Make an Impact without Breaking the Bank

There is a little something I need to fess up to, I will be communicating more this month to you and here is why…as a professional fundraiser for over fifteen years and chairing many charity walks and special events that have raised a loooot of money, it seems that today more than just a few years ago, it is increasingly more difficult for nonprofits to raise money. The fact is donorship is down, it’s not tanked, but it is down. This has forced organizations to tighten up and cut where they can. I've seen staffed laid off, programs cut and a reorganization or charities.

On the for-profit side, I see and hear the budget crunch small businesses are facing and that said there is just not a lot of wiggle-room to make donations. But here is the beauty out of all this chaos, small businesses and solo-entrepreneurs like you, can actually make sizable contributions and you don’t have to break the bank. Really!

If you are a small business or solo-entrepreneur committed to supporting a cause, helping out a charity or making a difference your own community, I really don’t want you to miss my upcoming complimentary call (and this is what I will be letting you know more about over the next couple of weeks):

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"Discovering Your Signature Way to Support a Cause that Creates Marketing, Meaning and Mega Impact!" The call is set for Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 1:00pm EST.
Read more and reserve your spot here
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On this teleseminar you will learn:

• The myths that keep your cause commitment in stuckville

• What makes ‘what you stand for’ special and why you must express it for your business, your customers and the world

• Why your commitment to a cause is the only place to powerfully market and build your brand

• The key ingredient to stand out in a big way and celebrate your Cause Signature success and more....

So, if you want to take a stand for something in this world and make a difference, I hope you can join me on the call. You can get the call details here.

3 Reasons Your Business Shouldn't Keep Your Giving a Secret

A few years ago, I was interviewed by a celebrity entrepreneur on small business giving. During the interview, I was asked if businesses should share their giving with customers and the community or if they should keep it a secret. For many business owners like yourself, giving can be a very private issue. Perhaps it is rooted in humility or a deeply held personal philosophy. These are to be respected, but do not serve a greater good. Keeping your business giving a secret is a motivationally selfish and supports no one by doing it except your own personal interest.

There are a few key reasons a business should contribute their giving message. If you understand the benefits of communicating your giving, you can quickly see the positive impact is has for you, your business, the cause, and your community. This is a big reason why I wrote my book, “Small Businesses Give Big: Why charitable giving is a great business strategy.” It is the idea that sharing giving stories inspires, motivates, and relates to others in any country and any language.

As a business owner, no matter how you give or what you give, not keeping your cause a secret can, in my opinion, have as much of an impact as the check you wrote or time you spent volunteering. The larger picture for sharing your giving is about creating awareness. The first step causes must take to increase their donor pool and prospects is not about asking for donations, rather it is about building awareness about the social issue they address, and how they are an agent of change in their community and the world.

There are three key reasons to reveal your business giving. They are:

1. Social Mission. By adding a social mission to your business and sharing it, you have just taken a pro-active initiative to support your business’s core values. Your social mission communicates the social issue you and your business stands for and is committed to helping solve. The social mission is cause-centric and communicates your humanitarianism. It is different from your regular business mission. However, it is aligned with it and works parallel to it.

2. Connection. Adding your social mission message to your business’s communication can expand the breadth of your outreach and touch the hearts and emotions of others. Today more than ever, customers and causes are seeking to connect with businesses that bring meaning and movement to social issues. By sharing your giving story, new levels of connection are created for you, your business, causes, and a community. These new connections can have long-term impact supporting your business and the causes you give to.

3. Awareness. At the grassroots level, both businesses and causes need to build awareness about what they do and the difference they make to improve lives. By creating awareness, both businesses and causes strive to increase either sales or donations and build their brand trust. Yes, even nonprofits strive to build their brand trust. So, by cementing your social mission-based marketing to your communication efforts, you have increased awareness about a cause to constituents and customers who otherwise may not have known about the specific charity. A new audience has been created through sharing your altruistic intentions in an authentic way.

Perhaps the greatest reason for not keeping your cause a secret is you have added significant social value to the world. So step out and be willing to share your business’s cause.

2010. Copyright. Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. All rights reserved.

Holiday Gift Giving Advice (Gifts for a Good Cause)

There is so much going on at this time of the year, so many distractions and obligations that it can be hard to focus on the meaning of the holiday season all around. But I came across a wonderful post by Tasha Lopez and just had to share. She compiled quite an extensive list of gift giving resources that 'give back'. Here it is below. Enjoy it and may it be a good resource for you as you begin gift shopping for family and friends.

"I typically prefer to give gifts that help make the world a better place in some way. In addition to the wonderful ways to make donations in lieu of a gift, there are options to give a tangible gift that still goes to a good cause. I created this list a few years ago and check/update it annually. If you have updates or additions, please let me know!Below you’ll find greeting cards, office gifts, food baskets, flowers, baked goods, wine, gift baskets, jewelry, clothing, accessories, purses, housewares, and much much more. Feel free to pass this along to anyone who might like to see it. Thanks!

1. Unique ways to give through online retailers and search engines

http://www.igive.com/, http://www.givingpal.com/, www.care2.com/shopping and http://www.goodshop.com/ let you shop for personal and business needs with hundreds of brand name retailers, and a portion of each online purchase is donated to your favorite cause

http://www.goodsearch.com/ and http://www.searchkindly.org/ are search engines that donate a portion of their revenue to the charities and schools designated by its user

http://www.free2work.org/ helps holiday shoppers find great gifts that do not have forced or child labor in their production

2. Donation cards and gift cards in lieu of an actual gift

heifer.org, worldvisiongifts.org, worldrelief.org/gift, fh.org/catalog (Food for the Hungry), harvestofhope.org, foodforthepoor.org, changingthepresent.org, treesforlife.org, alternativegifts.org, mercykits.org, oxfamamericaunwrapped.com, and others offer great options if you want to buy a cool gift in someone’s name

http://www.fivetalents.org/ offers “Create a Job” gift cards, each featuring a photo and story about a Five Talents entrepreneur – after 6 months your microloan will be given out again to another deserving entrepreneur

http://www.optinnow.org/ is funded and managed by Opportunity International, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending global poverty by selling gift cards to grant microloans to entrepreneurs in some of the poorest parts of the world

http://www.kiva.org/ offers gift certificates for microfinancing that the recipient can use to loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world (http://www.trickleup.org/ is a similar org but doesn’t appear to offer gift certificates yet)

http://www.justgive.org/ is a nonprofit that sells charity gift certificates that can be redeemed by the recipient at their choice of nearly 1.5 million local and national nonprofit organizations, and JustGive deducts 3% from all donations to cover the transaction costs

http://www.charitygiftcertificates.org/ sells plastic charity gift cards (rather than just online certificates) that can be redeemed to make a contribution to one of over 100 major charitable causes (organized into a dozen categories) – an 8% administrative and credit card processing fee plus $0.50 per card is deducted from the funds prior to allocation

http://www.tisbest.org/ sells email charity gift cards that allow the recipient to support a charity of their choice (over 250 carefully chosen and responsible nonprofits are listed) – the charity receives the amount of the Gift Card, less a $1.95 transaction fee and 3% that goes to the credit card company – and you can upload your own image for the card

http://www.globalgiving.com/ is a nonprofit that connects donors with community-based projects that need support, and they sell biodegradable gift cards to allow the recipient to select one of hundreds of grassroots social and economic development projects and environmental causes around the world

3. Greeting Cards

http://www.cardsthatgive.org/, http://www.charitycards.com/, http://www.goodcausegreetings.com/, and http://www.cardsforcauses.com/ list a variety of places where you can buy greeting cards that donate a portion of the proceeds to charity

4. Baked goods, food gifts, confections, and wine

http://www.misericordia.org/bakery has a Hearts & Flour Bakery that provides jobs for developmentally challenged adults, and a friend tells me that their baked goods are wonderful

http://www.dancingdeer.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=order&product_group_id=14&product_id=0 has a program called “The Sweet Home Project” and 35% of the price of the “Sweet Home” cake and cookie gifts go to education, job training, child care and housing through One Family Inc. (www.onefamilyinc.org) in an effort to help families move permanently out of poverty

http://www.bakemeawish.com/, a nationwide gourmet birthday and special occasion cake delivery service, will donate 5-30% of all online cake sales to the various rotating causes (including soldiers serving overseas and US-based nonprofits)

http://www.lesleyslifeissweet.com/ was founded for the sole purpose of using the net proceeds from sales of artisan chocolates and gourmet confections to support global humanitarian projects that would contribute to the well being of all of our communities

http://www.basketworks.biz/Baskets_For_A_Cause.htm offers “For a Cause” gift baskets, where a percentage of each basket sold will be donated to the indicated charitable organization (and a card is enclosed with the basket advising the recipient)

http://www.womensbeanproject.com/ works with women, giving hard-to-employ folks a new start in life, and they offer lovely gift baskets with delicious bean soups – they have also added jewelry this year so I’ve listed them again in that section

http://www.christkitchen.org/ is a nonprofit Christian ministry providing work, job training, and fellowship for women in poverty through production and sales of food gift baskets

http://www.onehopewine.com/ creates good quality California wines and donates 50% of their profits to charities that support the fight against Breast Cancer, AIDS, and Autism, and causes that help the environment and help military families – each varietal is paired with a certain cause, and they’ll release more varietals that donate towards additional causes as Hope Wine grows

5. Flowers

http://www.organicbouquet.com/c_21/charitable_gifts.html offers “Flowers For Good” where proceeds from the sale of each flower bouquet are used to support nonprofit organizations dedicated to social justice, wildlife conservation, animal rights, environmental protection, and other causes

http://www.urbanmeadows.org/ is a nonprofit organization that is a full-service florist dedicated to providing vocational training to individuals in their recovery journey from mental illness (local delivery in Chicago, national/international fulfillment provided by Bloom Net and FTD)

6. Jewelry

http://www.narimon.org/ sells handmade jewelry, cards, and stationary made by women who were formerly trapped in Thailand’s sex industry

http://www.tandazulu.org/ sells hand-beaded jewelry, wood carvings, and stationary to generate income for rural South African women (30% of each purchase goes directly to the beader) and to fund a non-profit organization (62% of each purchase) that support orphans and other vulnerable children at the Thanda After-School Project

http://www.beadforlife.org/ is a nonprofit that eradicates extreme poverty by selling beautiful beaded jewelry handcrafted by Ugandan women (they turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beads) and using the profits to invest in community development projects (including food, medicine, school fees)

http://www.nightlightinternational.com/ sells beautiful handmade jewelry and accessories to raise funds to assist women and children (through educational and alternative employment opportunities via a registered nonprofit organization) who are being exploited in the bars of Bangkok, Thailand

http://www.peacetags.com/ sells fashion dog-tag necklaces inscribed with words of peace, and in the process supports several non-profits by raising funds and raising awareness about their missions

http://www.womensbeanproject.com/ works with women, giving hard-to-employ folks a new start in life, and they offer lovely handmade jewelry A little bit different:

http://www.lucinda.com/ is the website for Designs By Lucinda, a cause-related business dedicated to creating affordable jewelry of the highest quality for the purpose of bringing much needed financial help and awareness to non-profit organizations and their causes – the main purpose is to allow nonprofits to fundraise with these designer pins

7. Soap and spa products

http://www.theenterprisingkitchen.org/ is a nonprofit social enterprise that manufactures natural soaps and spa products to provide workforce development and support services to women who are working toward self-sufficiency and economic independence

http://www.saveyourworld.com/ sells personal care products (soap, shampoo, etc.) made with organic ingredients and then uses the proceeds from the products to save an acre of rainforest for one year (one acre for one year per $25 purchase)

8. Fair Trade Handmade Products

http://www.globalgoodspartners.org/ is a nonprofit dedicated to alleviating poverty and promoting social justice by strengthening women-led development initiatives and creating access to the US market for marginalized communities in Asia, Africa, and the Americas – their online store is extensive and allows you to search for hundreds of gifts by category, country, or producer

http://www.serrv.org/ is a nonprofit alternative trade and development organization that promotes the social and economic progress of people in developing regions of the world by marketing their gifts in a just and direct manner

http://www.kingdom-ventures.com/ sells high-quality Fair Trade home fashion, jewelry, women's accessory products, and other gifts and items made by fair trade artisans from around the world (you can shop by product or by artisan)

http://www.ashaimports.com/ distributes Fair Trade products (accessories made from recycled plastic bags, saris, and tote bags) made by people who have been given a chance to rise above their circumstances and take back their humanity (i.e., Free Set bags www.freesetbags.com made by former Calcutta prostitutes, Saris made by training and employing families out of the slum districts in Calcutta, and accessories made by the urban poor in Delhi, India, who are paid a fair wage for their work)

http://www.saribari.com/ sells handbags and blankets that have been made from Indian saris by women living in a safe home that has restored their dignity after they have been exploited in the sex trade; each product is marked with a woman's name, a woman who now has the opportunity to make a choice for freedom and new life

http://www.madebysurvivors.com/ sells beautiful Fair Trade handicrafts (bags, jewelry, stationary, and clothing) made by survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery at shelters and prevention programs all over the world

http://www.novica.org/ (in association with National Geographic) offers handmade home décor, jewelry, apparel, paintings, and more by talented artists and artisans in Asia, Africa and Latin America who set their own prices so they earn more and customers pay less

http://www.madre.org/ is a nonprofit that uses human rights to advance social justice by partnering with women in communities worldwide to meet urgent, local needs and create long-term solutions to the problems that women face – their online store sells unique items (jewelry, textiles, household items, and clothing) that were hand-crafted by women from around the world, which helps build sustainable sources of income in those communities

http://www.bridgeforafrica.org/ is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting self-sufficiency and the dignity of work in rural Africa – the sales of the handcrafted baskets, jewelry, pins, textiles, tableware, bags, and purses go back to the African artisan groups and are reinvested in community development, training, and job creation in the regions

http://www.originalgood.com/ is the online shopping site for World of Good, which aims to eliminate poverty and structurally improve the quality of life for artisans in very low income craft producing communities around the world by selling Fair Trade and handcrafted bags, purses, home decor, housewares, jewelry, desk accessories, notebooks & journals, scarves, and more

http://www.world-shoppe.com/ sells Fair Trade products (garden supplies, housewares, accessories, jewelry, kitchen items, stationary, bags, and children’s toys) that not only provide income, dignity and hope to people in developing regions, but the products also help sustain the communities by promoting community development, healthcare and childcare, education and literacy training

9. So much variety, it’s tough to categorize

http://www.free2work.org/ helps holiday shoppers find great gifts that do not have forced or child labor in their production

http://www.appreciate.org/ creates socially responsible & sustainable designs for corporate gifts, and 100% of the profits from every purchase fund programs for homeless youth operated by the Reciprocity Foundation and the enterprise provides employment and design opportunities for homeless youth

http://www.giftback.com/ offers a wide variety of gifts and gift baskets, and 10% of every purchase goes back to a charity of the giver’s choice

http://www.worldofgood.com/ is the world’s first online marketplace to convene thousands of People Positive and Eco Positive sellers and products all in one place, empowering you to shop in ways that align with your personal values: you can search for a vast array of products that are People Positive, Eco Positive, Animal Friendly, and/or Support a Cause

http://www.amberchand.com/ sells well-designed, high quality products (jewelry, baskets, candles, purses, and more) created by physically disabled artisans and women who are victims of war, genocide, civil strife, pandemics, and natural disasters – the founder is a former Ugandan refugee and she works with her team to create sustainable, market-driven relationships that result in poverty alleviation, economic opportunity and shared prosperity

http://www.greatergood.com/lists 10 sites that offer Gifts that Give More™, where 5-100% of the purchase price of jewelry, apparel, and gifts is given to the charity (helping people, animals, or the planet)

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/ has an online store as part of its nonprofit mission, where they sell a wide variety of gift items (jewelry, clothing, home accessories, and more – including many items that are not pink) whose proceeds benefit breast cancer research and fund mammograms for women who can’t afford them

erasems.org has an online store (jewelry, clothing, accessories) where 100% of the proceeds fund Multiple Sclerosis research through Center Without Walls

http://www.drawbridge.org/ is a nonprofit that provides art programs for homeless and other vulnerable children in an environment that fosters their sense of joy, creativity and exuberance – their online shop sells greeting cards, clothing, tote bags, and posters designed with the kids’ artwork

http://www.homeboy-industries.org/ (located in downtown Los Angeles and recognized as the largest gang intervention program in the county) includes five nonprofit economic development enterprises (two of which can be accessed online if you don’t live in the LA area) whose proceeds help support their services for at-risk and formerly gang-involved youth: Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy Silkscreen (custom shirts, pens and more with silkscreen or embroidery of your logo), Homeboy Maintenance, Homeboy/Homegirl Merchandise (casual wear, backpacks, totes, and other products emblazoned with the popular Homeboy and Homegirl logos), and Homegirl Café

http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/shop-your-values lists several sites that sell gifts, bags, accessories, jewelry, home accents, stationary, children’s toys, baby goods, photo books, handcrafted artisan truffles & confections, clothing, and music and donate a portion of their sales to the Global Fund for Women (a nonprofit international grantmaking foundation that advances women's human rights worldwide)"

Source: Tasha Lopez Blog at www.lopeztasha.blogspot.com

Get Fit While Running & with Fido

A little something you may not know about me (because I make it a point not to blog about me, my life, etc... My life is not that interesting and besides I don't hold myself to a position that I think others would really care anyway) I am a long distance runner and have been since the age of 11. I run nearly every day, sometimes double work outs depending if I am training for a particular race. But, I am not a group runner, never have been. Just me, the miles, and an empty road (sort of). My weekly mileage has fluctuated from 40 to 75 miles a week, with once reaching 111. My pr for a 5K is 17:52; 10K is 38:39; 10 miler 64:?? and the 1/2 marathon 1:17 (way back when).

Just yesterday, while on a monthly call with a great group of women business owners, a question was asked... and I responded, "Well, I am a runner first and foremost. My days are scheduled around my runs." After the call I came across post on Run the Planet, a great online resource for runners of all levels. The article was about Get Fit with Fido. This Seattle-based program connects runners and walkers with a dog that is available for adoption. The Get Fit with Fido dog running team is recognized throughout Seattle, as they run in bright yellow running gear, with happy dogs at their sides wearing "I'm available for adoption" banners.

About the Get Fit with Fido program:

Every Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm, and Saturday morning at 9:00 am, Get Fit with Fido team members run adoptable dogs from the shelter to Myrtle Edwards Park in Seattle. The distance ranges from 2 to 4 miles depending on the physical condition of the runners and dogs. Weather is also a factor. The team does not run during thunderstorms, or when the roads are icy. The dogs wear banners indicating that they are available for adoption. Generally we have 6 to 14 runners each session.

These are the primary goals of the program:

• Vigorously exercise dogs that are confined to kennels for long periods of time
• Find loving homes for shelter dogs
• Increase public awareness of the shelter and let people know that adoptable dogs are not routinely "put to sleep"
• Recruit volunteers for various programs at the shelter
• Encourage runners and joggers to adopt dogs for companionship and safety
  (Source: Get Fit with Fido)

According to Alan Ward, the German Shepherd/Dachshund mix who can write and is VP Administrative Services a the local Community College, "There have been a lot of positive outcomes as a result of this program. One of them of course is that hundreds of wonderful dogs have found loving homes. Another is the "SAS' annual Furry 5K", a spin-off of the program, where 2500 runners/walkers, 1000 dogs, and 1 very brave cat participate in a five kilometers event each June to, raise money for the Help the Animals Fund. This fund provides veterinary care for sick and injured animals at the shelter. There is now a Fido racing team, where team members and dogs participate in local races, and a Tiger Mountain group that takes dogs hiking on a local mountain on Sunday mornings." (Source: Run the Planet)

This is one cool way to volunteer, to get moving and do something good for yourself and a dog awaiting adoption. I love this program and if I lived in Seattle, this is one running group I'd join.

Pour a Cold One for a Cause

This summer, take the heat off of a local charity that has been hit by the economic times, and make a difference by pouring a few "on the rocks" for some friends. Yup! Who said giving back couldn't be fun?

You can host a fabulous cocktail party for a cause. It is easy to do, every one is bound to have a good time, and a charity is supported. This is a win-win-win and it gets every one's "spirits up." Here are a few tips to get your 'good' party going:

1. Decide to do host a cocktail party for a cause a few times over the summer months. Perhaps you and a few friends can rotate being host.
2. Create a theme around the party using cocktail names. Let your creativity soar.
3. As the host, you purchase the beverages, fancy umbrellas, stirrers, painted glasses, etc...
4. Attendees drop a contribution (minimum) in to a container, sun-hat, beach-bucket, etc...
5. Guests can even donate a gift certificate to the cause for any upcoming event they may be organizing.
6. Take photos! Use the photos on your blog, business ezine, etc... and also give copies of the photos to attendees and the charity as it is a great way for them to get the word out about how you and your friends are supporting them. This just may inspire some else to do the same.
7. Create incentives for friends to come to the party, it adds a little extra something to the atmosphere.

Next time you're thinking of a cocktail of choice, marry it up with a charity of choice. It's just a different "twist" on giving back.

Boost Your Brand by Giving Back

Boost Your Brand by Giving Back (tm)

A philanthropy program for businesses is not just limited to Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. Actually, any business of any size and at any stage of the business can have success through charitable giving. So, if you think you are too small or don’t have the resources or that you are just in the first couple of years of beginning your business and a giving program is not the right time, let me tell you to lay those assumptions to rest.

Nearly ninety-two percent of Americans have a positive image of a company that supports causes (Cone, 2007). Believe it or not, your business qualifies as a part of that statistic. The study doesn’t say, “Americans have a positive image of really big corporations that give back.” Rather it refers to all businesses, of all sizes, from all different types of industries. So, if you are a business owner (solo entrepreneur) the very same analysis applies to you.

Think for just a moment when you donated your time, or a product or service or when you wrote a check (regardless of the size) to a charity, in your community. How did you feel about giving? Did someone else or group know you gave? Did you share your giving story with customers or clients? Aside from the intrinsic rewards you feel, there are significant extrinsic rewards that can benefit your business simply by implementing a giving program. Again, no matter the size.

Customers, clients and communities recognize businesses for their philanthropy (also called community involvement). When you give, you are creating customer and community connections. This is boosting your brand and branding creates loyalty among customers. Eighty-seven percent of Americans will switch from one product or service to another, even when price and quality are equal, if the other product or services is associated with a cause (Cone, 2007). That is a statistically significant.

Wouldn’t you like to boost your brand? The American Marketing Association defines brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers”. We also know that branding is your message and how you communicate it to customers and communities. Ask yourself, “What are you doing to differentiate your brand (business) from another similar business offering the same service or product?” (Notice, I didn’t say “competitor”. Trust me, there are enough customers and clients for everyone, and it’s your job to connect with those who want to business with you because of your value and values.) Having a business giving program is one way to successfully brand your business. Keep in mind, cutting a few checks here and there or volunteering once in a while does not comprise a business giving program. As altruistic as your intentions are, a giving program has a strategy so that it works for both business and causes.

Here are just a few tips to help you boost your brand through a giving program.

1. Identify your values: Brand is based on values, period. Your business values influence every decision and action you make.

2. Identify mutual benefits: Your aim should be to have a giving program that serves your business, customers, community which makes a difference in the world.

3. Create a connection: Build a meaningful connection with your customers on every level of your business. Each experience is crucial to defining and building your brand. Even your message creates an emotional connection that shifts the value perception and equation to build customer trust and loyalty.

Not sure if your giving back is building your brand? If you can’t define your giving program through your brand, your customers won’t be able to either. Your brand and giving program must be aligned to authenticate the brand connection with your business, customers and communities.

I share all of this AND more in my new Boost Your Brand by Giving Back (tm) Audio. You can get your copy of this mp3 for only $27 at http://www.givingadvice.com/products.html.




© 2008. Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. All rights reserved.