Well Positioned for Growth – Digital Donations adds Position Marketing Division

Impacting consumer/donor behavior has been at the forefront of every solution developed by Digital Donations. As you may have noticed in our most recent blog posts Big Data plays a major role in the marketing plans of every successful company. For many years, Digital Donations has been a leader in the payment processing industry with the added capability to solicit donations at the point-of-sale and ATMs, via mobile and online giving. This unique model combining social impact with daily business transactions generated its own share of data regarding consumer behavior and led naturally to the world of big data. In September, Digital Donations President Keith Orlean was interviewed by innovateLI, where he discussed “finding value for both the profit and nonprofit industries” with the integration of Big Data and how it could shape the future of customer attraction and retention in all formats – online, mobile and the brick-and-mortar purchasing experiences.

Evolving out of this long history in electronic payments and cause marketing, added to the ever-growing power of Big Data and its role in customer acquisition and retention, the Position Marketing division was launched.

Position Marketing connects brands and agencies with technology and resources to plan and execute an ‘Omni-Channel’ strategy, based on consumer activities such as purchasing history and decisions. These innovative solutions deliver a consistent user experience, influence consumer behavior and drive traffic across all devices. The ability to deliver accurate data and a reporting dashboard that provides multi-media attribution is a true differentiator. In fact there are already big doings at Position Marketing, learn more about our recently announced partnership with ReachLocal, A USA Today Network Company and Google Premier SMB partner & Facebook Marketing Partner. ReachLocal provides best in class marketing strategies and solutions that leverage multi-platform and multi device marketing in conjunction with powerful machine learning to deliver a more targeted customer to its clients.

By combining the world of Big Data with day-do-day business activities and integrating the cause marketing component, Position Marketing/Digital Donations is the solution partner for businesses and nonprofits. Ready to get started, for more information please visit, www.positionmktg.com or contact Digital Donations at 888-705-2220, ext.100.

About the Author Leslie Riehm is the Vice President Corporate Communications at Digital Donations, Inc. Connect with Leslie and Digital Donations on Linked-In and follow her on Twitter.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/12/31/Well-Positioned-for-Growth-%E2%80%93-Digital-Donations-adds-Position-Marketing-Division

Traditions Brought to You by Businesses

Haven’t we all experienced the joy of a “Hallmark® Holiday”, you know a holiday you were pretty sure Hallmark® created to sell cards? And that’s not a negative commentary on Hallmark®, if anything as a marketer its envy! There is no better way to sell your products than create a niche and provide the exact product to fill it. In a word, it is GENIUS!!

With the most frantic purchasing retail season almost over for another year, this infographic from bizdaq* couldn’t be more appropriate and entertaining. Some of these I’m sure you know but quite a few were surprises to me. I’ve always associated the visual of Santa in the red suit with the big white beard with Coca-Cola’s holiday advertising, but I didn’t know they actually created the visual! In 1931 artist Haddon Sundbloom created the rendering we see to this day. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, why ‘Diamonds are Forever’ and Not Valentine’s Day started not by Hallmark®, florists, or candy-makers but ancient Romans. But you must give Hallmark credit, they sure capitalized on a great idea!

Share this with your friends and see how many more ‘holidays’ you can name and their origins, could be a fun game to play at holiday parties. And no matter what Uncle George says he probably did not invent a holiday honoring St. George the Dragon Slayer!

In whatever way you and your family celebrate this season, may it bring you peace, joy and prosperity~

*Infographic Source https://www.mybizdaq.com/traditions-invented-by-businesses

About the Author Leslie Riehm is the Vice President Corporate Communications at Digital Donations, Inc. Connect with Leslie and Digital Donations on Linked-In and follow her on Twitter.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/12/20/Traditions-Brought-to-You-by-Businesses

The First 3 Steps to Use Big Data ‘To Serve Man’

One of my favorite classic episodes of The Twilight Zone™ from 1962 is “To Serve Man” aliens come to earth with a book. The aliens do all kinds of nice things and everyone starts to assume they are here to help us. It doesn’t take long to decipher the book’s title ‘To Serve Man’, and while scientists are trying to decipher the rest of it, earthlings are lining up to visit their planet. Turns out man can be a pretty appetizing dish when prepared correctly, the book COOK BOOK!

The concept of ‘serving man’ has become an integral part of every new technology, discovery and even, or maybe especially. the alien Big Data!

All this data is supposed to serve us, so we can better serve our clients. Digging through the ‘cookbook’ to get to what you want to ‘make’/accomplish can be a herculean task. And some days it feels like all that data and the ways you are supposed to use it may just eat you up! Googling ‘how much data is created/produced each day? provides volumes of information (HA!) including the projection that by 2020 about 1.7 megabytes of new information will be created every second for every human being on the planet. More importantly of all that data IDC research indicates that 90% of the data produced is unstructured! That means there is a good chance that at least some portion of what you are looking for is simply floating around out there in no organized (read useful) fashion! Feeling overwhelmed, I know I do!

To help you and me too, start 2018 with a clearer focus on using and processing some of that data, I’ve worked through lots of the suggestions, input and articles out there to come up with The First Three Steps to Use Big Data to Serve Man that can help your organization and your clients. Accomplishing these three steps will provide the base you need to make sure the data you are using is the RIGHT data for you. Obviously, there is much more to the process so keep your eyes open for the next article in this series.

1. Focus – start by finding your focus, what do you want the data to do? Is your goal to bring in new clients? That’s an excellent way for data to work for your organization. The importance of defining your focus can’t be overemphasized. Without knowing what you want the data to provide in terms of information you can find yourself buried under the ever-growing morass of data, frustrated and just trying to breathe!

2. Refine – once you’ve determined your focus, you’ll want to refine it, so you don’t waste time digging through irrelevant data (of which there will be an enormous amount). Think about the idea above of bringing in new clients, what does that mean to your organization? Knowing exactly who your target prospects are and how those potential clients can most benefit by your services will help you find them. And hopefully at the same time eliminate the uninterested or non-target population.

3. Ask the Questions – the questions your [target] audience (prospects and clients) are really asking are what you should be answering. This can be a little trickier that it sounds, defining your target audience greatly narrows the data you will be considering. But it is by determining the questions your audience is asking that you’ll be putting that data to use. There are many ways to discover what your potential clients need and want to know, certainly the most direct is by asking your current clients what problem your product or service solved for them. Make sure you differentiate between what you ‘think’ they are asking and what they truly need. Remember your target audience has a problem to solve and your product/service is likely the solution they are looking for so, you must make sure they can find it and you!

With these three steps completed you are well on your way to determining the data that will help you grow your organization and ‘Serve Man’. In the next few articles we’ll look at the path data takes in its analytic journey, so you can use it to predict what’s coming.

As always, thanks for reading and please share any input, ask questions or make suggestions they are always welcome!

About the Author Leslie Riehm is the Vice President Corporate Communications at Digital Donations, Inc. Connect with Leslie and Digital Donations on Linked-In and follow us both on Twitter.

Here at Digital Donations we believe in connecting cause and commerce through innovative big data strategies and that’s exactly what we can do for your business. Give us a call at 888-705-2220, email us or visit our website to see how we can help you get a handle on big data!

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/12/13/The-First-3-Steps-to-Use-Big-Data-%E2%80%98To-Serve-Man%E2%80%99

Big Data Benefits Broken Down

Big data is only getting bigger but do you really understand the benefits and potential it provides for your company? This article by Data Science Series breaks down 10 examples of big data and what you can accomplish with it. 

http://datascienceseries.com/stories/ten-practical-big-data-benefits

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/11/28/Big-Data-Benefits-Broken-Down

What Do We Do With All That Data??

You don’t have to be a baseball fan or even a sports fan to get caught up in World Series fever, especially this year. The games played so far have been incredibly exciting and full of record breaking events. One amazing statistic after another has flashed across the screen as the game is being played. The ability to assimilate all the data so quickly and reflect that in the information on live television is nothing short of well, crazy! Big data is bringing big change to just about every activity, action or reaction almost as it happens. 

While this is an extreme example of data analysis, similar data gathering, and analysis is taking place in every field (no pun intended there). This is especially significant in marketing and sales; customer behaviors are one of the most important indicators of the success of marketing activities. Sales are of course the key indicator, not to mention goal, of all marketing; but knowing what appeals and works with potential and existing clients is extremely valuable. 

Today’s data not only goes far beyond the number of widgets purchased or returned, it can be as detailed as how far from a brick and mortar location a personalized, directed geo-add can have the greatest impact. Is it five miles, one mile, as you turn into the shopping center or as you enter the store? Does it matter if you are an existing customer or a potential new one? What about the time of day or day of the week, month or year? 

The data being gathered in today’s world can answer all those questions and do it far more quickly than in the past. By providing actionable information businesses can quickly change to reflect customer purchasing. Does the volume of customers who purchase rotisserie chicken increase 23% on the second Tuesday of the month between 5:45 and 6:00 PM? The business responds by having 23% more chicken hot and ready to go at that time. Want to increase sales on Wednesdays and Thursdays, send geo-marketing reminders to shoppers near the business to drive up sales. If that doesn’t work, the business can consider adding a discount coupon the next cycle to increase buyers. In short big data provides enough information to change marketing behavior quickly enough to truly enable just-in-time production processes.

Using big data to impact marketing and sales is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ but is rapidly becoming a necessary part of business strategy whether online or a physical presence. Small businesses are joining the big guys in gathering and analyzing data to positively impact marketing, sales, business planning and their future. 

I’m not sure how much it adds to the game to have the individual player statistics updated with every at-bat or pitch for this game, this series, the post-season, the regular season, the player’s entire career and on and on and on. But without a doubt it demonstrates the volume of data being produced and, what a game changer it is and will continue to be! 

Oh, and me, I’m pulling for the Astros—Houston strong!

About the Author Leslie Riehm is the Vice President Corporate Communications at Digital Donations, Inc. Connect with Leslie and Digital Donations on Linked-In and follow her on Twitter.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/11/01/What-Do-We-Do-With-All-That-Data

What’s the BIG deal about BIG data?

We see it everywhere in the business world today – BIG DATA – so why is it such a big deal? It’s a big deal because it is changing the way businesses work at their very core. The information and data we are constantly bombarded with from our ‘always on’ world is shaping sales, marketing, fundraising, investing, and entertainment with the potential to impact every business transaction!

But there is one big problem with BIG DATA, its big! In fact, for most of us it is way too big and too much and too often. We try to soak in a few nuggets from this overwhelming fountain and occasionally we stumble across something that can be useful in our business or personal lives. We really don’t understand how we can possibly assimilate all that data into useful and actionable information. With BIG DATA becoming more and more an integral part of how you do business, it is even more important to make sure the data you are analyzing is the right data, relevant to you and your business.

The basic business model for acquiring and retaining clients or donors has always included a component of gathering feedback and evaluating what you learn so you can apply it to your business. It could be a very time-consuming and lengthy process. The information was often woefully outdated by the time it was processed. Changes to products and how they were marketed, were not able to be made quickly enough to reflect consumers’ new interests and product feedback. Fast forward to today and with all the information we have at our fingertips. Every business can take that feedback, make the changes and, just like that the modified product based on market response is available. The consumer gets what they want and businesses growth booms, right? Not exactly...there is a key component that’s missing – all that disparate data must be integrated to provide usable information. As the old lexicon says, you can’t compare apples and oranges! Data analysis and modeling is big business. The ability to understand consumer behavior and better target your audience has proven to reduce marketing costs and increase sales. The data must be accurate and trustworthy for it to be actionable, providing your business with analysis that has value. The thought of managing all this data is overwhelming. Fortunately, there are a multitude of data aggregators and a plethora of products and services solutions to help you analyze the data, not to mention industry experts to tell you what data you should be considering. Over five million developers worldwide are working on big data and advanced analytics today. Yes, BIG DATA is a big business, currently the big data market is worth about $60bn with a growth factor of 25% over the next few years. It’s time for your business to get busy with big data. Amazon is an ideal example as for how big data can be used to scale the sales. By using the data to personalize your interaction, and adding that ‘other people who viewed this also bought’ section sales went up by 30% using the shopping experience of others. BIG DATA is not just for big companies, in fact with the introduction of cost effective cloud-based tools BIG DATA can level the playing field. The Big Deal About Big Data is this, no matter the size of your organization the data information exists that you need to make decisions about the future of your business. And as more and more solutions become available at reasonable price points you might want to get started now!

About the Author Leslie Riehm is the Vice President Corporate Communications at Digital Donations, Inc.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/10/05/Whats-the-BIG-deal-about-BIG-data

Micro-Influencers Can Be the Right Influencers for You

An influencer marketing campaign is pretty much a word-of-mouth campaign – on steroids! Because a voice on social media is potentially ‘heard’ by a large volume of people, it is a personal referral on a much larger scale. With this increased scale comes a greater need to make sure the person doing the referral is the right person, for your business, your cause and intended audience; you can learn more about influencers and their impact from our previous blog post.

Realty stars, celebrities, professional athletes, and social-media rock stars are the more visible influencers and the ones we often think of first. The issue with these types of ‘star influencers’ is the cost is way outside the budget of most businesses, even more so for small businesses and causes.

Enter the micro-influencer, typically defined as a social-media leader with between 1k to 5k followers. Depending on your own existing social media presence that may seem like either a lot of followers or very, very few. But that is not the point, statistically micro-influencers communicate more than twenty times each week with their followers. More over 80%+ of consumers are "highly likely to follow a recommendation made by a micro influencer."

That means that these micro-influencers are ‘influencing’ every day. Most of what they post include branding, so not just awareness but trust in the brand is transmitted to their followers. Micro-influencers tend to charge much less than the ‘big guys’ which means you can reach the same or even a larger, more diverse audience with several micro-influencers at a better price point. Now lest you think that this is ‘selling out’ consider that micro-influencers are not likely to be persuaded to recommend or market a product or service they don’t support. Many of these micro-influencers are millennials and that’s just not something they tend to do and probably most of all, to the micro-influencer, they don’t want to risk offending or losing their followers. To keep

their loyal followers, just as a business they must completely believe in what they are recommending.

While the reach of a micro-influencer is smaller, it is a more targeted audience. These millennial micro-influencers are following their passions, making their voices and recommendations completely authentic. The range of these interests can be just about anything, a cause like animals or the environment, products like cars, fashion, fitness, travel or personal services such as coaching and meditation. Once you identify the correct niche for your business or cause, you can then determine who the micro-influencers are in that space. You want a micro-influencer to champion your business or cause who is genuine and trustworthy. You might want to start your search on Instagram, the most popular social media site for micro-influencer, followed by Twitter and Facebook. Get more detailed info on finding the right influencers from this post.

More and more businesses are using influencer marketing, probably most of your competitors. Searches for the term “influencer marketing” have more than tripled this year. Find your micro-influencers, get your product or service into their hands and have them create content that you can integrate into your marketing efforts. Then reap the benefits of influencer marketing with micro-influencers.

About the Author Leslie Riehm is the Vice President Corporate Communications at Digital Donations, Inc. Connect with Leslie and Digital Donations on Linked-In and follow her on Twitter.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/09/29/Micro-Influencers-Can-Be-the-Right-Influencers-for-You

Digital Donations Technologies Launches Crowdfunding Campaign

Funds to be used for Digital Wallet and Cryptocurrency Development

Melville, NY September 17, 2017 – Digital Donations Technologies announced today the launch of an equity fundraising campaign to raise up to $5MM via Crowdfunder.com. Funds from this round will be used for the expanded development of PayGIV and CoinGIV, an innovative fundraising technology. Together these tools, a digital wallet and a cryptocurrency, allow donors to predesignate a specific charity and donation amount, creating automated sustainable fundraising growth. Keith Orlean, CEO and Co-Founder, stated “In addition to PayGIV and CoinGIV, our GIV Ecosystem includes point of sale, ATMs and mobile devices. The unique and essential component of our technology is Partner Rewards. By joining cause with commerce, a donation request can be added to any financial transaction and provide a brand sponsored reward to the donor, increasing the benefit to the donor, the cause and the business. Charitable giving is a $400BN industry that receives 71% of its donations from individuals. Ease of donating is especially important to millennials who love online and social giving. Having recently surpassed Baby Boomers in population, reaching this audience on their preferred platforms (social, mobile and digital portals) is the future of charitable giving. Raising capital is the next step in funding our growth as we prepare to become a publicly traded entity." Founded in 2014, Digital Donations is committed to assist non-profit industry with breakthrough and cost-effective fundraising technologies. The key to the business is its innovative GIV Ecosystem which integrates at point-of-sale, mobile devices, ATMs and e-commerce checkouts. Through this integration, the GIV technology enables consumers to make charitable donations while making a financial transaction. To review the opportunity to invest in the Future of Giving click or copy this link.https://www.crowdfunder.com/digital-donations-inc-/invest # # # #Forward Looking Statements Statements in this press release including statements regarding either parties’ beliefs, expectations, intentions or strategies for the future, may be considered "forward-looking statements". All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, intensified competition, operating problems and their impact on revenues and profit margins, anticipated future business strategies and financial performance, anticipated future number of customers, business prospects, legislative developments and similar matters.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/09/26/Digital-Donations-Technologies-Launches-Crowdfunding-Campaign

Big News on Big Data at Digital Donations

Digital Donations co-founder Keith Orlean recently spoke with InnovateLI, about big data and how he sees transitioning their nonprofit solution into the for-profit arena.

The proprietary data-crunching solution from Digital Donations is designed to capture the information from potential donors and now, customers who visit a website but don’t complete the forms, etc. This unique tool allows you to recapture the potentially lost data and create a connection to these website visitors. Once you have this basic data, Big Data follows with shopping, buying and donating habits. Add in location/beacon technology and a you’ll have a whole new world of actionable data. You can focus on the specific demographics of your ideal customer or donor to provide a truly personalized experience.

>> Read the entire article!Digital Donations is a leading provider of state-of-the-art alternative fundraising solutions connecting cause with commerce in the communities where we work and live.InnovateLIis an online source for information “inside the new economy

About the Author Leslie Riehm is the Vice President Corporate Communications at Digital Donations, Inc.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/09/12/Big-News-on-Big-Data-at-Digital-Donations

Influencer Marketing – Finding the ‘Right’ Influencers

There is one thing in marketing that you can count on change. Social media marketing is no different, in fact if anything it changes more quickly and with far more enthusiasm! The latest trend is ‘influencer marketing’ which is exactly what it says: using someone with ‘influence’ to market your products/services. But just what is an ‘influencer’ and how do you find the right one(s) for you?

Social media has created their own form of celebrities, some of whom are not unlike television’s reality stars. But the influencer your business (or nonprofit) is looking for is more than an internet sensation, you want someone who has true influence in your niche via their blog, vlog or other strong social media presence. You aren’t looking for someone with the most followers, but with the appreciable influence.

Most influencers focus on a specific area, there aren’t many generalists. That’s a good thing because its increasingly more difficult to be one, especially on social media. You are looking for the experts, the voices of an industry or product; their opinions, thoughts and other input are used by their followers to make purchase decisions.

The number one reason you want to get into social media influencer marketing are of course, the millennials. As you likely already know the millennials are the largest segment of the marketplace, outpacing the baby boomers. And the generations after them, are even more engaged in social media. They aren’t interested in being sold to or told what to buy, they want to do their own research and they trust the opinions of their peers, if they aren’t just trying to ‘sell a product’.

Influencers must have an authentic voice that shares information and advice they can relate to and depend on. These aren’t usually the celebrities they follow, though some do have an authentic voice and are influential, but more frequently experts in their

niche. This confirms the idea of authentic influencer vs. high volume of followers.

True influencers will only share their opinion of a brand if they truly believe in it. They aren’t looking for a pay-off, in fact you will often hear them saying “this product was sent to me to test by the manufacturer and it just doesn’t live up to its hype. So where do you find your social media marketing influencer who is genuine, has an authentic voice and is a reliable source?

First you must know who your target audience is, if you haven’t clearly defined that or it needs a bit more work, consider creating buyer personas. Shopify® the source for entrepreneurs, has an excellent article on the subject. Once you are very clear on who you want to influence, you can start the hunt for the right influencer.

Consider the following three factors when evaluating potential influencers:

Who is their audience, does it reflect your buyer persona?Is the audience engaged with commentary and questions, how often is content shared by their followers (this helps spread the influencer through peer communication)Are there any ‘red flags’ about the influencer that you feel don’t align with your mission or message? You want an influencer who positively reflects your brand image.

The right social media influencer(s) can help you get your brand in front of your chosen audience. With an impactful message in the influencer’s own voice, you can expect to see positive result and significant return on your effort.

Now get out there and find your social media marketing influencer! Read our previous blog post “Just How Much Impact do Influencers Have?” for additional insight.

About the Author Leslie Riehm is the Vice President Corporate Communications at Digital Donations, Inc. Connect with Leslie and Digital Donations on Linked-In and follow her on Twitter.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/09/11/Influencer-Marketing-Finding-the-Right-Influencers

Just How Much Impact do ‘Influencers’ Have?

Marketing has always embraced those with influence (real or perceived) to help raise brand awareness. Sports figures, actors, and other well-known personalities tell you that they use this or that product or service, or support a specific charity and you should too. But times have changed, it is no longer enough to compensate a well-known personality to ‘hawk’ your brand or nonprofit; the connection must be real!

The use of influencers in digital marketing continues to grow, and even more so with nonprofits and their partner’s cause campaigns. The question of their effectiveness and value can be very subjective, but the recent Influence Impact Report from Allison+Partners i has some very measurable statistics that clearly demonstrate the impact of digital influencers. The findings illustrate a growing audience that is both digitally connected and deeply invested in charitable issues, signaling influencers as an increasingly important consideration for your cause marketing strategy.

These digital influencers inspire their followers to commit money, loyalty and their time to the causes they are championing. The findings clearly show the ever-growing ‘fanbase’ of digital influencers is seriously committed to philanthropy and making a positive difference in the world.

As they say, ‘the numbers don’t lie’ so consider these findings:

35% of the influencer’s audience engaged with the recommended cause;

of that number, more than 50% donated and/or shared the cause;

37% actually volunteered with the cause!

It is important to note that the influencer’s personal connection is a key factor in driving consumer actions. The level of trust that the influencer commands is based on the influencer volunteering with the cause and sharing stories about the personal impact of the cause, whether their own or that of another person.

“Brands and nonprofits are investing heavily in influencer programs with the hope of shaping beliefs and inspiring action for their initiatives,” said Scott Pansky, co-founder and head of the social impact practice at Allison+Partners. “The data shows that working with digital influencers is making an impact, but that impact is dependent on finding the right influencers who can tell your story in a way that is authentic to them and their followers.”

This is a very important consideration, you need to find the ‘right’ influencer for your brand and they must be authentic in their support and commitment.

Some of the additional insights from the study include:

How authenticity and personal stories drive engagement and impact for cause effortsWhat brands should consider when developing a cause partnershipWhat types of content and channels are most successful at promoting brand-cause partnershipsThe power of tapping local influencersHow to convert followers into advocates by creating content they are willing to share

Without a doubt the right digital influencer, truly committed to the cause has a huge impact on their followers’ decisions on who to support and the actions the take. Ignore them at your own peril!

i The latest Influence Impact Report, “Powerful Connections: How Influence, Empathy and Engagement Have Transformed Cause in the Digital Era,” is available for download.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/08/09/Just-How-Much-Impact-do-Influencers-Have

How Do We Get There From Here?

This recent article in Forbes really got my attention, First of course because I’m a marketer and the author is the CM&CO for Mastercard but, also because I believe in cause marketing and the confluence of cause and commerce is at the heart of the Digital Donations ecosystem.  The author, Raja Rajamannar states “As marketers we have long championed cause marketing programs as an impactful way for brands to get involved, but our programs can go further by evolving them from “nice-to-dos” to “must-dos.” The question is how do we get there from here?

The goal beyond just marketing your business as aligned with a cause is to develop a long-term plan where ‘doing good as part of doing business’ is an ingrained component of your business strategy. 

It’s clear that our world faces huge challenges – clean water, financial services, poverty, education and saving the planet. The millennials (and GenZ) look to businesses as a force for good and their most favored (read purchased) brands are engaging with social issues earning their loyalty and trust. As more consumers decide to support causes with their purchasing decisions how and why you associate your brand is a key consideration in your planning.

The article makes several salient points on how to do this ‘right’:

The Right Cause.“A carefully chosen, brand-relevant cause can grow and evolve over time, magnifying the impact on benefactors and the company.”

Before you jump on the latest bandwagon for a noble cause do some research. If your alignment is to be authentic the cause should make sense in your business model. A consumer isn’t likely to ‘see’ the connection between a purchasing a specific motor oil and educating children in rural America. You can create or force a connection, but a more natural cause might be pollution in the area where the children live.

Set — and achieve — measurable, transparent goals. “. . . clarity around the consumers’ role in helping achieve these goals, is probably your most important piece of communication.”

Consumers want to know how buying your product or service is integral for the success of the cause. The most direct connections are the easiest to understand such as buy one, give one. There is no doubt that by buying this product a second one is donated to the cause; it’s a clear connection that’s easy to understand.

Partner appropriately as they become an extension of your brand. “Not all partners are equal, even if they seemingly have the same mission.”

The volume of charitable organizations that share the same mission or vision is enormous. Some are more successful than others and are more targeted in that overall goal. Consider the approach and specific solution each NPO proposes and what how that can become part of your brand and overall business strategy.

Look for sustainable programs beyond the donation. “By choosing and establishing longstanding relationships with the right non-profit partners, cause marketing programs have the potential to have a dramatic cumulative effect.”

This is the goal of any long-term cause marketing program. The growth of what started as a small, locally based program can over time expand beyond the community, across the country and around the globe. Consider the impact a local before school meal program can have – hungry children cannot pay attention and learn. No longer focusing on their empty belly translates into doing better in school, better jobs and stopping the cycle of poverty.

Clearly, we are making an effort to come together to solve problems and create a better life. By carefully choosing the right partner for a long-term, growing cause and commerce alliance every brand can have a positive impact and profitable business.

The referenced article appeared on the Forbes.com site July 10, 2017

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/07/20/How-Do-We-Get-There-From-Here

Next Up – Generation Z!!

Let’s see we had The Greatest Generation, The Silent Generation, The Baby Boomers, Generation X, The Millennials (aka Gen Y) so of course our up and coming generation are Gen Z.1

I am a Baby Boomer myself, my son is a Millennial and my young nieces and nephews are all Gen Z. I’m guessing they don’t know that yet and likely don’t care. You however Mr. or Ms. Small Business Owner or Executive Director of a Nonprofit should definitely care about the up and coming generation.

For now, you are safe focusing on Millennials as the largest group of consumers and donors, but just as the Millennials caught many of us by surprise when they surpassed the baby boomers (believe me we never thought they’d pass us up!) it might behoove us all to be prepared for these young whippersnappers!

First a little background – Gen Z youth were born in and after 1998, right now the oldest of them are about to enter college. Gen Z is expected to reach 2.6 billion individuals with 85 million here in the US; almost one-quarter (24.7%) of the population.

Most were raised by Gen Xers (and I guess a few of us late parenting Baby Boomers) and early research says they are cautious spenders, bargain shoppers and more likely to save then spend—which really isn’t great news, right?

It is certainly understandable that they are a more cautious group. They grew up experiencing global political upheaval and unrest, climate change, school violence and terrorism. Symptoms of depression and anxiety are rampant among Gen Z and sadly so is self-harm and suicide

They worry about terrorism, believe that climate change is our biggest challenge and feel that school violence, not social media has the biggest impact on them

There is plenty of good news too, for Gen Z corporate social responsibility and giving back to their communities is very important. They register their support or lack of it, but the jobs they pursue, the products and services they buy and support, and with their time and donations.

And social media is influential in these decisions, over 50% of them donated due to message or image on social media. YouTube Facebook and Instagram take up a large portion of the 3,5 hours they are on average online.

Gen Z are the first true digital natives, most cannot even remember a time before the internet or social media. Today the average age for getting your first smart phone is approximately ten and a half! But they did wait a year later to get their first social media account! This may be what accounts for their 8-secnd attention span!

So, what is a smart executive whether in the non- or for- profit arena? First recognize these young folks are coming and will be serious, cautious consumers of goods and service. It has never been more important to align cause with commerce to gain customer loyalty and attract the best staff. And without doubt the way to engage them is via social media – but you may only have 8 seconds to get their attention so make sure your message is clear, concise and actionable!

Thanks for reading, what do you think about Gen Z and how they will impact businesses and charities? I’d love to hear your thoughts – comment below or email me directly at lriehm@digitaldonations.org

Author Leslie Riehm is the VP of Corporate Communications for Digital Donations, Inc.®a leading provider of alternative fundraising solutions joining cause and commerce to benefit the communities where we work and live.

1 Table courtesy of http://genhq.com/faq-info-about-generations/

Gen Z, iGen, or Centennials: Born 1996 and later

Millennials or Gen Y: Born 1977 to 1995

Generation X: Born 1965 to 1976

Baby Boomers: Born 1946 to 1964

Traditionalists or Silent Generation: Born 1945 and before

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/07/03/Next-Up-%E2%80%93-Generation-Z

Greed—Going, Going, Gone?

Greed is a four-letter word in today’s society. Which is not to say that’s its gone away, only that it is no longer a mantra to live or run a company by. So with a nod to Michael Douglas’ amazing portrayal of Gordon Gecko, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is NOT good. Greed is NOT right. Greed NO LONGER works.”

Corporate Social Responsibility is not a passing phase of the ‘millennials’; almost two-thirds of corporate CEOs see CSR as an integral part of corporate strategy, not an ‘add-on’ corporate philanthropy program. Consider that in four short years (2011-2015) the number of Fortune 500 companies that published a corporate responsibility or sustainability report QUADRUPLED, from 20 to 80 percent. As that number edges forward to 100%, there is no discounting the importance of doing good.

Business has a responsibility to its employees, stockholders, and the economy to maximize profits; however, it is no longer acceptable to do that at the expense of the environment and social welfare. The Cone Communications CSR Study for 2017 starts by saying that this is the year that corporate social responsibility (CSR) was redefined. Companies must now share not only what they stand for, but what they stand up for (see our recent blog post). Unilever’s CEO, Paul Polman, has gone so far as to describe his company as “the world’s biggest” non-government organization, noting, “The main thing we’re trying to do is give every brand we sell… a social purpose.”

What’s behind this paradigm shift? As we’ve discussed previously, the largest portion of the consumer market is now the Millennials and the generation coming up behind them. Today’s youth want to make the world a ‘better place, ’ and they support that philosophy with their purchasing dollars. 75% of this group believe that corporations should address the needs of society as part of creating economic value. Its not only the services and goods they buy, its just as important whom they buy them from, to them brands are part of the identity of who they are, their values and their place in the world. In this era of lack of trust in government, banking systems, and business, as a society that has become increasing intolerant of inequality, greed and excess are not acceptable.

As part of today’s education model students are learning at a younger age to engage with the community and ‘give back’; most high schools require community service hours as a graduation requirement. Rather than huge

transfers of wealth from one generation to another, they see billionaires like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg joining Warren Buffet to ‘give-away’ half of their acquired wealth. More retailers are closing on Black Friday and other holidays to encourage employees to spend time with their families. Socially responsible businesses are building positive, trustworthy brands.

As the next Generation comes forward we will see consumers demand more of the businesses they patronize, ‘doing well by doing good’ may well become the mantra of successful businesses. These companies will attract the best talent, have greater valuations and enjoy a position of trusted social business partner. The word philanthropy’s Greek root translates as ‘mankind-loving’ – what better way to show a love of mankind than by making it an integral part of the way you do business.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/06/22/Greed%E2%80%94Going-Going-Gone

WHAT DO YOU STAND UP FOR?

Cone Communications released their Sixth Corporate Social Responsibility Report in May. The overarching theme – 2017 will be remembered as the year that corporate social responsibility (CSR) was redefined. Although CSR will always be grounded in business operations – from water conservation to supply chain transparency – recently, the stakes have gotten a lot higher. Companies must now share not only what they stand for, but what they stand-up for.

Some of the key findings include:

Almost two-thirds of Americans want businesses to take the lead to move social and environmental change forward, in the wake of the current administration's lack of regulations on these fronts. More than three-fourths would like to see social justice issues addressed by businesses.

Moreover, Americans are willing to put their money where their social responsibility feelings lie:

When a company advocates for a cause or issue they care about almost ninety percent will make a purchase to support the business.

On the flip side, three-fourths will NOT purchase if the business is supporting a cause or issue they don’t believe in!

Another key takeaway – most Americans believe that the most important action of corporate responsibility is treating employees well. Being a ‘good employer’ has spread beyond employee satisfaction and into the arena of impacting business sales. Well worth taking a look at your own employees’ satisfaction and highlighting its positive impact to consumers.

More than just corporate sponsorship and cause marketing, American consumers are looking for business to get involved in social justice issues like women’s rights, racial equality, and economic development, among others. Hot topic issues such as immigration, gun control, and LBGTQ rights are also expected to be on the CSR agenda. Consumers don’t want to do business with a company whose views do not reflect their own on issues of importance to them. More and more often Americans are ‘voting’ with their wallets.

Corporate Social Responsibility is a significant component of the purchasing decision for American consumers. To garner market share from them, authentic CSR must be part of the company’s culture and strategy, and it must be clearly, consistently communicated across all media. As it has been since the first study in 1993, the 2017 Cone Communications CSR Study is overflowing with useful and actionable information, revealing insights and the pulse of the American consumer. I encourage you to get you own copy of the study and review it in detail; this is one area where you don’t want to fall behind!

Digital Donations, Inc.® is a leading provider of cause marketing services to both nonprofit and for-profit organizations along with a variety of alternative fundraising platforms. Contact us via email or at 888-708-2220 or visit our website for more information.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/06/15/WHAT-DO-YOU-STAND-UP-FOR

Want More Online Engagement? Get Creative!

One of my favorite blogs recently had a post on creative ideas for online engagement for nonprofits. It occurred to me while reading it that these ideas would work equally well for a smaller for-profit business. Any one or these ideas can be a hit with a cause campaign where an NPO and Small Business are working together. A nod to author Kerri Karvetski for the first four ideas, with a few changes, and a fifth one I came up with myself, here are 5 Creative Ideas for Online Engagement:

1. ART Adding some art to your online presence is a fantastic way to attract attention and increase your audience. There are many ways to get the art you want including a contest with staff or constituents/consumers, sponsor a contest at a local school or even engaging a professional artist. You don’t have to limit yourself to one piece; you can display multiples at once or change them around on a schedule. Whatever you decide, the art should reflect your values and vision, and if you are using art to support a cause campaign be sure it aligns with the overall goal.

2. READING LIST Provide your supporters and customers with a reading list any topic that reflects your business and your work. Again, this really resonates with a cause campaign, educating people about the impact of your cause and its resolution can bring focus to the work the nonprofit partner does. Don’t hesitate to include some reading materials about your business and successes in both business and nonprofit impact. Educating the public is one more way to widen your reach and results.

3. TWEET/STORY CONTEST Similar to the art contest, consider asking your online followers to submit a ‘tweetable story’ (maximum of 140 characters) about your product, service and its value. Don’t be afraid to go for humor and the occasionally bit of irony – just not too complicated; people should not have to think that hard about a TWEET!4. INSTAGRAM PHOTOS Get all those digital photographers out there to showcase your products ‘on tour.' How far can your product go, around town, around the country or even around the world? Alternatively, a home-town photo collage with different shots of traditional views of Hometown,U.S.A. Suggest a road trip, just like the pictures, our parents took at every “Welcome to STATE” sign, though in this case, it is your product. As a part of a cause campaign photos of the impact of the campaign would be a stirring vision.

5. HOLIDAY THEMED VISION BOARDS Now I don’t mean the ‘big’ holidays here, but unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you are probably aware that EVERY DAY something is being recognized or celebrated – June 7th is Chocolate Ice Cream Day, and the 29th is Handshake Day just to get you started. So, mention these days on your Social Media and invite your followers to submit quips, photos or other commentary related to the day and your product, mission or cause campaign.

You can probably think of a few creative ideas of your own that will reflect what you do, your consumers or constituents and your vision. Make this a fun activity, if you are going to do it with staff have an after work or at lunchtime pizza party. The more consumers, clients or supporters you engage the better. Grow your online presence by having the contributors share the posts with their networks.

Digital Donations is a leading provider of alternative fundraising solutions joining cause with commerce to benefit the communities where we work and love. For more information visit our websiteor call 888-705-2220.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/06/05/Want-More-Online-Engagement-Get-Creative

Helping More People Today Than Yesterday

A conversation with Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

Digital Donations recently had the pleasure of speaking with Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). Prior to taking the helm at AFA in 2014, Fuschillo was a member of the New York State Senate for almost 16 years. He previously served as the COO of a nonprofit family service agency on Long Island and in New York City. Working for a nonprofit seems to come naturally to Fuschillo, as both his parents were involved in the community. His mother was a local real estate business owner and executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, and his father was president of the local Little League and an elected official. Their early example of giving back was instrumental in Fuschillo’s decision to work in the nonprofit space.

During our conversation, his passion for the mission of AFA and what it means to people impacted by Alzheimer’s disease was quite apparent. Fuschillo started by telling us about AFA, its founder, and their many activities and capabilities. 

“When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, it can be both frightening and overwhelming. Like many journeys, the hardest step is the first one—where do you start?”  

AFA can be that first step—a place to turn for education, information and resources. AFA’s national toll-free helpline (866-232-8484) is staffed by licensed social workers, specifically trained in dementia care, who answer questions and provide support and referrals to local resources throughout the country. 

AFA was founded 15 years ago by Bert E. Brodsky, a businessman and philanthropist who personally experienced the devastating effects of this disease after his mother was diagnosed in 1980. As a caregiver, Bert thought he was doing everything right, and while he was certainly doing the best he could, at the time, there was little information about the disease and nowhere to turn for support. Today, AFA has exceeded any vision he had for the organization, now serving a network of more than 2,600 member organizations nationwide.  

AFA’s members include assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, adult day centers, home health companies, law enforcement agencies, Area Agencies on Aging, and many more.

AFA’s signature program is the National Memory Screening Program, which provides free, confidential memory screenings to people nationwide. Screenings last about 10 minutes and consist of a series of questions and tasks designed to gauge memory, language and thinking skills. A screening is not a diagnosis of any particular condition, but if a person scores below the normal threshold, he will be referred to his physician for a full evaluation. What many people don’t realize is that there are a number of conditions—beside Alzheimer’ disease—that can cause memory issues. Vitamin deficiencies, thyroid issues, depression, sleep apnea and medication side effects are just a few of those conditions. A memory screening is a good first step in putting a person on the proper path to treatment. 

AFA also offers dementia-specific training to healthcare professionals of all levels and disciplines, via “AFA Partners In Care: Supporting Individuals Living With Dementia.” The program, available on DVD, as well as through customizable in-person workshops has been recognized by both the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as a provider of continuing education contact hours for licensed social workers.  

As our conversation drew to a close, I asked Fuschillo what one thing did he want us to take away from our conversation regarding AFA. 

“First and foremost we are about the here and now, if Alzheimer’s walks into your life, we’ll be here today and tomorrow, caregivers and family need to know they have support. We’ll keep looking forward; our competition is the disease itself.”  

Fuschillo is also proud that AFA has earned Charity Navigator’s four-star rating—the highest rating awarded to a nonprofit. More than 85 percent of the monies raised by AFA goes directly into programs and services rather than administrative and marketing costs. In addition, when a donation is earmarked for research 100 percent of that donation is dedicated to research. AFA treats its donors with tremendous respect. Each is thanked with a personal note, most signed by Chuck himself. “When a person sits down in their kitchen to write a check, we can take the time to thank them properly and show our appreciation.” 

AFA is celebrating its 15th Anniversary this year with the AFA Educating America national tour, featuring free educational conferences in 15 states across the country. You can support the work of the AFA by making a donation at a participating ATM or visiting their website.    

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/05/30/Helping-More-People-Today-Than-Yesterday

Cause Marketing in the New Era of Corporate Social Responsibility

Cause Marketingis not a new idea – it’s been around a long time. Whether buying a Christmas tree from the local Lions Club, light bulbs from Boy Scouts or yummy Girl Scout Cookies, in each case you are purchasing a product that you would normally (or not?) buy – possibly at a premium price – in support of the organization the product represents. These and other ‘older’ connections between commerce and cause are an accepted part of the consumer landscape. I’m pretty sure there is a reason so many of them are connected to food and yummy treats because that is a proven method for getting people to spend some cash. And to give kudos where due, the Girl Scouts have linked into something smart – don’t want to buy a bunch of cookies and end up eating way too many?Purchase them for donation to our military men and women. A double bang for your buck – supporting Girl Scouts and our military with a $4 box of cookies and saving your waistline!So how then is cause marketing changing in the era of increased Corporate Social Responsibility, commonly referred to as CSR? It has long been considered a businesses’ primary responsibility is to maximize profits for its stockholders and investors. Is it possible, much less feasible to do that while also engaging in CSR? It is but only if the two are intertwined as a single strategy that radiates throughout the entire organization.

The connection between commerce and cause cannot be simply an event or a product;consumers want to see a more deeply ingrained sense of commitment from a company.The ‘cause’ needs to resonate throughout the business as part of an overall strategy for ‘doing well by doing good.’ Every day more and more companies make this commitment to integrate the cause they champion into their everyday business practices.

How does a small business incorporate CSR into its operations and marketing? Include all stakeholders in the process of finding the right cause to align with, one that reflects the values of your organization and speaks to your entire team. A small business will usually find it easier to solicit input from everyone—board members, management team, staff and even valued clients. Once you’ve found the right cause, look for local charities first that support the cause and study their mission, values, and vision--make sure it reflects your business CSR. Integrate these messages into your overall business strategy.

Let the world know about your commitment to cause – weave your CSR message into your marketing materials—digital and print versions, advertising and product packaging. Include your cause partner at events and participate in theirs! Make sure you reflect this in encouraging staff to volunteer, co-branding and of course community and public relations. The local media will likely be very interested in your story of cause and commerce connecting the community.

Cause marketing and corporate social responsibility can fit together smoothly. Supporting a cause can become part of your overall CSR, just like managing resources wisely, identifying more efficient operating processes and responsible community interactions.

AuthorLeslie Riehm is the Vice President of Corporate Communications at Digital Donations.

Digital Donations™ develops fundraising and marketing solutions that connect cause with commerce to make a difference in the communities where we work and live.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/05/25/Cause-Marketing-in-the-New-Era-of-Corporate-Social-Responsibility

OPEN For Business and Making A Difference

In mid-April, just a few weeks before Small Business Week, the USChamber of Commerce Foundation released their study “CSR EFFECT: SOCIAL MEDIA SENTIMENT AND THE IMPACT ON BRANDS”i. The study looked at the significant social media impact of aligning commerce with cause and the many, some surprising, ways it strengthened the businesses brand.

The study concluded that when businesses, as engaged community stakeholders, contribute their time, talent, and financial support to communities, everyone benefits – the cause, the business and most or all the community. Businesses with a strong CSR do so much more than just provide employment opportunities and their products or services.

Some of the report highlights include the real value to a company to properly frame and discuss their efforts online. This encourages thoughtful discourse and an emotional response, the type that garner more interest from social media users.

A strong, well-thought out CSR can actually convert people’s thinking about a business from just lukewarm or neutral to a positive response. Those businesses who up their social media promotion of their community involvement showed defined improvement of their brand. To read the entire study, click on the title above or go to theUS Chamber of CommerceFoundation website.

Digital Donations works with businesses of all sizes to join cause with commerce to benefit the communities in which we work and live. For more information visit our website or call 1-888-705-2220.

i The research and analysis was made possible through an Impact Grant from IBM, which provided both consulting and technology support. The two-year joint study measured public sentiment using IBM Social Media Analytics.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/05/08/OPEN-For-Business-and-Making-A-Difference

Celebrating Small Businesses Everywhere!

This week, April 30th thru May 6th isSmall Business Week. Started in 1963, the US Chamber of Commerce takes this week to recognize the contributions of Small Business. In Washington, DC the US Chamber is hosting events and awards, and there are events all throughout the country for Small Businesses to participate in, including local awards ceremonies, workshops, and meetings. Find out what’s happening in your community at theSmall Business Week site.

Digital Donationsworks with businesses of all sizes to join cause with commerce to benefit the communities in which we work and live. For more information visit our website or call1-888-705-2220.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/04/17/Celebrating-Small-Businesses-Everywhere

Go Dogs Go!!

I loved that book when I was a kid, as a matter of fact, I still like it and a few other of the nonsensical books by Dr. Seuss. The thing I liked most about this one -- the dogs were always on the go, frantically rushing off somewhere – just like we all seem to be doing these days. But when I recently read it to my 3-year old niece, she had a question “where are their phones?” Ah, out of the mouths of babes, today no matter where we are going we are still connected – smartphones mean we are never far from a call, a message, social media, and the internet.

According to the 2016 U.S. Mobile App Report from ComScore“Digital media time in the U.S. continues to increase – growing more than 50 percent in the past three years, with nearly 90 percent of that growth directly attributable to the mobile app.”1

The most used mobile app is text messaging. Beyond communicating status, “I’m running late, ” or in place of a call, it has become an effective marketing tool. Text messaging or SMS its more technical term has an almost 100% read rate and are opened within THREE MINUTES! If you consider that the email open rate is less than 25% the way to get your message out there is with texting!

Texting is simple and direct, probably why it has such a large open and read rate. We know that while the text is not always important, it is going to be quick. For busy consumers quick is definitely going to garner more attention than a more complex and probably longer email.

The newest use of text messaging to market services and products is integration with geo-targeting technology. Using transaction data and purchase history combined with physical location such as proximity to a store the consumer frequents, you can deliver a targeted, real-time offer tailored to the individual consumer. Additionally, merchants in the area of a store the consumer frequents can also make their own ‘pitch’ via text.

Text marketing isn’t just limited to offers for brick and mortar shopping or dining, etc. Commercial ventures can sendmobile couponsand exclusive offers, upsell add-ons or accessories to recently purchased items, inform customers of changing hours, new locations and alert them to when an offer is close to expiring. With its very low price point, small businesses can compete with national brands and marketing agencies to get more customers to respond.

And one more benefit – texting saves trees, which is good for the environment and showcases you as a responsible corporate citizen. Combined with their high open rate and overall effectiveness, you need to add text messaging to your marketing strategy NOW! Because today while those dogs are go, go, going, they are all texting – though only when they aren’t actually driving of course!

1 https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Presentations-and-Whitepapers/2016/The-2016-US-Mobile-App-Reportimg src. http://www.clipartkid.com/go-dog-go-by-p-d-eastman-the-huggins-family-idUM59-clipart/

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/04/14/Go-Dogs-Go

Digital Donations, Inc. Signs Joint Marketing Agreement With GeoCommerce, Inc.

Melville, NY, April 4, 2017 (Newswire.com)-Digital Donations, a developer and provider of fundraising technologies and cause marketing solutions, announced today the signing of a Joint Marketing Agreement withGeoCommerce, a digital marketing and mobile commerce technology leader and innovator. GeoCommerce empowers businesses and nonprofits to find and engage high-conversion prospects through a comprehensive data management and consumer modeling infrastructure that bridges online and offline data with precision to connect marketers to a targeted customer across multiple channels.

Keith Orlean, President of Digital Donations, "As businesses continue to look to cause marketing as a viable strategy for customer acquisition and retention, the GeoCommerce platform enhances marketing performance and efficiency by connecting our clients with the people they want to reach — anywhere, anytime, on any device, reducing costs and increasing ROI. We look forward to offering the benefits of this partnership to both our for-profit and nonprofit clients."

Jeff Sparrow, CEO and Co-founder of GeoCommerce, said, "We are excited to collaborate with Digital Donations, a true changemaker, to build on our common vision: enriching nonprofits that are driven to continually improve their cause marketing and fundraising strategy. In that spirit, we’re proud to leverage our big data analytics and precision targeting system in support of the social sector, where we believe this powerful collaboration can create stronger returns for funding projects.”

About Digital Donations, Inc.

Digital Donations is an integrated technology platform designed for the solicitation of donations at the point of sale, mobile giving, ATMs and online. Our passion for creating social impact through creative, non-traditional methods provides a platform for nonprofits and businesses to make a difference in the communities where they reside and transact business.

About GeoCommerce Inc.

GeoCommerce Inc., based in Irvine, CA, is completely transforming digital advertising and mobile commerce by bridging online and offline data with unmatched precision. Comprehensive data management and append operations enable us to connect key audience identifiers and construct precise, cross-touchpoint consumer intelligence. Our engagement solutions connect marketers to a targeted customer across all devices based on intelligent, exact-location audience targeting through the use of patent-pending technologies that create a precise link between a range of online and offline identifiers. For more information, visitwww.GeoCommerce.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release including statements regarding either parties beliefs, expectations, intentions or strategies for the future, may be considered "forward-looking statements". All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, intensified competition, operating problems and their impact on revenues and profit margins, anticipated future business strategies and financial performance, anticipated future number of customers, business prospects, legislative developments and similar matters.

Source: Digital Donations, Inc.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/04/05/Digital-Donations-Inc-Signs-Joint-Marketing-Agreement-With-GeoCommerce-Inc

Big Data Is Changing The Game

Baseball season officially starts March 2nd; I know this mainly because my 11-year old nephew lives, breathes and eats baseball. He’s a darn good Little League player and a huge Red Sox fan – for which I, a diehard Yankees fan have forgiven him. He’s a pretty smart kid anyway, but he knows enough statistics and facts to converse intelligently with any adult baseball aficionado.

All this information is just some of the ‘Big Data’ that sports churns out these days. While baseball cards still exist (though without the horrible pink gum I’ve been informed), there is no way all that data fits on the back of a card. These days information comes at you like a tsunami, thanks to the internet and real-time everything is at your fingertips. This is changing the way colleges and pro teams scout, recruit, trade and develop players in every sport. Whether motivated by profit or the quest for a win, greater efficiency, and increased accuracy, the sporting world is embracing big data to improve performance.

Data is content and content is king, and when you monetize that content it becomes a revenue stream. Now we have a dilemma, who owns the data and therefore the revenue stream; the athlete, the team, the league or who exactly? Fan communities are more data-driven than ever, especially with the increasing popularity of stats-heavy activities like fantasy leagues. The more real-time data sports commentators can feed to fans, the better the broadcasting experience for everyone. The value of big data in sports has a long reach.

Sports gambling is also being transformed by big data. Sports organizations have already embraced big data to study players and tactics, which means there’s a lot of data out there to collect and analyze. Using that data to predict sport outcomes has become a trendy way to generate buzz. Some gambling companies even boast a 90 percent accuracy rate, depending on the sport and the league. Most bookmakers, however, aren’t changing their traditional techniques. A lot of sports outcomes, according to the bookies, can be predicted based on just a few statistics. Whatever the case may be, many gamblers see big data as the way to swing the odds in their favor, which has led to the growing popularity of fantasy sports betting.

Big Data is clearly ‘changing the game’ for athletes, teams, leagues and gamblers. With so much information now being generated and gathered, it’s clear that the full impact will likely continue to be felt well into the future. Businesses are only just starting to get used to what big data can do, and once they’re more familiar with its capabilities, big data’s full potential will be unleashed. This is true for any business, nonprofit, college or pro sports, fantasy leagues, fans, and gamblers.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/04/04/Big-Data-Is-Changing-The-Game

Mobile Marketing Can Make a Difference

"Two-thirds of people are checking their mobile in the morning before doing anything else. . .”i Katherine Shappley/Ad Week 2015Did you know that an average person checks their phone 110 times/day, while the more addicted check their phones as much as 900 times/day?Cell phone addiction is sweeping our nation. Today we are more connected than ever thanks in huge part to mobile technology. While smart technology provides the ability to talk, text or watch videos wherever we are, when you add location-based search and marketing (geo-targeting) and scratch-off or spin-to-win games (gamification), it has become easier and less expensive to engage with today’s consumer.You can engage even further and help your business grow by taking these mobile tools a step further - cause marketing. Use the discount or reward as an incentive for customers to make a small donation to a nonprofit you support. Connecting merchant rewards with a charitable cause is a win-win-win; for the donor or consumer, the cause and the merchant!As consumers become more dependent on mobile technology for information, statistics have shown there has also been a shift in commitment and loyalty to businesses that are aligned with a charitable cause. For businesses this a new way to develop new customers and retain existing ones. And for the nonprofit (and the cause) increased donations and new donors spreads awareness for your mission.Whether you are a consumer, business owner or a nonprofit the ability to reach out in an instant and touch someone has had a profound effect on our society.

The mobile revolution is picking up steam and is here to stay!

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/03/21/Mobile-Marketing-Can-Make-a-Difference

MARCH MADNESS FOR A CAUSE

If you are a college basketball fan or even if you aren’t, you probably know that March Madness is upon us. Starting with 68 teams down to the Sweet Sixteen and ultimately the Final Four before the champion is selected using bracketing; a series of competitions where the winner of each contest moves to the next round until there is just one winner. For the last several years President Obama’s bracket picks were big news. Sometimes a team dominates for years like the UConn women and other times last year’s champ gets knocked out early like the Villanova men this year. And lest we overlook it a huge amount of the hysteria around March Madness is the gambling on winners.

At this point, you are probably wondering what exactly March Madness and Cause Marketing have in common, how about raising big money for your favorite charity like Bloomberg did?Bloomberg's Bracketsfor a Cause invited business leaders to complete the perfect March Madness bracket. Each participant donated $10,000 and named a charity to win big if they selected the most winners. In 2015 $360,000 went to Gary Cohen of Goldman Sachs’s charity Harlem RBI of choice. Last year SAP CEO Bill McDermott won $420,000 for Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). You can follow the2017 resultsto find out who takes home the big money this year. Kudo’s to Bloomberg for capitalizing on this opportunity to connect commerce leaders with a cause and have some fun doing it!

Your business may not be participating in the Bloomberg competition, but you can certainly create one of your own. Start with your leadership and Board members and ask them to participate in a similar contest for a specified donation. You can expand it to include your staff and customers if that works for you. It’s pretty much guaranteed there is a least one pool going on in your office, use it as a starting point – maybe, in this case, the winner can donate a percentage of their winnings to your cause partner.

While this may not be the usual method of connecting cause with commerce, it is a fantastic way to do something fun and a little different to support your cause partner or any nonprofit in your community. March Madness may already be underway, but you can still get something going for the Sweet Sixteen through to the Championships on April 2nd. Bringing creativity to your support program can attract new participants within your organization and your customers. If college basketball isn’t your sport – there are plenty of other ways to join in the fun and generate donations for your cause partner.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/03/23/MARCH-MADNESS-FOR-A-CAUSE

The Best Social Media Campaign...EVER?

Here is an interesting piece of news – the original ice bucket that started the challenge recently went on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Yep you read that right, when visiting the Smithsonian, you can see this piece of Americana on display – probably somewhere near Archie Bunker’s chair!

All the historical significance of the original bucket aside the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was a huge success. People all over the United States and ultimately the globe were dumping buckets of ice over their heads or having someone else do it! During the summer of 2014 over $115 million was raised in the US and the challenge was repeated in the summers of 2015 and 2016. Success may not be measured in dollars, but the fact that research funded by the challenge uncovered a gene variant associated with ALS is a major win.https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/26/ice-bucket-challenge-als-charity-gene-discovery

For nonprofit organization and fundraisers around the world, the most interesting part of this phenomenon was that it was spread from friend to friend via social media. This was probably the most successful social media, peer-to-peer campaign ever. Using a variety of video channels – Facebook, Vine, You Tube, Instagram and a few more some of us have probably heard of – sports and entertainment figures, politicians and a whole bunch of the rest of us posted videos of ourselves dripping wet to raise money.

While not everyone donated to ALS, whether they dumped ice on their head, a whole lot of people did. Moreover, it was so popular and successful it was repeated in 2015 and 2016.

Can your nonprofit or cause partner create an equally successful challenge? Maybe not, but at the very least you should be focusing on ways to find an idea something that spreads like wildfire through social media. Sharing video was a huge part of the challenge success; now that Google, the second largest search engine on the planet, owns You Tube, that seems like a great place to start. Hey, you can be the summer of 2017 fundraising success!Img src. By slgckgc (Doing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/03/07/The-Best-Social-Media-CampaignEVER

Creating a Cause Marketing Program with A Calendar

There are many ways for a small business (or a larger one) to get started with Cause Marketing. One of the easiest is to select a ‘day’ from the2017 Cause Awareness and Giving Day Calendar.

Choose the day for a cause that resonates with you and your team. Create a crowdgiving campaign (shameless plugDigital DonationsCrowdGIV is a great tool for this type of campaign) to support an organization for that cause. Here are a few on the list coming up in the next few months that caught my attention:March 21st World Down Syndrome Day(World Down Syndrome Day 2017)Over 400,000 people in the United States have Down Syndrome. The impact can range from very mild so a person can thrive in society to severe requiring assistance with basic functions. There are many organizations that you can support including the ARC, Special Olympics, and certainly local agencies in your community.March 22nd World Water Day(WHO World Water Day 2017)As part of the United Nations, the World Health Organization has been since 1993. There are multiple organizations who support bringing fresh, safe, drinking water to people around the world including Water for People, Charity Water and Water Mission.April 22nd Earth Day(Earth Day 2017)Most of us remember Earth Day from its very first one on April 22nd, 1970, along with Earth Shoes (very comfy, but not overly stylish). Although we’ve made great strides over the year, we still have a long way to go to save our planet. There are many charities that support environmental causes—Greenpeace, Ocean Conservancy, and The Sierra Club.May 2nd Give Local Day(Give Local America 2017)This might be the most appealing ‘day’ to start your cause program. By focusing on a local charity, your support will benefit your community and citizens. You can find local charities on the Give Local page by entering your information or checking with your local Chamber of Commerce.There are a few more that caught my attention and may even portend a sense of whimsy like World Penguin Day on April 25th and World Toilet Day on November 19th.Awareness giving days can be an excellent way to identify a theme for your cause campaign. The fact that these are by their very nature time constrained can help raise funds by creating a sense of urgency. Be sure to include the specifics of the time frame in your promotional materials.Once you decide which ‘day’ is the right one for you, identify the nonprofit you are going to support and reach out to them. This is a great opportunity to form a Partner Rewards campaign for more long-term philanthropic efforts. For more potential ‘days’ to consider check public holiday calendars or search for “Commemorative Days.” Whatever you pursue your community and your business will benefit from your fundraising efforts.

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https://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/03/06/Creating-a-Cause-Marketing-Program-with-A-Calendar

Vodka With A Splash

What Cause Marketing Done Right Looks LikeElyx® is a luxury vodka made by Absolut®. Distilled by hand in a 1921 copper column still from single estate winter wheat sells for $35 to $58 per 1L bottle. For that price, you get not only a bottle of “liquid silk, ” but Absolut makes a donation of a week’s supply of safe water to Water For People. Their five-year goal is to provide water for 100,000 people.

This isCause Marketingat its best, consumers buy something they want, specifically a luxury item where price is rarely a concern while making a social and environmental impact. For Millennials who have recently exceeded Baby Boomers as the largest consumer group this is a key deciding factor when they make a purchase. Their desire to have an impact with their purchasing dollars is reflected in vendors like Tom’s Shoes, Warby-Parker eyewear, and even Headspace Meditation.How did Absolut decide thatWater for Peoplewas the ‘right’ cause for them? First, they determined that they share values and commitment to a sustainable solution. The distillery in Sweden practices strict water conservation a key component of the Water for People’s vision and goals.Once they made a commitment, the leadership launched a crowdfunding campaign to share the partnership with their friends, family, and colleagues. Every day for a week they walked 4 hours to experience what it is like for the many people around the world who must walk for their daily water. They raised $10k which Absolut matched.Done well a cause marketing campaign allows companies and consumers to help in a thoughtful way.For more details see the original article that appeared in The Huffington Posthttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-amouyel/what-can-vodka-do-for-soc_b_9789306.htmlDigital Donations™ develops fundraising and marketing solutions that connect cause with commerce to make a difference.

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http://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/02/16/Vodka-With-A-Splash

Does Your Business Have a Cause Marketing Strategy?

Cause marketing is a business strategy that aligns a brand with a cause for their mutual benefit and society. Three-quarters of businesses engage in cause marketing, and for good reason; almost 42% of North American shoppers would pay extra for products and services from companies committed to positive social and environmental impact. However, most Americans find the way businesses communicate their social responsibility efforts confusing.

To meet the needs of this growing population of businesses and nonprofits who want to join forces for good, Digital Donations has developed “The Cause Connection.” The program connects a brand or business with a nonprofit, forging a partnership that meets the goals of both organizations. With a focus on clearly communicating the goals and benefits of their alliance the community, the business and the nonprofit all benefit.How do we get started?

It’s so easy, just call 888-705-2220 to speak a member of our “Cause Connection” team.

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http://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/02/10/Does-Your-Business-Have-a-Cause-Marketing-Strategy

Digital Donations To Feature Heart Month during February at ATM's Nationwide

MELVILLE, NY -- 02/03/17 -- Digital Donations today announced the launch of a nationwide campaign with its ATM partners to promote theAmerican Heart Association's Heart Month. February is American Heart month, a federally designated event, to encourage focus on the heart. During the month, consumers can make tax-deductible charitable donations at participating ATMs, while handling everyday transactions such as cash withdrawals, account balance and inquiries. This is also a great way to get families, friends and communities involved.

Keith Orlean, President Digital Donations, Inc.:

"With a growing network of thousands of locations across all 50 states, (to find a location near you visitwww.ATMDonations.orgwe will be featuring a participating nonprofit each month. February's Heart Month will be the first in a series of monthly fundraising drives designed specifically to highlight a participating charity. As we continue to add locations, our ability to increase awareness and needed funds will have a lasting impact for our charitable partners."

Other charities include Alzheimer's Foundation of America, Champions for Kids, The Humane Society, National Multiple Sclerosis and United Charitable.

About American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. Founded by six cardiologists in 1924, the organization now includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters. Funding innovative research, fighting for stronger public health policies, and providing critical tools and information to save and improve lives, the nationwide organization includes 156 local offices and more than 3,000 employees.

About Digital Donations

Digital Donations is an integrated technology platform designed for the solicitation of donations at the point of sale, mobile giving, ATMs and online. Our passion for creating social impact through creative, non-traditional methods provides a platform for nonprofits and businesses to make a difference in the communities where they reside and transact business.

Digital Donations, Inc.Leslie Riehm888-705-2220lriehm@digitaldonations.org

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http://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/02/03/Digital-Donations-To-Feature-Heart-Month-during-February-at-ATMs-Nationwide

Eight Reasons Why You Should Implement a Mobile Fundraising Campaign

With people carrying less or even no cash, mobile payments are a part of everyday life. myGIV, themobile transactiontool from Digital Donations offers innovative, cost effective & easy mobile fundraising. Include a partner coupon or voucher to reward the donor and make a bigger impact!1. Raise more money, attract new donors and sponsors2. Cost effective, affordable platform with measurable ROI3. Multi-channel distribution interact on social media, email and SMS text4. Donor Data accumulation and statistic for targeting5. Mobile payment collect donations embedded in app and coupon6. Turnkey mobile fundraising we design, distribute and manage the campaign on your behalf7. Brandable coupons with your logo and layout or in conjunction with sponsor8. Sponsored rewards with coupons or vouchers provided by sponsors

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http://www.digitaldonations.org/single-post/2017/01/25/Eight-Reasons-Why-You-Should-Implement-a-Mobile-Fundraising-Campaign