By: Ashley Byars
Corporate partners looking for more creativity from nonprofits
Are you reaching beyond the “tried and true”? Companies have long embraced donating a percentage of product sales to nonprofits and encouraging customers to do the same at the register. But they are increasingly looking to nonprofits for fresh ideas to engage their customers and communities. Only 40% of the CSR leaders we surveyed said that nonprofits were doing a good job at bringing unique opportunities to them. Check out four partnerships that are refreshingly creative.
Merrell Shoes searches for Kid Shoe Designer
Merrell evolved their Share Steps Challenge campaign, which aims to get more kids outside, to search for a Kids Shoe Designer based on a coloring of their ideal outdoor shoe.
For every kid’s design entry, Merrell donated $1 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The winning Kids Shoe Designer received a scholarship to attend an outdoor summer camp of choice and see their shoe design produced in real life.
Kohler and LavaMaeˣ shower the unhoused
Over half a million people experience homelessness in the United States, affecting their hygiene and ability to get jobs. The Kohler and LavaMaex partnership aims to deliver approximately 20,000 mobile showers to thousands of individuals to help them become more employable. Kohler is also educating associates and customers across the US through real stories to raise awareness about the impact one clean shower can have.
American Heart Association and Duke Energy Foundation bring lifesaving skills to schools
Each year, 350,000 people die from cardiac arrest in the US. The American Heart Association (AHA) and the Duke Energy Foundation are aiming to reduce the number of deaths by training students and teachers in Pasco and Citrus County Florida schools.
Through a $50,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation, AHA will assist schools in:
- Providing CPR training to students in the ninth and eleventh grades
- Recommending basic training in first aid and CPR for all students every two years starting in the sixth grade
Schools will receive easy-to-use CPR and first aid kits with lesson plans, training DVDs, AED training simulators and in-person guidance.
M&S and Bowel Cancer UK get their message out on toilet paper
Bowel cancer (also called colon or rectal cancer) is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest cancer killer. Every year, 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer. M&S, a UK-based home and clothing retailer, partnered with Bowel Cancer UK to create toilet roll packaging that features bowel cancer symptoms and encourages customers to contact their doctor if they’re experiencing them. A QR code directs customers to the nonprofit’s website to find out more. Signage in customer and employee bathrooms amplifies the message.
What do you think of these creative approaches to cause campaigns? We’re always here for inspiration. Let’s talk about some new ideas for you.
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