Build a relationship that has mutual value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today cause marketing isn\u2019t just sponsorship. It can truly be a partnership.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond Expectations,<\/a> a Trenton, N.J.-based nonprofit, struggles with a small budget and is not well known. Yet it has had some big wins collaborating with larger partners<\/strong> including AMC Theatres, The College of New Jersey, Comcast<\/strong> and NBC Universal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe aren\u2019t a widely recognized brand,\u201d says Executive Director Leontyne Anglin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond Expectations serves New Jersey teens, particularly those in foster care. For one program, students produce video resumes, conduct online research to prepare for job interviews, and learn to communicate succinctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201dLet\u2019s face it,\u201d she says. \u201cNo one wants to listen to people lecture. Video production is just the carrot that we dangle to get young people in the door. We could be teaching underwater basket weaving. The most important thing is to get them here and engage them immediately.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since it began in 1999, Beyond Expectation’s challenge has been getting noticed. \u201cWe\u2019re not one of the big three [youth charities],\u201d adds Anglin, a former corporate executive. \u201cBut since we\u2019ve forged several strategic collaborations, many organizations and even entrepreneurs reach out to us for advice.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a half dozen tips on how your company or nonprofit can build successful relationships for cause marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSocial media is a loudspeaker<\/strong> will amplify your message,\u201d he says. \u201cCollaborations will occur naturally because like-minded individuals will hear about it and say, ‘This is in our area, let\u2019s talk to them.’ Most important is that your organization has its own online real estate,<\/strong> your own domain that you can control. You build an email list,<\/strong> with not just social media, but by creating your sales funnel and getting people to become your ambassadors.<\/strong>The point is to produce results. I\u2019m a social media strategist on paper but I\u2019m also on the phone with developers.\u201d<\/p> 2014 Comcast Cares Day<\/a> from Beyond Expectations<\/a> on Vimeo<\/a>.<\/p> Other than the great public relations aspect of helping a cause or gaining awareness, it makes financial sense to collaborate, says attorney West. It leads to greater economies of scale, increased capacity and long-term sustainability when financial pressures are removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It starts with a simple phone call<\/strong> or quick meeting.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A Beyond Expectations client was overjoyed to be invited on journalist Katie Couric\u2019s<\/strong> show to tell his story about growing up in the foster care system. He had completed the nonprofit’s TV production class, with training in body language, dress, eye contact and resume-writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe handled himself like the true young professional that we first saw inside,\u201d says Anglin. \u201cOrganizations simply have more impact when we take the time to identify the right opportunities and collaborate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n * * *<\/p>\n\n\n New Jersey-based Linda G. Rastelli<\/strong> is an award-winning journalist, video scriptwriter, publicist, ghostwriter, editor and co-author of Marketing: Essential techniques and strategies geared toward results<\/a> (John Wiley & Sons, 2007). Connect with her on Google +<\/a> and LinkedIn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Linda Rastelli If you\u2019re a small to mid-sized business or nonprofit with very limited resources, how can you get better publicity and the approval of your customers or donors? Build a relationship that has mutual value. Today cause marketing isn\u2019t just sponsorship. It can truly be a partnership. Beyond Expectations, a Trenton, N.J.-based nonprofit, struggles\u2026 Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_wds_title":"","_wds_metadesc":"","_wds_focus-keywords":"","_wds_meta-robots-adv":"","_wds_meta-robots-noindex":false,"_wds_meta-robots-nofollow":false,"_wds_meta-robots-index":false,"_wds_meta-robots-follow":false,"_wds_autolinks-exclude":false,"_wds_canonical":"","_wds_redirect":"","_wds_opengraph":[],"_wds_twitter":[],"iawp_total_views":11,"wds_primary_category":691,"footnotes":""},"categories":[691],"tags":[725,697,216],"class_list":["post-27842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-publicity","tag-cause-marketing","tag-nonprofit-sponsors","tag-video-marketing","entry"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"contributor","author_link":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/author\/contributor\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27842"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27842\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42959,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27842\/revisions\/42959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}6 Tips and Possible Pitfalls<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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In these tough times, says attorney Michael West of the New York Council Of Nonprofits, nonprofits are considering everything from entrepreneurial ventures, to shared services to corporate affiliations and restructurings. Collaboration can range from sharing information and resources to actually sharing a structure.<\/strong> With increased trust comes closer affiliations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Social media opens new avenues for collaboration.<\/strong> One person at the forefront is Gabriel Reynoso, the founding director of\u00a0SocialMedia4Good<\/a> in New York City, which helps nonprofits, foundations and philanthropies succeed on the Internet through capacity building and digital literacy.
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With the cable giant Comcast, Anglin says,\u201cIt took two years to identify the right fit. It took follow up, persistence, keeping contacts in the loop and finally getting to decision makers.\u201d BE participated in 2014 Comcast Cares Day,<\/strong><\/a> the nation\u2019s largest single-day corporate volunteer effort. Here’s a video that explains more about the event.
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<\/strong>If you just call, says Anglin, \u201cYou\u2019re one of 1,000. Think it through strategically.\u201d She knew she wanted to focus on life skills for teens aging out of foster care. \u201cI narrowed it down by asking, \u2018Which skills do they need most, and which companies support youth leadership that can get to us? We came up with a specific ask<\/strong>—not just \u2018hire our kids.\u2019 We asked AMC Theatres to please come talk about why they like working there, share opportunities, and provide interviewing tips. Later we took it to the next level to ask if they\u2019d consider interviewing any of our kids,\u201d which they agreed to do. \u201cEven if they don\u2019t get hired, their self-confidence has given them an edge.<\/strong>\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Be very clear about what you can and can\u2019t do. Don\u2019t make promises<\/strong> you can\u2019t keep. You don\u2019t \u201cpartner just for the sake of partnering,\u201d Anglin stresses, or you risk going off mission. \u201cWe\u2019ve walked away because others didn\u2019t seem to have the right motivation or take it seriously enough. They don\u2019t really do film or understand what it is. We learned to say no.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
For-profits can misstep by talking the hard-nosed language of business, which can be a turnoff<\/strong> to nonprofits. Anglin has experienced an \u201cunintentionally condescending attitude of \u2018You don\u2019t understand business. We\u2019ve got money and you\u2019re lucky to work with us.\u2019 But on the other hand, I\u2019ve seen nonprofits come to the table unprepared and make the costly mistake of not following up at all.<\/strong>\u201d The common ground should be both the audience you\u2019re targeting and a shared commitment to community.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nBenefits and Rewards<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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