Sunday, October 25, 2009

October's Latest Top e-Giving News

Given the world’s problems, should we resign ourselves to smallness? ~Dan Pallotta

As October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, we have seen the power of the pink ribbon in cause marketing campaigns everywhere. With this cause marketing, we are seeing the blended and blending line between nonprofits and brands, causes and corporations, marketing and messages, for-profits and nonprofits and the changing landscape of philanthropy. As we enter a new era of the conscious consumer, social innovation and transformative philanthropy, we are witnessing a power shift from the few to the many and a new way forward that starts with understanding, engaging and empowering the new consumer. Enjoy the articles and may they help you adapt to and transform the world around you!

Celebrities & Giving
What Business Can Learn from The Dalai Lama: In this article Carol Cone talks about a recent conference in Canada in which she and The Dalai Lama spoke about the power of businesses to authentically embrace social issues. Both spoke about compassion and trust as the core reasons why businesses must embrace social issues to relate to even more skeptical consumers, communities, NGOs and government officials. http://bit.ly/cal1W

Corporate Giving
Strategies for Corporate Giving: In this article, Peter Frey outlines some different strategies of corporate giving programs including: matching gift program, donating time off, volunteer time off, dollars for doers, donating equity, in-kind donations, donating office space and more. http://bit.ly/aF196

Corporate Responsibility Weathering Storm: The 2009 State of Corporate Citizenship Report by Boston College's Center for Corporate Citizenship revealed that corporate citizenship efforts are particularly critical during a recession. Research found expansion of environmental sustainability efforts, increasing integration of corporate citizenship into business strategy and 75 percent of CEOs and 40 percent of all companies (65 percent for large companies) with a team or individual assigned to work on corporate citizenship issues. http://bit.ly/3Lb3zS

Individual Giving
Americans & Giving During Tough Times:
This article captures the essence of the softer, gentler human side of giving in this economy. http://bit.ly/4CL2Ed

Social Media & Giving
Using Social Media To Animate Community: This article highlights LiveStrong’s use of social media to energize activism, outreach and community, including: using blogs, partnerships, co-creating content, video, petitions and more. http://bit.ly/1aAMf0

Corporate America & Social Media: This article explores the use of social media by corporate America, and its mistakes, barriers and failures in doing so. One of the biggest mistakes is the siloization of social media within communications departments and the need for corporations to integrate social media across internal infrastructures. Other barriers include control, lack of authenticity, self centered marketing and more. http://bit.ly/WXjol

Giving Trends
Goodness on Twitter: Twitter recently added a number of well-known social entrepreneurs and innovators to its suggested users list. This is significant because it propels social entrepreneurs to enter the mainstream and gives valuable Twitter attention to promoting good causes. This demonstrates that good creates more good! http://bit.ly/yAFnf

The Future of Giving: In an article by the World Policy Blog highlighting a social entrepreneurs panel at the Global Creative Leadership Summit that talked about the future of giving and the key being public and private partnerships. Some of the innovations and key components for the future of giving included: microphilanthropy and nanophilanthropy (including u-kis, e.g. http://www.umovement.org), strategic partnerships and alliances, repackaging capitalism, global connectivity giving. http://bit.ly/A0y8R

Giving Measurement, Outcomes & Evaluation
Measuring the Success of Your Blog:
This Beth Kanter article provides valuable tips to create a successful blog and any social media effort by analyzing blog content, including: identifying readership growth; reviewing reader engagement and bookmarking; assessing connecting and conversations; analyzing the numbers of links and page views; and evaluating the industry index. http://bit.ly/UK0Rj

The Impact of Giving Circles: This blog by the Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund highlights the impacts of giving circles. Giving circles result in more giving, more engagement, more breadth in giving and more strategic giving with a focus on change. http://bit.ly/aiAiy

Discussion
Philanthropy & the New Consumer: This worthwhile read examines how the trends in giving are shifting and the new opportunities arising given the current online, social media and giving landscape. A recent BBMG Conscious Consumer Report 2009 showed that Americans are re-evaluating what matters and are seeking brands that deliver both value and values. The result is that brands need to deliver based on a triple value proposition: practical benefits, social benefits and tribal benefits. That is brands that answer the questions: How does the brand improve my life? How does this brand help me make a difference? And how does the brand connect me to a community that shares my values? http://bit.ly/lyTFx

How Much Should Charity Resemble Business? This Chronicle of Philanthropy article highlights some of the debate about how much charity should resemble business and where should the line be drawn between business and charity. It asks the question, “Given the world’s problems, should we resign ourselves…” to the small thinking of charity or expand into a new way of thinking, giving and doing business? http://bit.ly/2KdyzV

How do you want to BE the change you wish to see in the world? How are you thinking and acting BIG, rather than acting in fear and scarcity? What do you think about the transformation and how is it impacting you?

You can find me on Twitter @pilarstella and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilarstella.

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