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.

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