Give a Little, Help a Lot

By Courtney Carey

In hopes of bringing out the altruistic side of people, the online e-commerce business, PayPal, has recently partnered with a site similar to Groupon called Philanthroper. Like Groupon, Philanthroper sends out daily emails to their database notifying the public, not about a discount or sale, but instead about a new or relevant non-profit organization.

Every day, a new non-profit is highlighted and Philanthroper users are asked to donate exactly $1 – no more and no less. The theory behind the act of giving only a dollar is that when a large group of people do a small act of goodness, there is potential for a huge impact. More than just collecting money for charity, the site hopes to inspire people to take on an attitude of giving and make charity a habit instead of a random occasion. If the site can inspire even a portion of the 98 million PayPal users, it would be a huge success.

Philanthroper does not collect any fees, nor does it charge the non-profit organizations to be featured. Due to having to process international credit card fees, PayPal gets 10% of every transaction. Even though 10% seems to be a lot, they make the donating process extremely simple and also heavily assist in matching a large portion of donations.

In my opinion, micro-donations can be extremely effective. While websites such as Philanthroper might not change the mindset of people right away, it serves as a constant reminder to make charitable acts a part of everyday life. Just think – one dollar today will buy you about 1/3 of a tall Starbucks Latte. If people made it a regular habit to give up that sip of coffee and donate that dollar to charity instead, the impact could be huge.

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

Maryland Non-Profits Show Promising Numbers

By Mitchell Schmale

A study released this week unveiled some promising numbers for Maryland-based nonprofits. A report by Maryland Nonprofits showed that the state added more than 22,200 nonprofit jobs from 2004 – 2009. Even more promising, numbers revealed that Maryland nonprofits grew employment by 2% in 2009, which was just slightly lower than the year before.

The study was good news for not only the State of Maryland, but for the nonprofit sector, which was able to show growth during a very difficult economic time – even if it was modest growth. Our team at Maroon PR is proud to work with a wide variety of recognized and well respected local and national nonprofits serving various constituents. We do our best on a daily basis to help share their message through the media, showcase their ongoing efforts to serve and help others, and ultimately help in their fundraising efforts by growing awareness around each nonprofit’s work and mission.

It’s good to see that nonprofits of all sizes continue be an important part of our economy, both nationally and right here in our backyard in Maryland. The report showed that nonprofits in Maryland employ more than 255,400 people. Hopefully, that number will continue to rise as the entire sector rebounds from the economic downturn and works harder than ever for corporate and public financial support. In the meantime, our team at Maroon PR looks forward to working harder than ever to help drive growth for our nonprofit clients.

Mitchell Schmale is Vice President at Maroon PR. Contact him at Mitchell@MaroonPR.com.

Everyone Has a Story to Tell

By Chartese Burnett

We are bombarded everyday with news accounts of tragedy, violence in Egypt, the war in Afghanistan, child abuse, homicides, the contentious political landscape, budget cuts that threaten to eliminate vital programs that benefit society, and on and on and on. Everywhere you turn, there are sad stories with which we are deluged on TV, on the radio, on the Internet; and of course, these days, via all the social media outlets.

However, just as there are stories of destruction and death, there are also stories of hope that abound. For those of us play a part in these stories, let’s start telling those. Let’s begin to utilize all of these effective outlets – TV, radio, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wordpress, etc. to share with the world the stories of survival, triumph and miracles.

Let’s inundate the public with those stories. Let’s share with the media and their captive audiences the good news: that victims are surviving, that patients are overcoming disease, that endangered species and the environment are being protected, that underserved children are being embraced and educated, that we are making strides and reaching new heights in America and in the world and attacking the many ills that affect society, health and the environment.

As my friend Joe Schreiber shared with my Sports Media Today class at the University of Maryland: “Storytelling is key in the world of publicity and journalism.” Schreiber helped launch and produce NBC’s George Michael’s Sports Machine, which aired for 23 years, making it the longest running locally produced, nationally syndicated sports show in television history. The show earned 11 Emmy awards. He is an accomplished producer, journalist and now working with many organizations to help them with their messages through various multimedia platforms.

In the world of public relations and journalism, those professionals who are most successful in spreading their message (getting their news covered and/or getting their work published) are most often those who are the best storytellers.

It is no different in the world of philanthropy. Organizations whose mission is to connect with constituents -- who include board members, donors, and the research community, among others -- MUST tell their story. They must recognize the value of the communications, media and public relations function. Many nonprofits have yet to embrace the importance of telling their story through the many tremendous opportunities to do so; including a comprehensive and extensive communications plan, along with passionate and experienced personnel to execute it.

Creating awareness for events, initiatives, programs, newsworthy research funded, significant findings from studies – should be at the core of the outreach, pr and media efforts for any nonprofit entity. A strategic approach to communicating the organization’s mission, with the ultimate goal to fund and further the mission, i.e. a call to action, is the key to garnering the support of existing donors, potential major gift givers, and alliances with corporate partners and sponsors.

Especially in challenging economic times, it is even more important to position yourself positively – when there are numerous organizations, entities, and individuals vying for the same pot of money in the world of giving.

As a PR professional, one of the rules of thumb is that you have to be able to answer the “so what?” question when pitching a story or news item to the media. You have to be able to explain why a particular media outlet’s readers, viewers and/or listeners should care. What’s in it for them? Why is it important – to them or to their community or to the world at large?

Talented, skilled and compassionate communications professionals know how to craft that message, engage the audience and to answer that question.

Just like any other business entity, nonprofits must have key messages that serve as the definition of WHO they are, WHAT they have done and WHAT their brand represents.

Positive and strategic PR for a nonprofit should not only motivate and retain existing audiences, but should also serve to expand opportunities for new audiences to engage in a meaningful way.

At Maroon, we are very privileged to work with or serve as the public relations teams of several nonprofit clients, and we are blessed to be able to share THEIR stories of funding research to cure diseases, supporting patients and families living with life-threatening illnesses, protecting the environment and endangered species, cultivating a generation which values volunteerism, and educating and empowering our underserved youth through the gift and joy of reading.

However, these stories belong to ALL of us. It is not only THEIR story… it is YOUR story… it is OUR story. For isn’t the onus on each and everyone one of us not be silent, but to speak up for those who are not able to do so for themselves and to make a difference?

We will continue to work hard at telling stories in a meaningful and impactful way – stories about heroes, miracles, and about people who are changing the world.

Chartese Burnett is Director of Non-Profit PR at Maroon PR. Contact her at Chartese@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.

New Social Media Platform for Nonprofits

By Abby Draper

We are fortunate to work with several incredible nonprofit organizations at Maroon PR, and we know first hand how much effort needs to be put into fundraising and awareness in order to be successful. That being said, we are excited to learn about an awesome new site that provides the opportunity to create a personal fundraising page to share through social networks, while winning points and prizes along the way.

On Wednesday, actor Edward Norton developed Crowdrise - a website dedicated to charity fundraising. As an active philanthropist, Norton understands the value of social networking and took it upon himself to create a platform for those interested in sharing their cause.


“People use Twitter or Facebook because it's a way to share their personal narrative but we wanted to give people a platform to say, these are the causes I care about, I am volunteering and sponsor me," Norton told Reuters in an interview.

"We wanted it to be something with the substance of activism and engagement but the fun, ease and dynamism of social networking."


Crowdrise offers its members the opportunity to start fundraising projects, get their volunteer projects sponsored, donate money and promote their own charities. When you become a member you earn points for doing different things. For example, by signing up you earn 500 points, and for every $1 you donate, you earn 10 points. These points are used to win prizes like a new Mac Book, or to earn “royalty status” in the Crowdrise community.

Several other celebrities have joined the Crowdrise community as well. The list includes actor Seth Rogen campaigning for Alzheimer's, Will Ferrell raising money for Cancer for College, and Russell Brand supporting the David Lynch Foundation.

While the site is still new and growing, it provides an engaging and exciting platform for anyone interested in nonprofit organizations and volunteering to be involved. We are really looking forward to taking advantage of all Crowdrise has to offer.

Abby Draper is the Manager of Social Media. Contact her at abby@maroonpr.com

USA Today's Great Twitter Campaign for Nonprofits

By Andrea Kunicky

I’ve gotten more involved with Twitter recently, learning new and interesting ways to connect with people and find up-to-date local and national news. While tweeting one morning, I came across information from @USATODAY on a campaign for nonprofits. Since we work with a good amount of them, I decided to look into it. Their Kindness Community Blog started a campaign called “#America Wants”, where the top tweet-getting charity would receive one full-page, full-color ad in USA Today!

From April 13 until April 16, we worked with our client, The Moyer Foundation - the nonprofit organization of MLB Pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen - and Nology Media, a Social Media Management company in Seattle who works on the social media efforts for The Moyer Foundation. They worked heavily all week long on posting tweets and retweets to reach out to the Foundation’s supporters on Twitter. We tweeted and retweeted from our personal accounts and key media members that we have relationships with also retweeted the information. When it was over, we were all very excited to find out the results and where we ended up on the list. Out of 500 charities that were involved in this campaign, The Moyer Foundation landed at No. 16 on the list! To Write Love on Her Arms (TWOLHA), a wonderful nonprofit dedicated to helping people with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide, ended up winning the contest.

In just a few days, 67 million people on Twitter helped their favorite charity by sending out over 60,000 tweets. From working on the campaign, it clearly shows how much nonprofits and social media together are growing by the minute. Hopefully, more campaigns like this will be developed, so we can create increased awareness for the organizations that we care most about.

Andrea Kunicky is an Associate Account Executive. Contact her at andrea@maroonpr.com.

Reliving the 6th Annual Pat’s Run

By Chris Daley

On April 17, I joined nearly 30,000 people at Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium to honor Pat Tillman. It was part of the sixth annual Pat’s Run, the signature fundraising event for The Pat Tillman Foundation. The Pat Tillman Foundation was started in 2004 in honor of Tillman, a former football player who was killed on April 22, six years ago today, while fighting for this country in the United States Army. The Foundation honors Tillman’s legacy and provides resources and educational support to veterans, active servicemembers and their dependants.

Pat’s Run has grown considerably from roughly 5,000 participants in 2005, to over 28,000 in this year’s race. The 4.2 mile run (in honor of the number Tillman wore as a football player at Arizona State) officially had 20,629 finishers and according to Running USA’s list of largest races in the U.S. (last updated in 2008), Pat’s Run has grown into one of the top 15 largest running events in just six years.

My inspiration to participate in the race came after reading Jon Krakauer’s book, “Where Men Win Glory, The Odyssey of Pat Tillman” last fall. I’d heard the story about Tillman leaving football to join the Army Rangers post 9/11, but this book provided me with a closer look at the man who positively impacted everyone around him. The book made me look at life from a different perspective and gave me the urge to start setting some new goals for myself.

In January I decided to register for Pat’s Run to pay tribute to Tillman and support the Pat Tillman Foundation. To make the experience even better, I convinced my father, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and a close friend from high school to join me and participate in the run. With my father’s 60th birthday on April 27, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the occasion than a few days in Arizona, playing golf and running a race together to honor a true American Hero.

My goal was to finish the race in less than 30 minutes. When I crossed the finish line last Saturday on the 42-yard line of Frank Kush Field, I had done it. My official time was 29 min. 10 sec. and I finished in 453rd place overall. My father also finished in an impressive 1,326th place. The race was fun and a great experience to share with my Dad.

Perry Edinger, Pat's friend and former head trainer for the Arizona State’s football team was one of the people who initiated the idea of this race and said, "With Pat's Run, people are motivated to exercise and do something positive for themselves, while honoring Pat's memory, sharing their stories and ultimately being an inspiration to others."

The Pat Tillman Foundation is providing a tremendous service to our servicemembers and their families across the U.S. As they continue to build their Leadership Through Action programs, support for the organization is growing rapidly. The foundation’s Facebook page has nearly 24,000 followers as of today, and it seems to be growing by the hundreds each week.

I felt that this race would be a perfect opportunity to utilize social media and engage my small twitter following with updates and photos throughout the day, which turned out to be quite fun. In addition, I was asked by Heather Schader, the public relations and marketing manager for the Pat Tillman Foundation to conduct a television interview because I was an out-of-state runner. I came to find out that the interview was with a production crew from The Weinstein Company who are developing a documentary that will potentially air on A&E. So, if my sound bites make it past the cutting room floor there is a chance I’ll be featured in the film slated to air later this year. That would be something.

Pat’s Run was an amazing experience. I’m happy that I was able to be apart of it and share the memory with so many people. I am already planning to take part in the 2011 race and set another goal.

Foundations like the Pat Tillman Foundation and event’s like Pat’s Run continue to show the power and impact nonprofits can have within our society and that’s a wonderful thing.

Chris Daley is an Account Executive. Contact him at chris@maroonpr.com. Follow him on twitter @CDaley43.

Video Blog: Andrea Kunicky Discusses Pathfinders for Autism

By Andrea Kunicky; Video by Abby Draper

Maroon PR will work with Pathfinders for Autism's two major events this year; their 9th Annual Golf Tournament and their Fashion Show in the fall. For more information, visit www.PathfindersforAutism.org.

Andrea Kunicky is an Associate Account Executive. Contact her at andrea@maroonpr.com.

BBJ Reports Increase in Nonprofit Hiring

By Mitchell Schmale

The Baltimore Business Journal shared some encouraging economic news yesterday for nonprofits in Maryland with the results of a study showing the state’s non-profit work force grew by 2.7% in 2008. The good news is obviously tempered by the fact that the 2009 numbers on hiring and layoffs are not yet available to document the grim effects the economic recession has had on non-profits in Maryland, as well as the rest of the globe. The financial crisis was just hitting its grim stride at the beginning of 2009 as all companies began to make tough decisions to deal with the short and long-term effects.

The numbers were promising in that non-profits were able to grow around the state before the inevitable cutbacks in the work force that occurred in 2009 as for-profits and non-profits alike had to become lean and mean to compete and survive long-term in a struggling economy.

Our nonprofit clients at Maroon PR are optimistic about the future as they work to gain market share and financial support from corporate partners in a very crowded landscape of worthwhile causes and organizations. We look forward to helping them reach their goals and emerge at the other end of the economic crisis as stronger and more competitive organizations as they continue to achieve great results for their beneficiaries.

Mitchell Schmale is the Vice President of Maroon PR's Corporate Division. You can contact him at mitchell@maroonpr.com.