Cause Talk Radio: The Cause Marketing Podcast

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to.....each other! For the first time in a long time, we had a show just with each other as we talked about two important developments. First, Cause Marketing Forum's announcement of the Golden Halo winner. Second, Selfish Giving's release of its annual Best Cause Marketing Promotions of 2014. Tune in as we get to the bottom of this year's winners and expand on why our picks are the best of the best!

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Pinterest expert Jason Miles. He's a 20-year veteran of the nonprofit world and the author of three books, including Pinterest Power. Jason and his wife are also the founders of Sew Powerful, a nonprofit that teaches sewing and tailoring skills to women in Zambia.

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Russell Sparkman, CEO, Content Strategy for FusionSpark Media about new research on the content marketing practices of nonprofit professionals. With Blackbaud and the Content Marketing Institute, FusionSpark Media has published its second annual Nonprofit Content Marketing 2015: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Russell, Megan and Joe discuss what is content marketing, the key to its success, the elements of a content marketing plan and why content is the future of fundraising success! Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach based on creating and distributing content that is relevant, valuable and consistent to build and engage with an audience. The goal is to drive a specific action.

Starlight Foundation helps nonprofits get the supplies they need using an online portal called Wish List. Not every nonprofit has or needs an online list. But many organizations are in need of supplies. Here's how you can get the supplies and products you need.

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and I talk to Mollye Rhea, Founder and President of For Momentum, an Atlanta-based cause marketing agency. #GivingTuesday is quickly approaching on December 2nd. Last year's #GivingTuesday saw a 90 percent increase in online giving. This is one day that nonprofits can't afford to take off. No worries if you haven't started. Mollye has some timely advice on how your nonprofit can still make a profit on the biggest giving day of the year. We also talk about the role social media plays and on which platforms nonprofits should focus. Finally, Mollye talks about For Momentum's FREE Power of Partnership #GivingTuesday Toolkit, which includes free planning tools and worksheets. If you're planning to take part in #GivingTuesday — or just thinking about it - you don't want to miss this episode.

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Missy Sherburne, Chief Partnerships Officer at DonorsChoose.org about their fundraising success with flash-funding, crowdfunding and corporate partnerships.

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Richard Swart, the Director of Research on Crowdfinance at University of California at Berkeley and author of the World Bank’s Report On Global Crowdfunding, on how to strategically use crowdfunding for corporate social responsibility (CSR). Companies across America are partnering with community organizations and crowdfunding platforms to leverage their social reach and extend their CSR messaging. It's becoming an accepted CSR activity, with very little downside and incredible potential. For Richard, crowdfunding happens when people are asked to vote with their wallets to support a product or project - instead of with their "likes" or social media impressions. It began in the arts community in 2008 when groups used crowdfunding to get their films backed. From there it was adopted by nonprofits and for-profits alike.

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to marketing and communication expert Craig Bida about Millennials and the future of social responsibility. Millennials are a huge audience — roughly 80 million strong. They — and their commitment to social impact and making the world a better place — can’t be ignored. Craig offers some examples of how companies are changing the way they do business to bring about the change on which Millennials are so insistent. Craig explains how companies need to engage Millennials top-to-bottom in a company, and not just on a carefully orchestrated volunteer day. With social impact taking a hold in many major companies, the key to success with Millennials will be commitment and execution. Is your company ready? Tune in now!

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Amy Shapiro, Manager of Cause Marketing at New Balance about SparkStart, a new global initiative that's focused on encouraging physical activity in children. It's much needed as one of every ten school-aged child on the planet is overweight. To launch SparkStart here in the states, New Balance has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Through August 31st, when you buy New Balance shoes they will donate 30 percent of the sale price back to BGCA in the form of new shoes. For the end of September, New Balance is planning a global volunteer week for employees. Employees worldwide will have the opportunity to work with activity-focused nonprofits in their local communities. Finally, Amy discusses the challenge of picking the right cause and choosing the best activities to create impact. Tune in now to learn more about an ambitious, global initiative that's off and running!

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Maria Veltre, Chief Marketing Officer, Fifth Third Bank, the 12th largest bank in the United States. Maria discusses two of the bank's cause marketing efforts. First, with Pay to the Order of each new customer who opens a checking account with direct deposit and makes three online bill payments, Fifth Third will give $150 to the customer and donate $150 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). Fifth Third also donated an additional dollar for each time the #paytotheorderof hashtag was used on social media. The second Fifth Third Bank program is Homeowner Reemployment. The bank has partnered with NextJob, a nationwide reemployment solutions company, to offer an industry-first program that gives unemployed mortgage borrowers job search assistance, including one-on-one dedicated coaching, weekly webinars and online job search software, fully paid for by Fifth Third Bank. No other bank offers this service to mortgage customers! Tune in now. This podcast will show you how a big bank can balance profit with purpose!

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Mark Feldman, founder and managing director of Boston-based Cause Consulting, about the potential hazards and potholes of employee engagement. We all know that employee engagement is one of the hottest forms of cause marketing, but how can companies and nonprofits feed the fire without getting burned? The key, according to Mark, is knowing how employee engagement is different from the volunteer programs that preceded it. And viewing employee engagement as just volunteering is the first pothole to avoid. Mark gives the example of Boston Beer Company's Brewing the American Dream, which provides low and moderate income food and beverage small business owners with the mentoring they need to achieve their dreams. Boston Beer has helped new business owners and, in turn, has strengthened its own business with employee engagement. Boston Beer CEO Jim Koch has seen firsthand the value of involving employees in a meaningful cause. You will too! Tune in now!

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to David J. Neff, author and consultant, about the thing we've all heard of, but know nothing about: Bitcoin. The author of a recent report on the disruptive impact of digital currency, David makes case for Bitcoin. What should nonprofits know about Bitcoin and its potential impact? What are the risks and benefits? David also discusses how nonprofits can prepare for Bitcoin, and how embracing digital currencies can lead to other innovations that will change nonprofits for the better. Finally, David throws down the gauntlet and challenges Megan and Joe to open our very own Bitcoin accounts. Not one to back down from a challenge, Joe immediately commits Megan to running her entire life on Bitcoin for the next thirty days. But really, listeners, this is a fascinating episode and David with his nonprofit background, mastery of technology, and knowledge of Bitcoin is just the right person to help you weigh the pros and cons of digital currencies.

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Darian Rodriguez Heyman, co-founder of BetterWorld Wireless, a company that's aiming to make people feel GOOD every time they use their phone. Darian explains that when you switch to BetterWorld Wireless, which is backed by a great group of supporting nonprofits, a person in need will receive a free mobile device loaded with content to help break the cycle of poverty and empower their life. Sponsored by You. Darian explains how BWW adopted Tom's Shoes' one-for-one model, but applied it to mobile. He and his is partners view mobile as a tremendous opportunity for social good — if it can be leveraged with skill, experience and compassion! Tune in now to learn about a company that is hoping to turn the smartphone — perhaps the most popular invention in history, according to Darian! — into a good-phone for a better world.

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Elle Lansing of KIND Healthy Snacks about KIND Causes. Elle discusses the company’s “Kind Movement,” which seeks to inspire and celebrate kind acts of every form. KIND Causes is one of the core programs. Its goal is to crowdsource ideas to make the world a little kinder. To encourage these ideas, KIND awards support to organizations and individuals to make kind acts a reality. All of KIND’s activities — cause related and other — are meant to live out the promise and potential of their brand. Cause is just one component of this. They also discuss how KIND approaches its cause activities, and its insistence on leading with an outstanding product to build passion they can direct toward cause activities. The only place where “cause” should come before “product” is in the dictionary! Are you running a cause business, or do you hope to start one that will grow into the next KIND? This is episode is for you!

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Christy Duncan Anderson, Executive Director of the Safeway Foundation. Safeway, a supermarket chain with over 1,300 locations in the United States, has embarked on a new campaign called Hunger Is, which is fighting hunger in America. Christy discusses the collaboration of several key partners in the campaign, including the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Share Our Strength, FRAC and Feeding America. It's a unique combination of organizations that together are enhancing the impact of hunger relief on local communities. Christy also discusses how Safeway used shopper data to develop the Hunger Is campaign, and to choose the best fundraising vehicles for the effort. Whether you are a retailer who wants to launch a cause marketing campaign, or a nonprofit that's eager to partner with a large retailer, this episode is for you! Tune in now!