Back by popular demand! RECESSION PROOF RESOURCES: How SMART Nonprofits Partner with Businesses – a nonprofit teleseminar program.

If you are concerned about the impact of a tight economy on your ability to get needed resources for your nonprofit, join me for my four-part nonprofit teleseminar series, RECESSION PROOF RESOURCES: How SMART Nonprofits Partner with Businesses, on Tuesdays in March (9, 16, 23, and 30) from 12:00-1:30 pm ET. Get ready for six hours of information and insights that will change the tone and success of your business partnerships forever!

For more information and to sign up, go to: http://tinyurl.com/yg9u6z9

Please pass the word to nonprofit leaders you know who could benefit from this important information!!

As a thank you for reading my blog, I would like to offer you a $50 discount on the RECESSION PROOF teleseminar program – enter RPR-5 when registering to receive the discount! Hope you will be able to join me!!

On my morning dog walk with Kiwi to Starbucks, I noticed an article on their community bulletin board with a photo of Howard Schultz and Bono announcing that Starbucks is joining the Product(RED) effort to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa.  It made clear that this involvement is about commerce not charity which I liked!  I hadn’t heard about this new partnertship yet…so when I got home, I went to the Starbucks website to see what I could find out.

The October 29, 2008 Starbucks press release says, “Starting on November 27, 2008 and continuing through January 2, 2009,  Starbucks will contribute five cents from the sale of any (STARBUCKS)RED EXCLUSIVE beverage* at all company-owned and licensed stores in the United States and Canada to the Global Fund to invest in AIDS programs in Africa.   Once (STARBUCKS)RED EXCLUSIVE Holiday beverages leave stores, the company will offer its customers the opportunity to make (RED) choices in their purchases every day.”

“(RED)’s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT)RED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children. Current partners are: American Express (U.K. only), Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark, Dell, Windows and Starbucks.  Since its launch in the Spring of 2006, more than $112 million has been generated by (RED) for the Global Fund. (RED) money is at work in Swaziland, Rwanda, Ghana and Lesotho. For more information, visit www.joinred.com.”

(RED) has been controversial because people wonder about the level of contribution versus the amount spent promoting it.  However, (RED) is a commerce-based way to support a cause which means it needs to make business sense and be win-win.  Frankly, generating $112 million in 2 years for the Global Fund is only great news!!  What other marketing resources the companies spend to promote their (RED) products and their involvement they would be spending anyway.  At least these companies have all stepped up to be part of a movement that is looking for solutions to a serious issue of our times.

As I have mentioned in prior posts, I am in Indiana conducting a statewide evaluation of their AmeriCorps Programs.  I am staying at the Hyatt (where else can I get pens free with my last name on them…???!!) a few short blocks away from the new Lucas Oil Stadium.  While I am not a football fanatic – I enjoy watching the sport and always like to do groundbreaking things.  Tonight is the Indianapolis Colts first game (albeit pre-season) against the Bills in the new stadium – so I decided to go.  The other evaluator had no interest in going with me so I got myself a ticket and will be braving it alone as a Broncos fan incognito in section 144!

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I am in Indianapolis for the weekend between rounds of AmeriCorps interviews for the statewide evaluation I am conducting.  I was wandering through Circle Center, the downtown shopping mall, and happened into Finish Line to look at athletic shoes.  Right inside the door was a big open box that said Sole Destination.  Reading the fine print I learned that customers bringing in an old pair of athletic shoes to donate when they buy a new pair, get $5 off their purchase. The old shoes go to Soles4Souls, a nonprofit whose mission is: To impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes.

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Yesterday I was interviewed by Cheryl Powell, Medical Writer for the Akron Beacon Journal.  She is writing an article on Art with Heart, an Akron art gallery that has pledged 10% of their proceeds to the local Children’s Hospital as well as giving free art lessons to children touched by cancer.  Cheryl found me online and wanted to hear more about the business benefits of philanthropy as well as current trends in small business giving.  I look forward to reading her article and I was intrigued about the local business the story will be about.

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There was an article from Joan Hill, Communications Manager for Denver’s Warren Village, in Thursday June 19, 2008’s The Hub Section of the Denver Post about a recent philanthropy activity of Qwest, the telephone company.  Warren Village helps motivated low-income, single parents move from public assistance to self-sufficiency through subsidized housing, on-site childcare, counseling, and education or job training.

For the second year in a row, Qwest Women and employees provided every child at Warren Village a brand new pair of shoes.  “Seeing the joy on their faces was priceless,” according to Bridgette O’Toole who managed the shoe donation project for the company.  The article also mentioned that members of the women’s organization “asked everyone they knew to buy a pair of shoes to donate” which to me means they leveraged their personal networks not only to increase the amount they were able to contribute but, at the same time, they let others know about their community involvement, helping to improve the company’s image.  There were quotes from both Bridgette and Naomi Taggart, resources director for Warren Village in the article.
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On May 30th, 2008, Champion, a windows, siding, and patio room factory direct company had a full page color advertisement in the Denver Post announcing their special two day “Military Appreciation Sale.”  There were great photos of their products in the ad, a thanks to the troops statement and the yellow ribbon logo, as well as three additional things that caught my eye.  First was a big yellow multi-point star with the words “We’re Doubling Our Donation!”  all in caps using a bold font.  Beneath it read in blue ” Champion will donate $100 to the Colorado National Guard Foundation for every purchase made.” (Saturday and Sunday only.)  Doing a little online research, I learned that the Foundation “assists soldiers and airmen who are experiencing financial hardship and need assistance to pay their rent or utilities.”

Below the star was a large photo of two Guards in uniform – one male and the other female with the caption, “Come in this weekend & meet your local military personnel & say Thank You in person.”  Last was a photo of company executives making their 2007 presentation of a large check for $19,300 to the Colorado National Guard Foundation.  More than one-third of the full page ad was dedicated to highlighting the philanthropic focus assicated with this weekend sale.  Nicely done, Champion.  I hope you got a good draw from this ad! 

When I went to their website, however, I was disappointed because Champion has missed a few great opportunities to feature their philanthropic efforts and stand out from other window and siding companies, enhancing their credibility and reputation.  They do not have a page highlighting their community involvement on the website that I could find.  When I went to their press release page, there were no releases posted for 2008 at all.  There was a release for the 2007 Colorado National Guard promotion. 

I STRONGLY encourage you to consider adding a page to your company’s website to highlight what you do in the community- customers care!  It can be the factor that tips someone into making their purchase from your company so don;t make the same mistake as Champion.  Also, have a system in place and someone assigned to write and release press releases.  If you are not comfortable releasing it yourself, have your nonprofit partner do that to benefit both you and them.  You may need to provide assistance in developing a quality release depending on the nonprofit you are partnering with but it can have more weight in the eyes of the community coming from them, not you. 

OK, I haven’t been able to let (PRODUCT)RED go yet…I burned out before checking Converse’s site earlier this week to look into their (PRODUCT)RED for my post on February 16.  I felt bad about not checking out one of the major sponsors, so have now gone to their website – a very hip site with cool graphics.  Their homepage has a link to their 1HUND(RED) page which then has a link to the four shoes already specially designed for the campaign by various artists – Michael White, Camilla Engman, Tom Liles, and Meghan Berckes, in addition to the other shoes offered by Chuck Taylor.  The site clearly states they give 10% of net wholesale prices to the Global Fund though I could not find a report or summary of the giving for last year from the campaign. 

In their press section, a June 14, 2007 press release announced, “Converse announces today that Common, Grammy award winning hip-hop artist and actor, will be the face of Converse (PRODUCT) RED.  Common will appear in Converse’s first national print campaign to further support Converse’s partnership with (PRODUCT) RED.  The Fall 2007 advertising campaign is entitled “Weapon of Change” featuring irreverent messages and bold illustrations encouraging consumers to be optimistic rebels and become agents of change.  The Converse (PRODUCT) RED Weapon® will be available exclusively through Foot Locker, Inc. and on www.converse.com.”  Later in the release it said, “Depending on the product sold, 5% – 15% of net sales from Converse (PRODUCT) RED shoes will go to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Geneva, Switzerland).  (PRODUCT) RED is an economic initiative created by Bono (U2, singer and activist) and Bobby Shriver (Chairman of DATA – Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), designed to deliver a sustainable flow of private sector money to the Global Fund to invest in African AIDS programs with an emphasis on the health of women and children.”

OK…so now I am done with RED for now!!  Onwards!