Cause Talk Radio

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Christine Rizk, co-founder and president of Boston-based Fashion Project, about how her company is turning high fashion into cold cash for nonprofits. The mission of Fashion Project is to change the world one piece of clothing at a time. They collect high-end clothing from donors and sell them online. 55 percent of the money raised goes to a nonprofit of the donor's choosing. Christine discusses the challenge of starting and running a cause business, and how important partnerships with retailers and celebrities have been to Fashion Projects' success. One partner - Nordstrom - has given Fashion Project $40 gift cards to encourage donors. Tune in for a great story of how two Harvard Law School grads passed on a career in law to match high fashion with high social impact!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Adam Braun, the founder of Pencils of Promise (PoP), a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases educational opportunities in the developing world. Adam is also the author of a great new book, "The Promise of a Pencil." Adam shares how he started Pencils of Promise with an investment of $25, and how five years later his nonprofit is responsible for over 200 schools. Yet Adam concedes fundraising didn't come easy to him! Adam admits nonprofit isn't the right word to describe his work. He prefers "For Purpose." Of course, Adam also discusses his for-profit partners and PoP's cause marketing efforts. Tune in for this powerful discussion!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Chris Noble, CEO of CauseMedia Group, about the controversy surrounding the water to wine “Miracle Machine.” Developed by the clean water organization Wine to Water, global public relations agency MSLGROUP and two wine industry experts, the Miracle Machine turned water into wine in three days — or so they claimed. But two weeks after announcing the machine, the hoaxters came clean and announced it was all a prank meant to promote the mission of Wine to Water. Chris, Megan and Joe debate whether it’s okay to trick people for a cause. Most causes, especially small nonprofits like Wine to Water, have trouble getting noticed amid the marketing, clutter and noise generated by big brands. Nonprofits need to be creative on how they market themselves. But does this justify trickery? We weigh the pros and cons of this interesting, controversial and disruptive cause campaign. We also suggest next steps to Wine to Water to ensure that the Miracle Machine ultimately leads to more clean water around the globe. Tune in now.

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to John Ludlow, a causepreneur, do-gooder and Austin-based consultant who's attended the popular interactive portion of the South by Southwest Conference five times. John is also a past guest on CauseTalk Radio. Thanks to John, we get the inside scoop on the #sxgood track at SXSW. John, Megan, and Joe talk about several cause promotions at the event and whether good is growing — or heading south at SXSW. Are you a nonprofit, causepreneur or cause marketer who's weighing attending SXSW in 2015? We have the answers on today's show. We might even have a place in Austin where you can stay!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Bryan de Lottinville, Founder & CEO of Benevity about his "Goodness Programs" for companies. Benevity designs software that helps companies create impactful and engaging employee giving, volunteering & cause marketing programs. Bryan talks about how his company is focused as much on the ROI for companies as delivering a powerful social impact for the charities they seek to help. But the real winner are employees who gain a powerful portal for giving. Bryan also reflects on the potential for merging employee activities with consumer cause marketing to create a hurricane of giving! Tune in now!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Alisha Greenberg, the founder of Rounding Third, a sports philanthropy consultancy, and director of the sports philanthropy program at George Washington University. Alisha discusses the growth of sports philanthropy in the United States, but especially outside of the country where it's beginning to gain steam. With the Olympics just finished, she also talks about athletes that have turned Olympic glory into support for good causes. Specifically, she talks about her work with three-time Olympian Tracy Evans and her work in Rwanda. Another hat Alisha wears is director of the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She shares how the award process works and the type of athletes and sports organizations they seek to honor. If you're interested in how sports and marketing intersect with philanthropy, this is the episode for you. Tune in now!

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Nancy Gofus, Chief Operating Officer at Public Interest Registry (PIR). Nancy and her team manage the .ORG domain, which they've done since 2003. Nancy shares how .ORG has grown into the third-largest domain on the web. PIR is also poised to launch a new domain, .NGO, aimed at nonprofits and non-governmental organizations worldwide. But unlike .ORG, .NGO will require organizations to validate their status as a non-governmental organization. In short, .NGO will be a coveted domain that will say something about the organizations that use it. Finally, Nancy discusses PIR's aspirations to build a comprehensive database of .NGO's that will be a resource to nonprofits, do-gooders and donors worldwide!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Patrick Byrne, CEO of online retailer Overstock.com, about Worldstock, which sells items handmade by artisans from around the world. Patrick discusses the challenges of starting and growing Worldstock from a company vision to an impressive program that has returned $100 million to artisans worldwide. Patrick goes on to share some of the big plans Overstock has for other cause-related programs, including a brand new one he announces on CauseTalk Radio!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to David Woodbury, founder of eatiply, about his meal-for-meal food donation project to fight world hunger. Every time you dine at an eatiply supported restaurant and choose a featured entree, a meal is donated and provided to someone in need. David talks candidly about the challenges of running a cause business and working with local restaurants that are as focused on the bottom-line as they are on giving back. If you run a cause business, or are just a fan of the model (e.g. Tom's Shoes), you'll learn something from this episode. Listen now!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Andrew Plepler, Corporate Social Responsibility Executive, at Bank of America about their CSR efforts. Andrew explains BofA's new initiative with the online learning site Khan Academy to provide both bank customers and non-customers free, self-paced, easy-to-understand resources to develop better money habits. They also discuss other BofA cause initiatives and Andrew announces on-air a brand new partnership between the bank and Product Red, an organization fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Tune in now!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Chris Murray, Director of Business Development, of Jingit about how they are shaking up payments and advertising with an app that's enabling marketers to follow a consumer from first media impression through purchase and into loyalty. Chris also discusses how Jingit is being used for good, most recently to enhance a partnership between Walmart and Feeding America. Tune in now!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Clam Lorenz, Director of Nonprofit Engagement at PayPal. Clam explains the important role PayPal plays in processing billions of dollars of donations every year, and how it's always expanding the ways it can work with nonprofits. Clam also talks about the exponential growth of online donations and how PayPal is leading the way in mobile giving. We also discuss the challenges nonprofits have in adopting a mobile-first strategy. Finally, Clam, Megan and Joe discuss giving trends for 2014. Tune in now!

This week on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Bruce Bowman, President of Kaboom, about their new cause partnership with Imagine Toys. Together, they've launched a new line of Go Out and Play toys that will support Kaboom's mission to get kids active. Bruce discusses the challenges and opportunities of having a long-term, strategic partnership with a company. Pay attention. These types of partnerships will be the rule, not the exception in the years to come. Cause marketing will be less transactional and more strategic. And Kaboom is leading the charge!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Michael Malekoff, a former executive with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) who currently consults to nonprofits on organizational effectiveness and fundraising. Michael shares some important lessons on the challenges nonprofits are facing and how they can navigate an increasingly complex and crowded marketplace. Looking back at his tenure at JDRF, Michael reflects on a 2011 partnership between a local chain of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants and JDRF that sparked a national controversy. Perhaps more than anyone else we've interviewed on CauseTalk Radio, Michael is a practicing fundraiser that we can all relate to. Tune in now!

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Tony Smith and Vince Owen of Mobal, a UK company focused on providing travelers with affordable and reliable international cell phones. Nice business but that’s not the good news, as Tony and Vince explain. Mobal donates 90 percent of its profits to the Krizevac Project, which creates self-sustaining businesses in Africa that help the poorest of the poor. The Krizevac Project is like that shampoo commercial that ends with “And they’ll tell their friends - and so on, and so on, and so on.” Mobal donates money to create businesses that in turn donate money and so on and so on. As Brits Tony and Vince would agree: it’s brilliant! What makes this episode so special is Tony and Vince’s commitment to changing people’s life through entrepreneurship, not charity. Tune in now!