Use Creativity to Successfully Nourish a Cause

In serving as a volunteer for non-profit organizations and working for non-profit clients, I have found that one of the biggest challenges is for any organization to try and be all things to all audiences on a shoestring budget. It simply cannot be done as effectively as you would like.

That's where creativity comes in. And that's where nourishing a cause can give an organization a lot of bang for the buck. By partnering with a for-profit company or another partner, you can tap into resources you may not have considered and expand your horizons into markets you may not have been able to access on your own. Tying into a cause that matches your organization's mission statement can breathe new life into your marketing efforts and extend your public relations reach. You move toward meeting "the all things to all people" challenge.

One recent example that comes to mind is Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Illinois. Illinois pork producers are donating 100,000 pounds of pork for Second Harvest Food Banks across Illinois. Through Pork Power, up to 400,000 servings of pork are being made available to those in need of food assistance. Meat processors throughout the state accept donated hogs to process into two-pound packages of ground pork for distribution at the food banks.

Those in need are fed, food banks get access to protein they might not otherwise have been able to supply to their clients and pork producers get the satisfaction of helping meet the needs of those less fortunate with a safe, healthy product from their farms. Pork producers are giving back to their local communities and are able to reach consumers that they may not have reached in other ways. Consumers have the chance to assess the benefits of pork in their diets, and, down the road, perhaps change their opinion of pork or even become more regular customers.

Everyone wins.

I've found through my experiences that the sky is the limit in matching causes with creativity. Let's discuss ways to make it happen.