Newsletter: How One Retailer 2X Customer Donations💰💰; 144 Brands That Are Leading on Social Action 🏆 ; What’s the Most Effective B2B Content by Funnel Stage? 🧐

One of the things I really enjoy about writing case studies is I get exposed to all kinds companies and how they raise money for their respective partners.

Last week I had a great conversation with a large retailer (1000+ stores) about its checkout charity program and how they absolutely blew the lid off their fundraising goal.

Here are four solid lessons that could help you smash the record of your next checkout charity program! 💥💥💥💥

🧐 Confirm your hunch about your partner. “One of the reasons our employees are so successful in asking customers to donate is because they know, love, and have participated with our partner,” said my corporate contact. “To find out if your team has connections with your nonprofit partner, ask them to fill out a survey, or just ask them at team meetings or whenever you see them. If they’ve participated or supported the organization that's a strong indicator that your checkout program will be successful.”

🧑🏽‍🏫 Prepare the team for success at the register. “Raising millions of dollars at checkout doesn’t happen on a lark,” said my contact. “We have several kickoff meetings to pump up the stores, and I also schedule weekly or daily email chats with store captains to keep them focused. We also plan competitions between different regions to see who can raise the most."

🏆 Know who your top fundraiser is. “Prompting our customers to donate at the register's pin pad was something that we didn’t try until 2021, but it was an absolute game-changer,” said my contact. “We raised 40 to 50 percent more. My only regret is we didn’t start using it sooner!”

🆙 Make sure rounding-up is an option. “As a company we were terrified to add a round-up option at the register because we thought it would hurt donations, but just the opposite happened," said my contact. "We raised more because shoppers that wouldn’t give a dollar were happy to round up to the nearest dollar. My advice? Give shoppers plenty of options at the register, including a round up option, and begin the customer ask with the pin pad.”

This is great advice, folks! Have you executed a successful checkout fundraiser? What would you add to this list?

✍️ Partnership Notes

1. To mark its 40th anniversary and increase awareness among younger consumers, Newman’s Own is offering any brand free use of founder Paul Newman’s name, image and likeness on one product. There's one requirement: 100% of profits from the product sold during the limited-time offer must be donated to child-related causes.

2. Two lists for you to check out. 144 brands that are leading on social action, sustainability, inclusivity, and fun. Also,18 organizations that have built cause into their business.

3. I need this car! Maserati partners with Mattel's Barbie on a car to support the Barbie Dream Gap Project, the brand's ongoing global initiative that partners with charities to help provide equal opportunities and remove barriers for girls.

4. Water brand Liquid Death is partnering with voter registration group HeadCount to legally provide water to people standing in voting lines in Georgia.

🤑 Marketing Your Cause

1. Fellow Masshole Ann Handley sent me her latest book Everybody Writes 2. It's even better than the first book - and 10% funnier! Not sold yet? That's cool. Start with this article: 17 steps to make your writing ridiculously good. This process really works!

2. Gang, your partnership team needs more content. Period. But what kind of content? In this study, B2B marketers rate the effectiveness of content by funnel stage.

Want my advice? You need two things: An email newsletter + case studies.💥 Armed with that content you'll cover the whole funnel. And I can help you create BOTH!

😎 Cool Jobs in Cause

1. National Sales Lead, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Houston ($100k - $150k)

2. Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships, American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia ($110k - $130k)

3. Corporate Account Manager, National MS Society, Remote ($48k - $58k)

4. Senior Director, Corporate Development, National 4-H Council, Remote ($145k - $160k)

5. Marketing Manager, Think Together, Santa Ana, CA ($70k - $75k)

🧠🍌 Brain Food

1. When you shop on Amazon do you forget to switch to Amazon Smile so you can donate to your favorite charity? I do it all the time, but no more! This Chrome app makes sure you go to smile.amazon.com every time!

2. I'm taking a whole different approach to my garden cleanup this fall. Instead of cutting everything down and raking up every (single) leaf 🍁, I'm leaving my garden standing and letting the leaves pile up in the beds. This article explains why I'm opting for a "gentler" cleanup this fall.

3. On Halloween night I wrote a Twitter thread on what's missing from trick-or-treaters these days. In a word: HUSTLE 😂