There is a good article in Wikipedia about this; it cites some interesting case studies about the way large companies do it.  Another good place to look at the effectiveness of cause marketing is the Red campaign.  If you buy a Red product from any of a number of companies (The Gap, Dell, lots of others), a portion of the price goes to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa.

I put this chapter in the book (and this post) because it seems like it’s a viable way for us small businesses to market.   Here are some preliminary examples to get you thinking about how this might fit for you.

A doctor or dentist could provide free medical care to the local homeless shelter.

A restaurant donates leftover food to a food bank.

A construction business or plumbing or electrical supply store helps Habitat for Humanity build homes on the weekends.

A massage therapist or hair stylist or manicurist works with battered women.

A clothing store donates suits for jobless people to wear when they go to job interviews; a career coach works with immigrants entering the workforce, a coffee shop provides refreshments to the volunteers answering the phones for a fund drive.

Keep in mind that both parties are supposed to benefit from the arrangement.  If you want to do volunteer work someplace, go ahead and do that.  But if you want to associate your business with a cause in a way that you both benefit (meaning that your business either makes money or gains goodwill with your clients that translates into more customers, and your cause also profits by getting more money, more volunteers or some other benefit), this marketing can work for you.

I like this idea for one primary reason; it’s a way to spread more goodness in the world.  I did a little pro bono coaching for people at a job fair a few years ago, and am serving on the board of a community development financial institution, but that’s all.  Makes me think I need to ponder this more.  Anybody out there doing this?  Thinking of doing it?  Anybody ready to jump in?