Sponsorship Strategist

Ask the right questions when considering events

The accelerated pace at which we live coupled with the prevalence of "glowing rectangles" in our lives (90 percent of our time, according to The Onion, which sometimes seems pretty close, right?) occasionally can cause us to minimize the importance of human connections in our lives. As many of us gathered around dining room tables to give thanks and eat turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, perhaps circuitry shifted a bit. Time with family and friends allows us to reconnect with what's most important in life. To drop down to the human level. That connection to the human is what... Read more →

The Code Words of Breast-Cancer Awareness - NYTimes.com

“Oh, yeah,” she said, vaguely, when questioned about it. “It’s for breast cancer.” via www.nytimes.com If you are involved with a cause or cause marketing campaign, check out Peggy Orenstein's story in today's The New York Times Magazine, linked above, on pink, the slogans and products we see annually in October, and what this means from the perspective of someone who actually experienced breast cancer. I recently had a conversation with a woman who, like Orenstein, had experienced the disease. We talked about pink, ribbons, breast cancer, awareness and sponsorship. She told me that she disliked the annual reminder and... Read more →

Saluting Dunkin' Donuts and the Troops

My friend and colleague Joe Brooks, president & COO of the USO of Pennsylvania & Southern New Jersey, writes in with details of a great partnership his organization has with Dunkin' Donuts. If you're in Philadelphia, tune in to Fox tomorrow morning, Veteran's Day, at 7:15 to see Joe in action. In the meantime, here's what Joe has to say: Today and tomorrow the USO of Pennsylvania & Southern New Jersey (Liberty USO) and Dunkin Donuts (DD) call attention to their “November is USO Month” promotion. With 6 ABC covering the event this morning, DD’s Louis Conte, left, presented [Joe... Read more →

Don't force the fit

A participant on a webinar I presented today asked me an interesting question, and I'm guessing other nonprofit – and corporate – leaders may be wondering about the same thing. The individual wanted my opinion on how to overcome possible negative perceptions or stigma associated with the cause. (Not the organization itself, but the issue that this and hundreds of other organizations worldwide address.) Diverse audiences attend events held across the US and Canada to help raise a lot of money for a cause that affects a lot of lives. Here's what I told this person: Destigmatize. As the sponsorship... Read more →

Experiencing a nonprofit brand

If you have about 6 minutes, check out this video, below, and an article about a flash mob the Opera Company of Philadelphia pulled together this weekend with about 600 singers from choirs and choral groups throughout the Philadelphia region. I appreciate that, while some performing arts organizations are fretting about the drastic drops in attendance, wringing their hands and complaining, the Opera Company of Philadelphia offers a contemporary, fun, and experiential way of engaging new and existing audience members. Bold, generous, inclusive, and uplifting. Wish I'd been there, but I'm grateful for the video. How's the experience of your... Read more →