The term cause-related marketing is generally used to refer to mutually beneficial partnerships between corporations and nonprofits. In these types of marketing campaigns, corporations partner with nonprofit organizations to boost their sales while having a positive impact on a nonprofit and the cause they support.

To practice cause-related marketing, it’s important that nonprofits have the tools they need to integrate their nonprofit with a corporation’s product. At RoundUp App we provide seamless integration for Ecommerce corporations looking to practice cause marketing with thousands of nonprofits across the country.

What's included this guide

• Cause-related marketing defined
• Cause-related marketing VS traditional marketing
• Cause-related marketing strategies
• Cons of cause-related marketing
• How to use RoundUp at Checkout for cause-related marketing

What is cause-related marketing?

The term cause-related marketing is generally used to refer to mutually beneficial partnerships between corporations and nonprofits. In these types of marketing campaigns, corporations partner with nonprofit organizations to boost their sales while having a positive impact on a nonprofit and cause they support.

To practice cause-related marketing, it’s important that nonprofits have the tools they need to integrate their nonprofit with a corporation’s product. At RoundUp App we provide seamless integration for Ecommerce corporations looking to practice cause marketing with thousands of nonprofits across the country.

Cause-related marketing VS traditional marketing

Cause-related marketing might differ from the traditional forms of marketing practiced by nonprofits because it is driven primarily by a corporation rather than a nonprofit. 

In a traditional fundraising marketing campaign, the nonprofit selects the message and attempts to compel potential donors to donate through various forms of paid and organic advertising. However, in these campaigns, corporations generally reach out to nonprofits aligned to their strategic business goals first. 

An incredibly common form of cause-related marketing takes the form of rounding up or providing additional donations after a customer purchases something in a physical store or online. Ecommerce companies take advantage of plugins like RoundUp At Checkout to compel their customers to donate to a given nonprofit at checkout as opposed to donating directly to the nonprofit through fundraising emails, ads, or events

Effective cause-related marketing strategies

Cause-related marketing works best when the product or company working with a nonprofit aligns closely with the cause of a nonprofit. But there are multiple types of campaigns corporations can use to effectively drive sales and increase donations.

Individual product sales

Companies practice this type of cause-related marketing frequently by connecting individual products they sell to nonprofits. Think of big campaigns like the (Red) campaign in which products are branded to increase awareness of HIV prevention globally.

Other examples of this type of strategy involve specially branded products that consumers buy knowing that a portion of sales made from that product is donated directly to a nonprofit.

Events and fundraisers

Another key way that corporations and nonprofits work together is through in-person or branded online events and fundraisers. These types of campaigns might run long-term and usually involve a series of strategic events and fundraisers throughout a year where corporations partner with nonprofit organizations to bring awareness to causes.

In this type of campaign nonprofits and companies work together to align their business goals and plan events and fundraisers that mutually benefit each other.

Rounding up at checkout campaigns

Companies use this type of cause-related marketing to entice customers to donate at the time of purchase. This can take two forms. The first is donations added to purchases at physical stores like grocery or clothing stores.

The second type takes place online when eCommerce brands and companies use plugins like RoundUp at Checkout to add additional donations to customers’ carts before checking out.

Create compelling cause-related marketing campaigns with RoundUp at Checkout

Learn more

Supporting nonprofits during crucial events

One of the crucial ways merchants and nonprofits can collaborate on cause-related marketing comes from events that have a direct impact on local communities. In the cases of natural disasters or sudden drastic events in a community, both customers and donors are more likely to give when they know that their donations are directly supporting their community.

Corporations can improve their brand identity while increasing sales by connecting their customers to nonprofit organizations combating a recent natural disaster or event. 

Integrating corporations into the community

Another great way corporations can take advantage of cause-related marketing is to support a long or short-term project happening in their local communities. 

When nonprofit organizations partner with local online retailers they can increase donations and awareness of their community cause. Since eCommerce businesses often have a dedicated local fanbase as well as a more global audience, they can increase the awareness of  local organization. This results in more opportunities to fundraise beyond the local level while also integrating that corporation into the bedrock of the community.

The Cons of Cause-Related Marketing

While there are many benefits to corporations partnering with nonprofits, cause-related marketing can fail when not done correctly. The single biggest indicator of a potentially harmful partnership comes when corporations and nonprofits have a mismatch in strategic vision and identity.

For example, an environmentally conscious nonprofit might avoid partnerships with corporations that have a negative impact on the environment. Instead, they might choose to partner with local farms, organic and sustainable restaurants, or community plant shops that better suit their brand. 

The key to deciding if a corporate partnership is right for your nonprofit is asking yourself a few critical questions. Does this improve or weaken our potential donors’ trust in us? Does your organization support the product being sold? Could this be misinterpreted by our audience?

Just the same, corporations want to do their due diligence to vet the nonprofits they partner with. When finding a nonprofit partnership, they want to first evaluate that nonprofit. A company might consider the size of a nonprofit, the scope of the work they do, and the overall effectiveness of its organization. They might look at things like past accomplishments, how donations are spent, or just overall donor satisfaction before moving forward with any cause-related marketing campaigns.

The Pros and Cons of cause-related marketing

PROS

Can increase a nonprofit’s reach.

Can increase a company’s sales.

Great way for companys to connect with consumers.

Great way for nonprofits to raise funds.

CONS

Mis-matched partnerships can feel inauthentic. 

Can lead to less sales if customers don’t approve of nonprofit.

Can be harder to execute a campaign when multiple stakeholders are involved.

How RoundUp at Checkout helps cause-related marketing

While there are many benefits to corporations partnering with nonprofits, cause-related marketing can fail when not done correctly. The single biggest indicator of a potentially harmful partnership comes when corporations and nonprofits have a mismatch in strategic vision and identity.

For example, an environmentally conscious nonprofit might avoid partnerships with corporations that have a negative impact on the environment. Instead, they might choose to partner with local farms, organic and sustainable restaurants, or community plant shops that better suit their brand. 

The key to deciding if a corporate partnership is right for your nonprofit is asking yourself a few critical questions. Does this improve or weaken our potential donors’ trust in us? Does your organization support the product being sold? Could this be misinterpreted by our audience?

Just the same, corporations want to do their due diligence to vet the nonprofits they partner with. When finding a nonprofit partnership, they want to first evaluate that nonprofit. A company might consider the size of a nonprofit, the scope of the work they do, and the overall effectiveness of its organization. They might look at things like past accomplishments, how donations are spent, or just overall donor satisfaction before moving forward with any cause-related marketing campaigns.

CASE STUDY

How Bestop used RoundUp at Checkout for Cause-Related Marketing

Read success story

Putting it all together

Another great way corporations can take advantage of cause-related marketing is to support a long or short-term project happening in their local communities. 

When nonprofit organizations partner with local online retailers they can increase donations and awareness of their community cause. Since eCommerce businesses often have a dedicated local fanbase as well as a more global audience, they can increase the audience size a local organization has access to. This results in more opportunities to fundraise beyond the local level while also integrating that corporation into the bedrock of the community.

The post Cause-Related Marketing: A Guide to Corporate and Nonprofit Partnerships appeared first on Roundup App.

A Russian invasion of Ukraine has begun and many around the country want to know how they can support the Ukrainian people. More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled their country for safety. Those that do remain are faced with an incalculable loss as cities and residencies continue to be bombed or destroyed. Ukrainians will need international support as they continue to struggle with the fallout from war.

There are lots of great ways you can help the Ukrainian people with donations or acts of service. We’ve rounded up a few ways you can support Ukraine during these difficult times.

Supporting through our Support Ukraine cause fund.

We’ve currently put together a cause fund that’s dedicated to supporting the Ukrainian people. By donating to our cause fund you’re contributing directly to four organizations working hard to improve outcomes internationally and help with the refugee crisis. 

Our Cause Fund sends your donations directly to Amnesty International, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nation International Refugee Humanitarian Organization, and The Human Rights Watch. All are big names in international support and relief and were chosen specifically for their ability to strategically and effectively deploy resources, aide, and support during a crisis. 

Donations made through our Support Ukraine will not be subject to any fees with all money going directly to the causes listed.

We thought it would also be helpful to “round up” and summarize corporate giving and other helpful lists we’ve seen shared:

McKinsey & Co.

McKinsey & Co. announced to their alumni network that they have donated over $2 million in a week to Ukraine. Their Global Social Responsibility team has suggested seven organizations that are supporting peace and humanitarian aid for Ukraine:

1. Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund via the Global Giving Foundation
2. Ukraine 2022 Emergency Appeal via the International Committee of the Red Cross
3. Nova Ukraine
4. UNICEF’s response in Ukraine via UNICEF USA
5. Mercy Corps
6. United Ukrainian American Relief Committee
7. United Help Ukraine

The Canva Foundation

Canva’s philanthropic arm, The Canva Foundation is working with a number of nonprofits including UNHCR, Save the Children Ukraine, Tabletochki, UNICEF, and World Vision who are all providing on-the-ground support to Ukrainians. 

Boston College has created a long list of other efforts by corporations to support Ukraine that they pledge to keep up-to-date. If you’d like to share an effort you’re company is engaged in, you can share it with them via this form.

Organizations providing medical support

The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Russian and Eastern European studies department put together a list of organizations that we’d also like to share:

The Help Ukraine Center is a Polish-German initiative powered by the Ernst Prost Foundation. Medicines and other essential humanitarian products will be delivered to regions that need it the most, in cooperation with our partners: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ROZETKA, Fozzy Group, TIS, Dragon Capital, Spunbond fund, Ukrposhta.

Razom is helping with tactical medical training. Help qualified war medics teach civilians first aid and provide them with medical supplies. Now sourcing funding for a cargo plane shipment of medical aid.

The United Ukrainian American Relief Committee is providing vital medical supplies to victims, care for the injured and refugees, as well as shelter and food to those affected.

Lifeline Ukraine is offering psychosocial support for Ukrainians dealing with war. Ukraine’s first suicide prevention hotline mobilized in response to alarming rates of veteran suicide.

Veterans and internally displaced persons

Future Kyiv Charitable Foundation is a collection of charitable contributions for the purchase of humanitarian aid to Kyiv residents, organized by the Kyiv Municipal Government.

Ukrainian People With Disabilities in Crisis helps Ukrainians with disabilities, especially those who want but cannot evacuate, protect themselves in case of emergency.

British-Ukraine Aid offers assistance to vulnerable individuals who have been physically, mentally or socially disadvantaged, including the injured and wounded, orphaned children, the elderly, internally displaced persons and families who have lost their main earners. More information here.

People in Need: SOS Ukraine provides food and sanitation packages, emergency shelter, psychosocial support, and more in Donetsk and Luhansk, both in territory under the control of the Ukrainian government and in territory not currently under government control.

UN Crisis Relief: Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund all contributions are collected into a single, unearmarked fund and managed locally under UN leadership. As crises evolve, funds are made directly and immediately available to a wide range of partner organizations at the front lines of response. This way, funding reaches the people most in need when they need it.

Support Religious and ethnic minorities

JDC: Emergency in Ukraine provides a lifeline for an estimated 40,000 Jewish elderly and 2,500 poor Jewish children and their families through its network of care services, Jewish community programs, and Jewish leaders in more than 1,000 locations across Ukraine.

Rabbi Bleich’s Help Kyiv is helping to set up a Refugee Camp for the Kyiv Jewish Community, organized by Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi.

United Jewish Appeal supports urgent and mounting humanitarian needs including food, shelter, transport, and emergency medical units.

Roma Women Fund advocates for Roma women’s rights in Ukraine and collaborates with Roma communities on the regional level.

Support LGBTQIA+ Ukrainians 

Insight NGO is A Ukrainian human rights public organization that brings together lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.

Ukrainian LGBT Military for Equal Rights Association supports LGBT military in their fight on the frontline and for equality of all citizens at home.

Support Ukrainian Children

Help Us Help all donations will be used to fund evacuation and relocation, humanitarian aid delivery, and medical assistance.

Save the Children – Ukraine is distributing essential humanitarian aid to children and families. Includes hygiene kits, winter kits, cash grants to families for food, rent, and medicine. Also are providing access to safe, inclusive, quality education and working to help children overcome the mental and psychological impacts of conflict.

Toy Drive for the Children of Fallen Heroes is providing assistance for displaced people, orphans, and families of Ukrainian military who died or were hurt in action. Volunteers also learn about needs on the ground and pass on information to the organization.

Education

Ukrainian Leadership Academy is an educational program that aims to develop a generation of young leaders for Ukraine and the world. Over the course of a gap year, young adults learn to work in a team, set goals, develop projects, take responsibility for their lives and the country’s fate, and choose their future profession more consciously.

Ukrainian Catholic University Foundation invests in the lives of young and talented future leaders of Ukraine and the diaspora.

Veteranius helps teach and employ veterans, volunteers, and internally displaced persons in the IT sector and involves them in socially important projects.

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