YourCause and Dell – A Partnership Delivering True Impact

Today Dell has announced that their employees have volunteered over 700,000 hours in 2012 (which is nearly 70% more than the year prior). This is substantial for making an impact in communities, shaping the CSR industry as a whole and we get to proudly be a part of it.

Dell believed in YourCause when we were still the “new” guys on the block for employee engagement solutions (circa 2009) and vigorously worked with us to get our platform to not only meet their needs – but something that would enable us to develop global good as we establish more partnerships.

Our partnership is only a testament of delivering true impact through collaboration of expert engagement strategy and innovative technology. Our founder and CEO, Matt Combs, said it perfectly in the press release:

“Dell’s results are truly impressive and far exceed what we typically see throughout the industry. By no means does this come as a surprise to our team, as Dell’s programs and ongoing support of their employees continues to be the industry model for how to achieve results from employee engagement.”

So congratulations to Dell, their employees and all the nonprofits that have benefited from their service. Cheers to 2013 and creating limitless opportunity to make a difference.

To read the full press release, click here.

Are You Investing Smart? Make the Most of Your Donation.

Do people donate because they want to feel good or do good?

I’d say both. A donation to a nonprofit gives individuals a warm glow and insinuates a positive result will come from investing in their cause. Though, to fulfill the ‘do good’ part, donors should be aware smart giving choices will have more of an impact.

But how do you know if you’re investing smart?

Nonprofit watchdogs are a start, but they are primarily unheard of among general donors. An article from Stanford Social Innovation Review, ‘Giving Blind,’ inspired me to write about charity watchdogs and provide donors the resources that I never knew about myself before I worked in the industry.

These organizations evaluate nonprofits and rate them accordingly from their assessment criteria. Investing smart is not as easy as a ‘click of a button,’ but neither is solving the world’s issues. If you invest smart, you’re one step closer to being a part of the solution for whatever cause you support.

Either way, know that you have an option and information is at your fingertips.

See below a list of charity watchdogs and their list of recommended nonprofits:

American Institute of Philanthropy’s Top-Rated Charities

Charity Navigator’s Top Ten Lists

Guidestar’s ‘Take Action’ List

BBB Wise Giving Alliance Accredited Charities

Independent Charities of America’s Members List

Happy giving,

Amy Chait

#CMweekly: CITGO Fueling Good

Starting this week, YourCause is dedicating a cause marketing series with
campaigns that hooked us from the start.  Once a week we’ll be highlighting noteworthy cause marketing programs and analyzing trends to see what good comes out of good campaigns.

Check in every Tuesday and join the #CMweekly conversation!

Company: CITGO
Cause: Health, Environment, Energy, and Education
Partners: N/A
Website: http://www.FuelingGood.com

Program of Action
CITGO, a marketer of transportation fuels, established the ‘Fueling Good’ campaign in 2009 and is now in its third year launching the campaign to give gallons of gas to non-profit organizations. The program runs during the fall and summer, rewarding 24 charities total that will each receive $5,000 in CITGO gift cards.

The mission is to encourage citizens to lend a hand by voting for the charity they believe needs the most development. Any 501(c)3 organizations based in the 26 states and District of Columbia where CITGO operates are eligible. In addition, each charity must focus on one of the following categories: increasing literacy and education, providing energy assistance and conservation to their communities, protecting and restoring natural habitats, or helping to build healthy, happy lives.

Best Practices
CITGO’s campaign stands out because it directly correlates with their industry and corporate mission. Organizations need the transportation assistance whether it is for medical appointments, distributing food, or sending children to school and CITGO is able to give back to the community by providing fuel for these activities.

Moreover, voting contests are a great way to increase participation and involvement with consumers. According to Cone Inc.’s 2010 Shared Responsibility Study, 81% of consumers want to be engaged on a business’ support of social and environmental issues. CITGO’s Fueling Good campaign meets this expectation, along with clearly communicating how much is being donated, to whom and how long the campaign runs.

Not to mention it’s nice that the website has a counter of the miles donated, knowing exactly what the dollar amount translates to!

Program Outcome
For the summer campaign— 545,086 miles have been donated thus far. Community Health Awareness Group, Pandora, Inc., World Relief Chicago, Onslow Community Outreach Soup Kitchen, and many more were the charities rewarded gas cards. Fueling Good campaign successfully achieved their goal in engaging community residents to vote and help make a difference in their local charities.

Their fall campaign kicks off September 29, 2011, so be sure to vote and spread the word to nonprofits! To learn more about CITGO Fueling Good campaign visit http://www.fuelinggood.com.

Check back next week and join our conversation as the ‘pink’ cause marketing season kicks off for breast cancer awareness!

Your CM aficionados,
Amy and Kassie