If you’re a cause marketer, especially if you’re a consultant like me or come from the nonprofit side of the equation, and if you stay at it long enough someone’s going to come to you with a cause-related marketing scheme that will… they tell you… somehow manage to put a little scratch in everyone’s pocket. Frequently this involves a private foundation that they control or that they hope to start. And, commonly, it also involves a product or service that they sell or manufacture and which will, according to the plan, benefit the charity that they control or want to control. If they don’t know much about charitable tax law in the United States, they’re also hopeful that the cause-related marketing promotion will spin out a charitable tax deduction somewhere in there for them, too. I smile broadly, tell them that I’m not a lawyer and therefore can’t render a legal opinion. If they don’t know any nonprofit lawyers, I’m happy to provide a referral. And then I tell them what they’ve describ...
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