midst of eating turkey, stuffing, and pecan pie Pepto Bismol is there for a stomach remedy.  Therefore, launching a campaign during a food-centered holiday is an apt time to draw attention and help millions of Americans who don’t have the opportunity to eat a meal also indulge this holiday season.  

Best Practices

Holiday campaigns are one of the best times to launch because three times as many people make donations during this time. Pepto Bismol has made it easy for consumers to give back during this giving season, by simply clicking “Like” to donate eight meals for those in need.  You can also see the totaling amounts on their real-time tracker.

Pepto Bismol chose Eric Stonestreet as their celebrity spokesperson, which is a common tactic for cause marketing that seems to work. According to research, 35% of Americans believe that someone famous supporting a particular cause influences the amount of attention. Though celebrities may bring more awareness towards a campaign, the authenticity and personal connection must be in place for the campaign to succeed. Pepto Bismol recognizes the value of a holiday dinner with friends and family just as Eric’s role, a father and husband, portrays in the ABC sitcom.  Aligning the meaning of family and Thanksgiving with Eric Stonestreet encourages individuals to join in on the holiday spirit.       

We enjoy simple campaigns that draw high awareness and engagement – though the Feast for All campaign remains a little vague where meals will be distributed and how fast the donations will translate into meals.  All in all, they did provide an equation for impact (1 “like” is equivalent to $1 = 8 meals) leaving us with an idea how a viral online campaign can do some good through easy actions.    

Program Outcome

As of now, 559,384 meals will be donated to Feeding America.  Pepto Bismol still has time to reach their goal in donating two million meals by December 1^st, for the number is continually rising by the hour.  Help Pepto Bismol feed America by clicking this link, www.facebook.com/peptobismol, then “like” the turkey with no signing in required.  Every individual should have the chance to indulge in a delicious turkey dinner! 

Your CM Aficionados,

Amy and Kassie

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Company: Starbucks
Cause: Economy
Partners: Opportunity Finance Network
Website: www.CreateJobsForUSA.org

Program of Action

Starbucks launched Create Jobs for USA to help create and sustain jobs throughout the United States. The campaign addresses the concerning unemployment rate at 9.1%, teaming up with Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) to pool donations from customers, employees, citizens and partners. Donors can donate $5 or more and receive a red, white, and blue wristband with the message “indivisible” symbolizing American pride.

Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) manages the nationwide fund for Create Jobs for USA.  It is a national network of community development financial institutions providing job opportunities to disadvantages communities across America.  OFN increases job growth in the most needed areas and sparks financial returns and changes for people and communities.

Best Practices   

With the current movement around OCCUPY, Starbucks has chosen relevant timing to engage consumers online and off to the economic and job crisis that’s capturing attention around the nation. The bracelet captures the American spirit and becomes a recognizable staple for the campaign in Americans helping Americans create jobs.  On the packaging, Starbucks provides a mobile barcode that directs donors to CreateJobsForUSA.org where they can see their impact and share their support.

We’re a fan of CreateJobsForUSA.org because of the social proof the content provides for the campaign. For example, visitors can view ‘Success Stories’ on an interactive map that shows real-life photos and stories of those who have benefitted from OFN’s grants to create or sustain jobs.  In addition, citizens have the ability to “Share Your Story” by discussing ideas on how communities can come together and help the job crisis or share an inspiring story on how the program can help a friend or neighbor get back on their feet. 

On the other hand, though success stories are listed on CreateJobsForUSA.org perhaps Starbucks can display how much consumers have contributed so far to the cause.  No ending date to the campaign is mentioned; therefore, setting a monthly or weekly tracker of how much impact is being made could attract more citizens to donate. 

Program Outcome   

Starbucks Foundation is contributing $5 million to Create Jobs for USA program.  On top of that $5 million, for every $3,000 donated through the program from consumers, a single job is created or maintained.  Therefore, the $5 million being contributed is sustaining or creating more than 1,600 jobs already.  In our effort to support the program we have bought our wristbands! Now, we encourage you to purchase one and show your support to inspire and help Americans get to working again.

Your CM Aficionados,

Amy and Kassie 

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