tagged w/ Cause Marketing
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You all know I love cause marketing - a partnership between a nonprofit and for-profit for mutual profit. But I also love iced tea. So it’s no surprise that I love Tēvolution, a delicious new brand of iced tea from Purpose Beverages, Inc., launching right now in in Washington, DC and Los Angeles.
This is purpose-driven entrepreneurship as Tēvolution was created specifically with causes in mind. But their model is also a great example of cause marketing that uses text messaging – SMS – to direct donations and engage consumers.
The company has initially partnered with four nonprofits and contributes 25 cents from every bottle sold to one of these causes.
Those of you who read my post on SMS last week know that I have a renewed interest in SMS because of its ease of use and widespread adoption. In short, just about everyone knows how to text. But not everyone understands QR codes, location-based services and apps.
And that’s just one of the reasons Tēvolution co-founders Ian Simpson and Gerard Artavia chose to go with SMS.
Here’s how Tēvolution works.
Continue reading: http://selfishgiving.com/cause-practices/tevolution-brewing-cause-marketing-success-with-smsYou all know I love cause marketing - a partnership between a nonprofit and for-profit... more
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I’m glad the news is out as I’m no good at keeping secrets!
3BL’s CEO, Greg Schneider, has a powerful entrepreneurial drive to make a commercially successful company in the niche area that CSR is, and hopefully beginning climbing away from into bigger ponds. This to me demonstrates a step change in the maturity of CSR communications specifically in the social media channels, i.e. the first substantial consolidation within a profileration of smaller news / opinion sources and portals.
I was a fan of Justmeans when it launched, and even short time CSR Editor (for a whole month) so it’s personally fulfilling for me to be so involved with the integration and future development of both organisations. The combined strengths and the additional opportunities that this deal creates will be keeping us all busy at 3BL for many months, if not years to come.
Without doubt this move consolidates the clear water lead between 3BL Media and all the other players in the CSR content distribution field. The challenging debate internally is how 3BL strategises the exploitation of the newly gained additional assets into new complimentary and profitable channels. Watch this space!
In addition to the technical assets and new client base Justmeans CEO Martin Smith joins 3BL as Chairman reinforcing the depth of the strategic management team.
The announcement of the deal has already generated a strong positive response from the online and client communities with audiences of both companies very being supportive, if maybe initially a little surprised.
My first task is to take over the reins of Justmeans’ Ethical Sourcing and Certification conference in London on September 16th. Please take a look at the microsite and get signed up for the first public event from the 3BL / Justmeans combined team.
Here’s a link to this mornings press release if you’d like more of the details.
http://davidcoethica.wordpress.com/2011/07/15/3bl-media-steps-it-up-a-gear/I’m glad the news is out as I’m no good at keeping secrets!
3BL’s... more
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Participate in Causecast’s summer nonprofit membership drive! Refer a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to Causecast and you could be the lucky winner of an iPad 2 and $250 American Express gift card. Two runners up will receive $100 and $50 American Express gift cards.
Generate your personal referral link through Causecast's referral page and send out an email, tweet or post to your contacts. Once a nonprofit organization signs up via your link, you will be credited for this referral!
The sweepstakes has begun and ends on July 29th.
http://3blmedia.posterous.com/causecast-nonprofit-newsletter-win-an-ipad-2#Participate in Causecast’s summer nonprofit membership drive! Refer a U.S.... more
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This past weekend, the Volcom crew posted up with Kid Creature and Co. to support the Great Strides Walk in Huntington Beach. More than 1500 people showed up to support the fight against this inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). Learn more about CF here.
For our part, we were there to support CFF and their Pipeline to a Cure Program, which is an upcoming Give Back Series partner of ours thanks to Kid Creature.
http://newfuture.volcom.com/2011/05/volcom-x-kid-creature-x-great-strides-hb/This past weekend, the Volcom crew posted up with Kid Creature and Co. to support the... more
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Cohn & Wolfe and non-profit group Project Kaisei partnered to create an Eco-reality show campaign on Facebook(go to: http://www.facebook.com/projectkaisei?sk=app_159415870778798) starring a goldfish named Kai. The efforts aims to call attention to the impact of plastic pollution in the world's oceans. A live streaming video shows Kai in a habitat full of plastic - a representation of dirty areas of the Pacific ocean..
Every donation made to Project Kaisei removes a piece of plastic from Kai's home and helps fund the organization's third cleanup expedition in the North Pacific Gyre.Cohn & Wolfe and non-profit group Project Kaisei partnered to create an... more
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While waiting in the train station on my way out of San Francisco International Airport I noticed a group of business-casual people arriving in the city. The group was commenting on the carbon offset poster in the otherwise empty station. “Keep Our Skies Blue,” the poster read, with the message to buy air travel carbon offset credits at kiosks in the terminals. The loud-talker of the group didn’t understand the message of the poster, and it actually made him angry. “What are they trying to do?” he asked, suggesting that he thought it was some sort of San Francisco hippie exaggeration scam. He seemed more skeptical than inspired and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t going to be buying any carbon offsets. Observing the negative interaction between these travelers and the poster got me thinking about how can we better communicate messages of climate change.
British communications company Futerra has spent the past decade thinking about communicating sustainability messages and they’ve developed an approach based on the words of master salesman Elmer Wheeler, “Sell the sizzle, not the sausage.” If climate change is the sausage, then what’s the sizzle?
For a message of sustainability, the sizzle is a narrative that begins with a compelling vision of low-carbon “heaven.” Our communications must create a desirable picture in the minds of our audience of what a low-carbon future can look like. Creating this picture draws viewers into a world rather than alienating them with the typical visions of climate-change hell. It holds their attention long enough to get to the call to action, and doesn’t get immediately shut out by cynicism.
Our train-station poster attempts to sizzle with a lovely visual, but the generic blue-sky image failed to connect the campaign’s message to a personal situation. In addition, standing in the train station looking at the beautiful San Francisco sky, the poster failed to illustrate a clear difference between the reality of today and the potential of a low-carbon heaven.
To be successfully received, we must offer a clear vision of what the audience wants. Only then can we provide an action plan for what can be done in the near future (five years, not 20 or 30) to make it happen. We should make it clear to people that they have a choice—there are two paths to go down, one towards “heaven” and the other towards unmitigated climate change, and it’s up to them to decide.
The train-station poster does present an action item (buy carbon offsets) but it fails to give the viewer a choice of paths, or explain how buying carbon offsets would put them on one path or the other. The poster lacks a narrative and therefore fails to “sizzle.”
Post Continues: http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/05/make-climate-change-sizzle/While waiting in the train station on my way out of San Francisco International... more
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When you visit a Microsoft office and discover that it’s been transformed from a place of work to an amphitheater for a keenly contested rock-paper-scissors contest, or when you overhear people discussing an ongoing bidding war for the world’s best baloney sandwich, then chances are you’re witnessing Microsoft’s employee giving at first hand.
Each year as part of our Giving campaign every full time Microsoft employee in the United States can take advantage of corporate matching for the donations they make to nonprofit and community organizations, up to $12,000. They also have the opportunity to volunteer their time and have those hours matched with a per hour payment to the chosen organization.
It would be fair to say that employee giving is an inherent part of life at Microsoft. Since the inception of the company our employees have wanted to give something back. The continued success of our employee giving isn’t solely about people’s generosity - it’s also about their creativity and passion. As the co-chairs of the 2010 Giving campaign we have had the opportunity to see an incredible array of initiatives to raise funds and awareness. This past year we had over 300 fundraising events including a 5K run with 1,700 employee participants, national poker competitions, an album of employee music, photo books, soccer clinics, and our internal auction site which continues to grow in both the breadth of items offered and the money it raises.
So, how did we do in the United States in 2010? Here are some of the top line figures:
Microsoft employee giving raised $96 million in 2010 – the most ever
Nearly 35,000 people around Microsoft participated
Over 4,000 people volunteered over 350,000 hours of their time – generating $6 million in funds for the recipient organizations
Over 16,000 organizations benefitted from funds raised as part of the Giving campaign.
These funds make a real difference in our communities. For example, Microsoft employees are the single largest, active source of ongoing donors for the Seattle Children’s Hospital, which received over $800,000 in 2010. The majority of the donated funds go toward uncompensated care so that no one who comes to Seattle Children’s is turned away for insurance or financial reasons. The donated funds will assist around 1,000 families with uncompensated care. It’s something we’re very proud of.
2010 was an outstanding year for our employee Giving campaign and we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that the success of the campaign isn’t solely due to the incredible generosity of our people, but is also the result of the hard work and energy of an army of volunteers across the company who commit their time to the Giving campaign, driving participation, helping organize events and supporting initiatives. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their efforts.
There is one downside to these results: it creates a formidable target for 2011! However, we’re confident, that as in years past, our employees will rise to the challenge.
We’re already underway. Thank you for your support in 2010!
http://www.microsoftupblog.com/post/2010-The-biggest-year-of-employee-giving-so-far.aspxWhen you visit a Microsoft office and discover that it’s been transformed from a... more
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We have a new toy. Let’s play.
It’s the new question and answer site called Quora. Like Twitter, you ask a question, you get an answer, but you don’t have to filter out the other noise. You can follow people, but you can also follow topics (e. g. cause marketing) or questions (e. g. Where is cause marketing headed in 2011?). Also, like Twitter, Quora results are showing up in Google.
An added feature is that you can vote up or down people’s answers.
I’ve gone ahead and added cause marketing as a topic and even plugged in some FAQ’s for it. But think of all the topics we could add. Point-of-sale, purchase-triggered donations, online contests like Pepsi Refresh, location-based cause marketing.
There are a few great reasons to jump on Quora.
I know a lot of you like to comment on cause marketing and other topics but don’t have the time to write your own blog. Quora is the place for you. It’s like having a blog where you can share your opinion, expertise, build influence and get feedback. Ask a question or answer one to get started.
This is place where we can learn in real-time. It’s like a wiki where you can share your opinions (something that actually drives me nuts about Wikipedia).
You can ask questions and get answers about cause marketing without all the extra chatter. If the responses to some of the other topics are any indication, Quora is attracting a better breed of followers than say Yahoo! Answers. And don’t even compare Quora to LinkedIn Groups
continue reading: http://selfishgiving.com/cause-marketing-social-media/lets-talk-about-cause-marketing-at-quoraWe have a new toy. Let’s play.
It’s the new question and answer site... more
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It was a banner year for cause marketing as companies, nonprofits, academics, media, celebrities, government and consumers all turned up the dial on cause. New players included Pepsi and Panera, who have redefined the cause model. It was considered dead and then resurrected. As 2010 comes to a close, we’re taking a look back to see what else the headlines revealed about cause marketing in 2010.
Cause was a little: click link to see the list.
http://www.coneinc.com/ten-words-for-a-year-in-cause-marketingIt was a banner year for cause marketing as companies, nonprofits, academics, media,... more
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Since its inception, Whole Foods has become a symbol of sustainable agriculture, the highest industry standards, and the place to buy “the finest natural and organic foods available,” according to their web site. Due in part to its commitment to such causes, Whole Foods is also notoriously expensive. Yet the company’s continued success is a case-in-point of America’s willingness to pay more for what it perceives as a good cause. But what if there isn’t one near by? Will consumers still stay loyal to the cause it they have to drive further to support it? The current available data from a variety of institutions does not address to what extent does a consumer’s loyalty to a place like Whole Foods goes, until now.
Part of Do Well Do Good, LLC ‘s new study focuses on issues of consumer behavior and commitment to cause-marketing and corporate social responsibility. The report will be released on December 15 on this web page.
Congruent with the results of other extant surveys, ours confirmed that roughly 70% of consumers were willing to pay more for a product that supports a cause. While in our previous release we revealed some data on how much extra money consumers are willing to spend to support a cause they care about, this time we asked to what extent are they willing to travel to support a cause.
To return to the example Whole Foods, what if there isn’t one near by? Are people willing to travel to by agriculturally sustainable products (or to stay loyal to another cause or brand)? If so, how far? Here is a preliminary look at the results:
Overall, roughly 69% of consumers are willing to drive some extra amount of time to purchase a product that supports a cause he or she cares about. While most demographics fell within the margin of error, only moms were outside of it, with 73% of mom-respondents willing to drive for an extra amount of time.
More specifically, on average:
American consumers would be willing to travel 10.89 minutes out of their way to drive to a specific store to purchase a cause product that supports a cause they care about
Men would be willing to travel 11.35 minutes
Women would be willing to travel 10.43 minutes and moms would travel 10.92 minutes
While more moms may be willing to drive an extra amount of time, men were willing to drive farther to buy a product that supports a cause, averaging of almost 11.5 minutes.
Interested in finding out more? Click on this link to be brought to the 2010 survey’s main page. If you’re reading this prior to its official release, you can obtain early access by signing up for our SPAM-free electronic newsletter in the field to the right of this article.
http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/American-Consumers-Willing-Drive-Out-Their-Way-Literally-Cause-Marketing-ProductSince its inception, Whole Foods has become a symbol of sustainable agriculture, the... more
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Customers have high expectations of companies and we have the data to prove it. In a soon-to-be-released public opinion survey, American consumers continue to indicate that they expect their employers and companies they purchase goods from to remain engaged in both charitable & cause-marketing programs and in corporate social responsibility / sustainability initiatives.
The survey, to be released by Do Well Do Good, LLC on December 15, identifies so-called “mandates” from the results of a population representative of the general US population.
Namely:
83% of consumers think companies should support nonprofits with financial donations
88% of consumers think that companies should try to accomplish their business goals while trying to improve society and the environment
Moreover, the survey also digs down deeper than just general opinion questions. The two 2010 Do Well Do Good Public Opinion Surveys (one on CSR and one on cause-marketing) also identify the intention of a consumer’s values driving behavioral changes.
For example:
83% would seriously consider leaving their job if their company was found to employ child labor
To be clear, this is just the tip of the iceberg of information we are about to reveal. These are the “mandates” that arose from the survey. We define a mandate, by the way, as a result that saw over 75% or more agreement across all of the demographics we measured: men, women, and moms.
Interested in finding out more? Click on this link to be brought to the 2010 survey’s main page. If you’re reading this prior to its official release, you can obtain early access by signing up for our SPAM-free electronic newsletter in the field provided on the survey's main page.
http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/New-study-Consumers-tell-companies-what-do-cause-marketing-CSRCustomers have high expectations of companies and we have the data to prove it. In a... more
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In 2010 the Sunday Times named Softcat the UK's Best Small Company To Work For. This is a tremendous achievement, and naturally Softcat wants to retain this position for 2011.
Part of the criteria for the award was, obviously, how Softcat treats its staff.
The Challenge
Having amazing incentive trips that inspire and motivate staff was essential. Human Resources is also very positive about the usefulness of incentive trips to retain and reward staff.
Another part of the criteria for the Sunday Times award is demonstrating support and assistance to the community.
Could all of these objectives be achieved in an incentive trip?
A Socially Responsible Incentive Trip from Hands Up Holidays
Softcat turned to Hands Up Holidays for help.
Hands Up had already provided Softcat with a similar trip in Fiji previously, and so knew it was in good hands. In Fiji, Softcat sent 34 top performing staff to experience a luxury trip blending a luxury cruise with building a house and a playground. The house was for an impoverished family of 8, and the playground was at an orphanage.
The interaction with the children made this a memorable and enriching trip for all participants.
Softcat's democratic management style meant that the management team voted again to experience another incentive that counts.
This time, they chose Cambodia and Vietnam, and Hands Up Holidays prepared the entire itinerary for them.
The incentive that counts - Cambodia
The incentive was for 37 of the top performing employees, and the community service portion was in Siem Reap, site of Angkor Wat and the amazing temples there. The group got to appreciate these wonders, even managed to get up at sunrise after a gala dinner the night before!
The following day, the group arrived at Sra Srang primary school, were somewhat overwhelmed by the welcome they received when the whole school came out to greet them, with songs and dance, but the group knew the reason they were there was to roll up their sleeves, so that is what they did.
They chose their preferred activity, with some focusing on the painting of the classrooms, others on gardening, and still others on building the library.
It was an amazing sight to behold, and there was still time for the groups to take turns on a guided tour through the village, seeing daily life far removed from what tourists normally see, and also get to play football with the kids.
The group spent two sweaty days here, and despite subsequently cruising down the Mekong and spending three nights at the sublime Six Senses resort in Nha Trang, from a post-trip survey, universally the most popular and poignant part of the trip was the time spent helping at the school.
In the same survey, 74% of respondents rated this their best trip ever (and they do a lot of trips!) and the rest rated it as very good.
http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/Another-successful-CSR-friendly-Incentive-Trip-Hands-HolidaysIn 2010 the Sunday Times named Softcat the UK's Best Small Company To Work For.... more
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One can't help but take notice when the person who is considered the originator of cause marketing says it is dead as we know it. Of course I agree with Carol Cone, founder of Cone and now representing Edelman. In June, AdAge ran a column I penned and headlined it "The Day Cause Marketing Died." We are essentially saying the same thing. But in the rush to get headlines, maybe our real point was missed by some.
Cause is not dying. It is evolving. But there are those who have come late to the party and believe they are doing cause when in fact they are not. For some in corporate leadership today, cause is a box they are checking off on a list so they can say they are doing it. For those companies who are interested in doing more than checking off a box, cause is a wide open arena of possibility to demonstrate to customers, employees and all key stakeholders that they actually do want to make a difference over the long term.
For so long now, there has been a belief among brands that cause programs were successful if they made people feel good about their brands. What we now know is that the best cause programs make people feel good about themselves. When that happens, brands will be rewarded in a way that nothing else they do can achieve.
And if those same companies are paying attention, they now know that men are attracted to brands doing cause right almost as much as women. Our just released Barkley/PRWeek Cause Survey also says that even though men will buy, refer and support brands that support causes in a real way, two out of three corporate CMO's are not planning on targeting men with cause programs. Another evolutionary turn for cause is teed up for brands that care.
Cause is maturing and these kinds of discussions are healthy for all of us to have. We all have a responsibility to make sure that cause does not die, but rather continues to evolve. When done right, it is the most powerful form of purposeful engagement a brand can have with its customers.
http://citizenbrand.typepad.com/swenson/2010/11/one-cant-help-but-take-notice-when-the-person-who-is-considered-the-originator-of-cause-marketing-says-it-is-dead-as-we-know.htmlOne can't help but take notice when the person who is considered the originator... more
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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.“
~Margaret Mead
Bilal's Stand was created by high school and college students in the city of Detroit. Taking four years and several maxed-out credit cards to complete, it debuted at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and won the Crystal Heart Award at Heartland.
Now it is being turned into a movement, the TAKE A STAND campaign, aimed to inspire and empower youth across America. We are hustling to get it out to 1000 schools this winter starting MLK Jr. Day (Jan. 17, 2011) - that's a reach of 1,000,000 students! This is a first in film, and we're super excited about the potential! But to get there, we need support to put the finishing touches on the movie and movement."Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the... more
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The report estimates significant market opportunity for impact investment over the next ten years. After analyzing selected segments of five sectors – urban affordable housing, rural access to clean water, maternal health, primary education, and microfinance – serving the population at the “base of the economic pyramid,” the report estimates a potential profit opportunity of between $183 and $667 billion and a potential investment opportunity between $400 billion and $1 trillion in the next decade for just these segments of the impact investing market.The report estimates significant market opportunity for impact investment over the... more
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The first survey of men in the six-year history of The PRWeek/Barkley Cause Survey has uncovered surprising data regarding men’s attraction to brands that have a cause marketing program. Running contrary to the natural assumption that women are solely attracted to cause programs, 88% of men say it’s important for a brand to support a cause, 61% have purchased a brand because it supported a cause, 67% would try a brand because it supported a cause, and 55% would pay more for a brand that supported a cause.
Download survey here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/40906606
http://www.barkleyus.com/The first survey of men in the six-year history of The PRWeek/Barkley Cause Survey has... more
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Artistic depictions of ladies’ undergarments will be center stage at the upcoming “Show Us Your BRA!” gala and auction on Oct. 30 at Look Park in Northampton.
The event, started by Judith Fine, the owner of the Northampton intimate apparel store, Gazebo, benefits the Breast Form Fund, an organization started in 1994 to offer financial assistance to underserved women coping with breast cancer.
http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2010/09/show_us_your_bra_aids_cancer_s.htmlArtistic depictions of ladies’ undergarments will be center stage at the... more
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From September 20 - 26, 2010, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, over 700 bakeries and grocery and convenience stores across the country will team up with parents and kids for the seventh annual Cupcakes for a Cause® Week. The campaign raises money to help children affected by a cancer diagnosis – either their own or that of a family member.
http://www.cupcakesforacause.org/From September 20 - 26, 2010, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, over 700... more
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Nine years ago, for most of America, our world changed. Here in Annapolis, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Washington D.C., where many friends and neighbors work in the city and metro area, a common question is “Where were you on 9/11?” By a strange twist of fate I was working in D.C., no more than 50 yards from the White House. It was a horrible and frightening day that included a White House bomb squad lined up on Pennsylvania Avenue and half a dozen binoculars sweeping the sky. As I was trying to get my head around what what going on and leave the area I asked a Secret Service agent what they were looking for. The answer- another plane. Incomprehensible.
And yet the question most pressing to me right now is not where I was then but where I am now. Yes, the world changed that day. But my world has changed many times since then. I married an amazing woman, I have two young sons, I started my own business. I have a dog. I crashed a car. I went to graduate school. I published my first fiction. To say the things I think and care about today are different from what they were almost a decade ago is a vast understatement.
I care about the world now in a way that I couldn’t even imagine then. When I was a Boy Scout in my teens there was an unwritten rule that we were to leave the woods (and the world) a better place than we found it. Then, it meant hike your trash back out with you. Now it means so much more. With a five year old and a two year old inspecting and digesting my every move I feel more than ever the need to lead by example, to make the world better for them and to have them witness it, to teach them that it will someday be their job to make the world better. By volunteering, by giving, by understanding. By reaching out in every way possible to make the world better.
In the midst of this recession my wife suggested I sign up to coach my son’s soccer team. As if I needed yet another thing on my plate. Then when the coach coordinator said that our first game would be on 9/11 it all made sense. After just a single practice to have a dozen parents thank me for coaching and giving something to their child-making a difference no matter how small-how could I not do it?
As hard and bad as the world can seem on a day like 9/11, and as difficult as things seem in this recession, there are small things we can do. We make the world better. We can start right now, right here. We won’t fix the economy tomorrow or create world peace, but by starting here and making our corner better we are making the world better. There are a million ways to give something back right now, a million ways to make our world better. Pick one, any one. Coach a team, give blood, donate old books, build a playground or just sit down and write a check or click the donate button on a cause you love. I know what I am doing tomorrow-I’ll be on a grassy field, bright orange soccer shirt on and whistle around my neck making 22 kids happy. So go do something. I assure you that within minutes of doing whatever it is you decide to do, someone will thank you for it. And not only will someone somewhere be better for it, you will too.
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Here are a couple of links to sites that can help you find volunteering opportunities in your neighborhood 911 Day of Service and United We Serve
http://goodcomarketing.com/blog/2010/09/honoring-911-by-volunteering-in-your-corner-of-the-world/Nine years ago, for most of America, our world changed. Here in Annapolis, Maryland,... more
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3BL Media, the experts in corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability and cause marketing communications, today announced that it has launched 3bl.me, the company’s cause-based URL shortener. For each URL shortened via 3bl.me, 3BL Media will make a donation to worthwhile organizations, with initial recipients including Volunteermatch, Sweatfree Communities, and World Wildlife Fund UK. Additional charities and causes will be identified on a monthly basis via “crowd-sourcing” for nominations by users visiting @theCSRfeed on Twitter, or emailing twitizen@3blmedia.com.
http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/3BL-Media-Launches-3blme-URL-Shortener-Support-Charities-and-Raise-Awareness-%E2%80%9CTriple-Bott3BL Media, the experts in corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability and... more
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