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.

Cause Marketing is Catching Fire

One of my newest passions has become reading about and getting involved with cause marketing opportunities. Cause marketing is not really new, but it is becoming a popular way for creating cooperative efforts between a for-profit business and a non-profit organization. For example, since I have supported the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for breast cancer, I remember their partnership with a yogurt company to save lids and save lives. Yoplait donated several cents to the cause for each lid turned in by consumers. The program not only raised awareness of breast cancer, it likely encouraged consumers to purchase the yogurt and donate to the cause.

I am sure you know other examples. The documented impact they have is incredible. Research shows that 9 out of 10 Americans think companies should work with non-profits to raise money and cause awareness. And 8 out of 10 consumers would switch brands if another brand of like price and quality was involved with a good cause. The majority of people also have a better opinion of those brands that support causes they care about. Could marketing get any easier?

Non-profit groups get access to funds to help promote their cause, and companies benefit by generating positive public relations and new marketing opportunities.

Anderson & Associates can help your company or non-profit group identify opportunities and put together a cause marketing campaign that benefits both parties. Cause marketing is catching fire. What are you waiting for? Give me a call!

Get Out of the Boat to Walk on the Water

I took a class during Lent this year that focused on getting out of the boat to walk on water. I wanted to learn more about how to take a leap of faith to get things done without the fear of failure and the ability to address the challenges of being willing to get your feet wet. The lessons focused on those in Biblical history, like Peter, who stepped out of the boat and into the storm while keeping their eyes on Jesus; relying on their faith to not sink into the water.

In the book we used for the lessons, the author, John Ortberg, notes that there is something, Someone, inside of us that tells us there is more to life than sitting in the boat. Something inside of all of us wants us to leave the comfort of routine existence and abandon ourselves to the high adventure of following God. My hope is that the next time I feel called to participate in a cause that may be outside my comfort zone, that I can take the leap of faith and do it.

One cause that I believe in that many might consider to be out of their comfort zone to visit is the Christian Activity Center (CAC) in East St. Louis. The center provides recreation, education and life enhancement activities for at-risk children in one of the most depressed neighborhoods of the community, and the results of the program are incredible.

If you visit the site at http://www.cacesl.org,/ you can see these children receive care and guidance from the time they leave school until close to bedtime. Since the program began, participation in gang activity and juvenile crime in the neighborhood has dropped dramatically, 90 percent of participants graduate from high school and many have gone on to and completed college degrees. The program is having a dramatic impact. And the program has many needs that we can each help fulfill. It's a cause to nourish. Check it out! It's worth stepping out of the boat.

Nourish a Cause: The Maiden Voyage

Well, here is the maiden voyage of my blog experience. I chose the title, "Nourish a Cause," because I believe everyone should "feed" at least one cause in their lives, if not one every day! A cause can be anything from using a talent to help a neighbor, to volunteering time for a non-profit group, to tithing part of your paycheck to make the world a better place. Better yet, doing all three! No effort to nourish a cause is too small or too insignificant.

If you haven't had the chance to read the book, "Be the Change!" it is a quick read and a wonderful reference guide for getting yourself jazzed up about changing the world. The book features hundreds of people talking about how they have found meaning in helping others. The book is edited by Michelle Nunn, the co-founder and CEO of the Hands On Network.

In the introduction, Nunn says, "Individual acts of daring and creativity will ultimately determine the fate of nations and our increasingly global society. And those acts will change us in return...While a single moment can be a catalyst, a lifetime of preparation helps create the framework for our service lives...the first steps of our service journey are the beginning of our own personal transformation, opening us up to experiences beyond anything we ever imagined."

One of the brief stories in the "motivation to serve" chapter was submitted by a woman that notes, "I play the flute and my sister plays the violin. When we were both younger, we would go with our grandmother to visit an elderly friend of hers...we would always be asked to play at least one song for the woman. I was not thrilled to do this, being shy, but we continued for about a year. When the woman passed away, my sister and I did not really think much about it and went on with our lives as usual. Later that week, my parents got a phone call from the woman's lawyer, saying that she had left her piano to my sister and me. Each time I play it or even glance in its direction, I'm reminded to take a little time to do something nice for another person."

What is your reminder to do something nice for another person? I think about my mom, who has been deceased for 14 years, and picture what she would have done in various situations to help another person. Then, I try and follow through. Forget the busyness of your life, and find a way today to nourish a cause. You, too, may find experiences beyond anything you've imagined!