And so it continues...This Cause Marketing Life!

A passion to exert an impact on the greater good has marked much of my professional career and personal commitment -- from my work at The American Lung Association and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to my fundraising efforts for organizations like Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, New Dance Group Arts Center, and The Friends of Beattie-Powers, to name a few.

But when I consider how this came to be,  I owe much of the influence to my family on both my mother and father's sides.  Both took community service very seriously. They were always volunteering or fundraising for some important project in our rural community of Jefferson County in upstate New York - whether it was supporting the local historical society (Grandpa Brown), managing dinners for the volunteer firemen (Grandma Whitley) or building a new playground (Mom).  There was at least one person in my family leading a major fundraising campaign at any given moment -- and that meant participation from the entire family.  Supporting causes were just part of our way of life. 

When I moved to New York in the late 80's, amidst the AIDS crisis and with few funds as a 'starving artist,' I was drawn to volunteering.  Even in the big city, I would see first hand the impact a relatively small group could have on providing services and support.  In the arts I would lose an extraordinary number of friends to AIDS, which would indelibly imprint my belief in the importance of access to information.  

As the web launched and I found myself overseeing the online presence of The American Lung Association -- all of these influences coalesced for me in an environment ideally suited to serve an even broader audience.  Yet, despite the enhanced potential social media offers today,  I've come to believe that expert cause marketing execution is the next frontier for causes.  Getting for-profit companies to partner with non-profit organizations on a specific cause-related initiative to benefit the public holds the potential to provide the greatest level of influence, if not outcome.   

Yet, as tidy as that sounds, conducting a truly effective cause marketing campaign is no easy task.  This blog will examine cause marketing from a number of different aspects and seek your input as we continue the conversation.

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead