Cause Marketing for Nonprofits: Partner for Purpose, Passion, and Profits
Jocelyne Daw
(Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, 2006)
PND - <i><strong>Cause Marketing for Nonprofits: Partner for Purpose, Passion, and Profits</strong></i>
In the twenty-five years since American Express started supporting local causes in San Francisco by encouraging its members to charge charitable donations to their credit cards, cause marketing has become an essential element of a successful business plan, says Carol Cone, chair and founder of Cone, Inc., a cause marketing consulting firm.
In Cause Marketing for Nonprofits: Partner for Purpose, Passion, and Profits, part of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Fund Development Series, Cone's friend and colleague, Jocelyne Daw, aims to show nonprofit executives and trustees, development professionals, and other nonprofit practitioners how they can use this trend to the mutual benefit of themselves and their corporate partners.
Daw, an acclaimed cause-marketing consultant in Canada, is vice president of enterprises at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary and also serves as national executive director for the Canadian Parks Partnership, which has raised money, awareness, and civic engagement for Canada's national parks and historic sites through alliances with several major corporations.
Her book is a comprehensive treatment of cause marketing, which she defines as a mutually beneficial collaboration between a corporation and a nonprofit in which their respective assets are combined to create shareholder and social value; connect with a range of constituents (be they consumers, employees, or suppliers); and communicate the shared values of both organizations.
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Adler, Stephen M. Cause for Concern: Results-Oriented Cause Marketing. Mason, OH: Thomson South Western, 2006.
King, Samantha. Pink Ribbons, Inc.: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2006.
Trimble, Carrie S.; Rifon, Nora J. "Consumer Perceptions of Compatibility in Cause-Related Marketing Messages". International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing vol. 11 (February 2006) p. 29-47.
Wymer, Walter W., Jr. (ed.); Samu, Sridhar (ed.) Nonprofit and Business Sector Collaboration: Social Enterprises, Cause-Related Marketing, Sponsorships, and Other Corporate-Nonprofit Dealings. Binghamton, NY: Best Business Books, 2003.
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For more on this topic refer to the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature.
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The book includes many case studies, and readers will recognize several of the nonprofits profiled. In each, Daw briefly describes how the marketing campaign unfolded, then interviews staff responsible for implementing the campaign about the challenges and successes associated with the effort. While most readers will enjoy the individual studies, be aware that many concern organizations with a national or wide-reaching scope; indeed, many concern breast cancer-related campaigns, which is not surprising given the author's interest in health causes.
Similarly, while Daw offers much practical advice and many questions that nonprofits need to ask themselves, the novice may find some of the terminology she uses to be a little esoteric or off-putting. For instance, she asserts that nonprofits need to be more focused on measurement and trots out a number of B school terms — "target market," "ROI," "response rate," and so on — that may not be familiar to the uninitiated.
Those quibbles aside, readers would be wise to keep their eye on the big picture. With corporations increasingly adopting a "strategic" approach to philanthropy and gravitating to social causes — though not necessarily charities — that boost their profitability and stature in the community, cause marketing is here to stay. And, as a successful consultant in the field, Daw is an enthusiastic cheerleader for its potential. Still, she's quick to point out that most nonprofits will have to become more sophisticated and business savvy if they are to grab the brass ring of an effective cause-marketing alliance. As Kevin Martinez, director of community affairs for Home Depot, puts it: "I am a firm believer that cause marketing is not an entry level position for any new partnership you have. A nonprofit partner has to earn it." Reading Cause Marketing for Nonprofits is a good place to start.
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