With
the holiday season so close behind, some of the spirit of the
holidays must surely still be with us. It is with this spirit
that the idea of strategic philanthropy will be discussed. Strategic
philanthropy is the process by which a company aligns itself with
a cause or some good deed in order to promote and advance the
cause and with it, the fortunes of the company. In short, strategic
philanthropy is doing well by doing good.
Companies get involved with good causes because they want to do
good deeds for the greater community. Some companies that have
done well over time feel the desire to reach out and give back
to the communities from which their success derives. But there
is another reason to do it. The goodwill and PR that flows from
these acts bring additional benefits to the company.
In the food industry we need look no further than the Ronald McDonald
Houses to see that when companies support a cause, communities
support companies. The Ronald McDonald Houses are primarily financed
through contributions from McDonald's customers and other corporation
and charities that believe in the work of the houses. McDonald's
spends many millions each year to support the Ronald McDonald
Houses but not the lion's share. McDonald's however, gets 100%
of the positive PR from this venture.
The food industry has a fundamental cause that we can support,
hunger. People starve in the United States because of distribution
not production. Millions of pounds of food are discarded each
year because of code date problems or mislabeling or customer
returns or damage in packaging or simple overproduction. As an
industry we write these inventories down and many even donate
it to charities or food banks. But surely there must be more we
can do as an industry to promote the ending of hunger in the richest
country on earth.
So how can your company get involved with strategic philanthropy?
First and foremost, the desire to support a cause must be genuine.
The time and resources to support such acts are large. Faking
it to create PR will be seen right through if the commitment does
not exist. Second, a cause must be identified with which there
is the genuine need to help coupled with an ability to make progress
on the issue. Third, the company's role in solving the issue,
must be closely aligned with its core purpose. In the case of
McDonald's, the core purpose is to serve the needs of children.
Fourth, management must hold a dedicated long-term view. This
is not a "project" to be managed but a serious change in corporate
philosophy to support the cause in question. Lastly, an individual
on staff or outsourced must be given a budget and the authority
to accomplish the goals.
The cause of hunger is well known and many organizations already
exist. The best know of course is Second Harvest. On the web at
www.secondharvest.org, Second Harvest coordinated the aggregation
of excess food and distributes it to local food banks. Calling
Second Harvest to inquiry where they need assistance is a good
first step. Aligning your company with local food banks is a positive
step as well. When you do have donatable foods, the connection
exists to get the food where it is needed.
Tying in with the charity takes much thought. The bond between
you and the cause must be clever but subtle. You definitely want
to toot your own horn, just not too loudly. Here are some ideas
to get you thinking:
- Blues
for the Hungry - a blues festival sponsored by a blue cheese
producer with proceeds donated to hunger relief.
- No
Whey Hunger - dried whey donated by a producer.
- Non
Hunger - non-fat dry milk donated by a producer.
- Buttered
Up for Hunger - a butter donation program in low-income
areas.
- Say
Cheese! - a school picture and cheese donation program for
low-income areas.
- Cultured
Caring - a yogurt donation program for schools.
- Monsters
Against Hunger - a school program by a Muenster producer.
- America's
Best - donation program using American cheese.
- Cheddar
or Not, Here Comes Hunger Relief - a cheddar donation plan.
These
are generic ideas. You should use your company name in the promotion
of the cause. Our staff can supply you with names and ideas if you
wish.
Once a plan is initiated, the work of getting
positive PR begins. Use your own internal marketing department
to begin the process. Create a philanthropic statement that defines
your new mission. Creating a logo or "wordmark" for this cause
will assist in the promotion too. Incorporate the statement and
logo on invoices, business cards and letterhead, broker statements,
web sites, company golf shirts etc. Don't be bashful about promotion,
Ronald McDonald certainly isn't. Heck, they ask for donations,
you can too.
Get your program up and running for some time
prior to alerting the media. Good works on their own sometimes
find an audience. You also want to work the bugs out and refine
your methods and message. Once you are comfortable, call your
local paper and invite them for a tour of your facility to introduce
the program. Local newspapers are always looking for "soft" news
that will help sell papers and fill content.
Contact the trade press with your news. Shortage
of positive content plagues most publications. Nation's Restaurant
News, ID Magazine, Progressive Grocer, The Food Institute, Food
Arts and the like, all want to report good news about our industry.
Once one publication reports it, many others will follow with
their own angle on the story.
In conclusion, strategic philanthropy is a great
thing to do. Aligning your company image with a cause they helps
the world and brings positive PR can have unlimited benefits in
an increasingly crowded marketing space. Standing above the crowd
while taking the moral high road will bring positive recognition.
Using your company's strength to help others will create support
and increase your own abundance.