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.    

from
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.

from
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.

from
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.

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