Online Cause Marketing Programs

If you've been reading my blog of late you know that I'm interested in moving beyond the traditional point-of-sale mobile programs I market to retailers.  My recent post on Boston's Children's Hospital and their partnership with Roche Brothers got me thinking of new spins on an old idea. Thankfully, New York based Change Round-Up has given me whole new direction to take my point-of-sale programs.

Change Round-Up is doing for Internet retailers what Jerry Lewis and Shamrocks did for brick and mortar retailers forty years ago: open a whole new avenue for raising money for nonprofits. And not just a little money, but big money.

CRU works just like a point-a-sale program at your local supermarket. Just as you're ready to checkout at your favorite e-tailer, shoppers are asked if they want to "round-up" their purchase to the nearest dollar and donate their spare change to the charity of their choice.

Even in the seclusion and privacy of their homes and offices people are charitable. The CMO at Change Round-Up, Jane Goewey, reports that people donate on average $1.20. Like mobile programs in brick and mortar stores these dollars can add up, fast.

Change Round-Up identified over two dozen Internet retailers here in Massachusetts alone that we could approach about adding this fundraising feature to their web site. There is also additional revenue to be made from retailers we currently do in-store programs with (Staples, iParty, etc.) that could add an Internet component.

The only downside I identified with Change Round-Up was that retailers were unlikely to limit giving to one charity and would probably offer consumers several charities to choose from (shoppers like to have a selection, right?). In short, landing a partnership with an Internet retailer might mean ultimately carrying someone else's water and, yes, even sharing. Fortunately, with Change Round-Up, the burden will be well worth the reward because there will be plenty to go around for everyone.