Generous support from our corporate partners is one of the reasons AdoptAClassroom.org is able to support thousands of classrooms across the nation each year. Also known as cause marketing partnerships, this support is essential to our mission to advance equity in education. While cause marketing isn’t new, it’s currently booming.
Engage For Good, an organization at the forefront of the cause marketing conversation, hosts an annual conference that brings together cause marketing professionals on both the corporate and nonprofit side. Two of our team members attended the conference in Atlanta, GA this year.
Below are our key takeaways.
Outcomes, Not [Just] Outputs
It’s not just about optics anymore. Saying you donated $10,000 in a cause marketing campaign is great, but what did that money actually do? Who did you impact? Why is your company making a commitment to support this cause?
A majority of consumers think brands they buy from must share their values. Consumers want to know how companies are making an impact and may choose to direct their dollars to one company over another if the company supports a cause they care about. Our teachers also need support beyond the optics. When asked what AdoptAClassroom.org can do for our teacher population, 73% of respondents said helping to raise awareness towards what teachers are facing in their classrooms, according to our 2022 State of Teaching survey.
Internal Commitment is Crucial for Cause Marketing
Companies can build change from inside-out. Employees overwhelmingly want to help and most feel proud to work at companies that have a purpose-driven giving strategy. Ninety-two percent of employees who work at a company with a strong sense of purpose say they would be more likely to recommend their employer to those in their network who are looking for a job.
At the conference, Keisha Dabrowski, Global Leader, Health Equity Communications at Johnson & Johnson, discussed her company’s 2020 commitment towards racial equity, and their goal to ensure every element of their business model aligns with this priority.
Point-of-Sale (POS) Cause Marketing Campaigns Are Here to Stay
Point-of-sale campaigns are not going anywhere, in fact studies show that this approach to fundraising is only growing. A recent study done by Engage For Good reports that its nonprofit organization members have raised over $750M through point-of-sale campaigns in 2021.
According to a survey completed by Accelerist, a social impact connection company, 61% of consumers reported they donated to a charity at at the register between May 2021 and April 2022.
These data points speak louder than words. They prove that customers care and that when asked, most will contribute to a charity at checkout.
Nonprofits Should Collaborate More
As a nonprofit, we are in the business of helping others and we know there’s power in numbers. Instead of viewing other nonprofits as competitors, nonprofit professionals should find ways to work together and learn from each other to better serve our constituents and increase mission impact.
If you’re interested in learning more about how we partner with companies large and small to advance equity in education, visit our Corporate and Business Partnerships page.