Check-Ins for Charity

By Courtney Carey

Checking-in online is not a foreign concept these days due to popular social media sites such as Foursquare, Gowalla and of course, Facebook. As of March, Foursquare reported that it had seven million active users. A recent social media site, DailyFeats, is taking the popular concept of “check-ins”and making it philanthropic.

This social media site describes its purpose as, “DailyFeats guides you in doing small actions -- or "feats" -- that reflect your values and your life's goals. Along the way, you'll earn points, meet a helpful community, and save money on real-life expenses, motivating you to go do good -- every day.” Each time a user reports an act on DailyFeats, they earn reward points depending on the size of the task. The acts range in size from choosing to eat healthier foods to volunteering your time at a non-profit organization. Once enough reward points are earned, they can be redeemed for coupons or discounts with certain participating organizations.

The popular social media website, Mashable.com, describes the benefits that DailyFeats offers for sponsors or corporate partners, “DailyFeats has managed to integrate its social layer with targeted coupons and sponsors. Certain actions unlock specific discounts. For example, Monster.com sponsors “!newskills” and “!makeconnections” sections whereas 1-800-Flowers.com sponsors “!sympathy” sections. It’s a smart way to target consumers and encourage good deeds at the same time.”

The catch with this social media site is that all of the actions are self-reported, meaning that people can say they completed an action even if they really did not. What is to stop people from lying on the site simply so they can reap the benefits of the rewards and coupons? While DailyFeats has some checks in place, they rely heavily on trust. Mashable describes the site’s philosophy, “The site was formed as a way to promote good deeds of any nature and ultimately to make America a better place. People may start by making themselves better, but they’ll eventually graduate to projects with more impact. The hope is that this next step won’t just be to get more rewards, but to actually embrace DailyFeats’ positive ethos.”

Is choosing to trust online users a gamble? My thought is that while there will always be those who choose to abuse the system, DailyFeats is a cool and interesting way to keep track of the good deeds, big or small, that one does on a daily basis. I look forward to seeing how this concept evolves and encourages people to make philanthropy a part of their daily lives.

Courtney Carey is Manager of Social Media at Maroon PR. Contact her at Courtney@MaroonPR.com

Marathon Fundraising Evolves

By Pete Deluca


Last weekend, thousands of runners took part in the 2010 ING NYC Marathon. With an estimated 46,000 people, the race is one of the largest and most popular running events in the world. Most participants endure months of grueling training and arrive at the starting line eager to begin their 26.2-mile trek. But one runner, selected to start dead last.


His name is Amani Toomer, former wide receiver for the New York Giants, and his run from Staten Island to Central Park took on special meaning thanks to a unique fundraising opportunity from Timex. For every person Toomer ran by, Timex agreed to donate $1 to New York Road Runner’s Club Youth program, a local charity that promotes distance running, health, and fitness. To pass as many people as possible, Toomer selected to start very last.

He finished the race in 4:13 – just outside his goal of under four hours, but still fast enough to break the record set by Hall of Famer Lynn Swann, who previously held the mark for the fastest time in the NYC Marathon by a former NFL player at 4:23. Is it estimated that Toomer passed 20,000 people on his way to the finish line.

Raising money for charity is always a great idea. Sponsoring or donating to a particular runner is certainly not uncommon, but there is something refreshing about the way Timex went about this.

It’s interesting. It’s engaging. It makes for a great story before, during, and after the event.

My hat is off to Timex for recognizing an excellent opportunity to donate thousands of dollars to a local charity while tastefully promoting their company.

Pete Deluca is an Associate Account Executive. Contact him at pete@maroonpr.com.

Texting for a Cause

By Mitchell Schmale

Nonprofits are often looking for creative ways to share their message, advance their missions and also raise much needed funds to help support their organizations.

In good economic times and bad, nonprofits will continue to utilize traditional fundraising techniques including capital campaigns, corporate partnerships and direct outreach to donors, to name just a few. But more nonprofits of all sizes are now trying to emulate the success of recent text messaging campaigns as an additional fundraising tool to help reach younger donors and build a donor support base for the future.

The New York Times’ Stephanie Strom wrote an interesting article recently on the challenges of launching and maintaining successful text messaging campaigns for many nonprofits.

Following the amazing success of the American Red Cross texting campaign to support Haiti in January of this year, other nonprofits realized the immense potential power of the fundraising vehicle. The text Haiti campaign raised more than $30 million, which was almost as much as all other nonprofit text campaigns in 2009 combined.

However, as The New York Times piece points out, the American Red Cross example is difficult model to replicate. Not every nonprofit is able to share the same sense of urgency, have the ongoing support of global awareness from news coverage, or have the support from other national organizations and high-profile public figures. Additionally, the ongoing cost of creating and maintaining a text campaign can be a costly expense for smaller nonprofits.

Nonetheless, I believe texting campaigns will become yet another traditional mainstay for nonprofits of all sizes to use as a fundraising tool in the future. With the help of corporate partners underwriting campaigns and the costs of launching and maintaining campaigns with mobile phone companies possibly declining in the future, nonprofits will tap into the texting craze for the long haul – at least until the next best technology-based fundraising tool comes along.

Mitchell Schmale is the Vice President of Business. Contact him at mitchell@maroonpr.com.

Great Things Come Out of Difficult Times

By Carolyn Maroon

A wonderful trend in recent years that was born out of tough economic times and the public’s lack of faith in big business, has been the dramatic increase of cause marketing efforts.

So many companies have effectively used cause marketing to build their brands while, at the same time, do good work … the Pepsi Refresh Project, Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives, Box Tops for Education, Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, McDonald's and Ronald McDonald House Charities, Target and Take Charge of Education, and many more. We have come to associate strong brands with charitable giving.

These are just a few examples of how businesses and nonprofits team up in a “cause marketing campaign” where both sides benefit. The nonprofits gain national attention by associating themselves to a company that is already a big brand. Using this association in advertising creates a memorable impression by the consumers for both the charity and the business. Another advantage is that corporations have bigger budgets to invest in quality advertising, which will inevitably result in the channeling of more funds.

Additionally, embracing a cause makes good business sense. Statistics show that 83% of Americans and 94% of moms want to see more cause related marketing. Companies that commit to a worthy cause build brand loyalty with consumers. The majority of consumers prefer to do business with a company that stands for more than making a profit.

If the teaming up of businesses and charities is good for capitalism and raising awareness for worthwhile causes, I’m all for it. Statistics show that I am not alone in my view.

Carolyn Maroon is the Maroon PR Office Manager. Contact her at carolyn@maroonpr.com.

The Importance of Giving Back

By Carolyn Maroon

It’s that time of year again; “Back to School” and I can’t help but think of the classic and very true statement “Children are our Future.” If the children fail, than we as a society fail. There are many problems in our communities but we can all help. The question we should be asking ourselves is, “What can be done today to demonstrate our faith, our hope, and our commitment for a better future?” We can all make a difference by donating our time, resources, and of course… our money.

There are so many worthwhile organizations in place that are making positive changes in children’s lives and we can all take part in their successes. All we have to do is choose one and get involved. Together we can make a better tomorrow starting with the children.

There are great sites out there that can point you in the right direction. Children’s Charities of America has plenty of organizations dedicated to helping children and can give you an idea of where to start. At Maroon PR, we also have plenty of nonprofit clients which focus on children. There are so many great people out there that are dedicated and proud to have the opportunity to help these organizations succeed in reaching their goals. We’re extremely grateful that we can help as well.

During these challenging times, we can all lend a hand and give children in distress hope for their future.

Carolyn Maroon is Maroon PR's Office Manager. Contact her at carolyn@maroonpr.com.

Manute Bol Remembered as Humanitarian, Hero

By Pete Deluca

This weekend marked the passing of one of basketball’s most iconic and definitely tallest figures to ever play the game - Manute Bol.

Before Michael Jordan’s championship run, I remember the only reason I was interested in the NBA was because of Bol. Standing 7-foot-7-inches tall, he was like nothing the sports world had ever seen. He looked like a monster, and in a league full of giants everyone was looking up at him. As one of the most recognizable players of his era, he drew a crowd everywhere he went and packed stadiums throughout his career.

His defensive stats were unreal – more so considering that he did not even touch a basketball until he was 16 years old. After being drafted in 1985, Bol went on to set the record for most blocks in a rookie season, which included league records for shots blocked in a half (11) and in a quarter (8). He finished his 10-year NBA career second in career blocks-per-game (a mark that still stands today) and is the only player in league history with more blocked shots (2,086) than points (1,599).

Fans flocked to arenas to see Bol and marveled at his height and shot blocking ability. However, he was much more than a sideshow – he was the embodiment of the “American Dream.” Bol rose from a small tribe in a primitive section of Sudan to a mainstream figure of American pop culture. He was thrown right into the lime-light and emerged as an NBA legend.

But it was his actions off the court that made him a true superstar. Bol always kept his war-ravaged home country in mind and worked tirelessly with nonprofit organizations to improve Sudan throughout his career. He started the Ring True Foundation, which raised over $3 million for the Sudanese refugee camps he frequently visited. In retirement, he assembled schools across Sudan to educate Muslim and Christian students under one roof and worked with local politicians to promote fair and safe elections.

Bol passed away in Virginia on Saturday, June 19 from kidney problems and a rare skin condition. He proved himself as force both on and off the court. He was a hero, a humanitarian, and a giant – in both height and heart.

Pete Deluca is an Associate Account Executive. Contact him at pete@maroonpr.com.