EFG: Where Cause & Commerce Meet
In late 2001, a journalist and consumer marketer by the name of David Hessekiel saw a new and rapidly growing demand: Corporations and nonprofits needed a channel to help build win-win relationships with one another.
David Hessekiel, President and Founder of Cause Marketing Forum, Inc.
It was not long after the tragic events of 9/11 that Americans felt their anger and grief transform into a sense of camaraderie and common purpose. Communities across the country sprung into action and started viewing large corporations as a means of greater impact. However, the concept of corporate-cause partnerships was still an obscure practice at the time, with only a handful of success stories to reference. It was then that David Hessekiel had his "EUREKA!" moment: establish a cause marketing clearinghouse.
In 2002, Hessekiel made his clearinghouse idea a reality by founding Cause Marketing Forum, Inc. (CMF). CMF's mission was to provide business and nonprofit professionals with the resources and networks necessary for successful cause marketing. And thanks to the information and council CMF was offering, the world of cross-sector partnerships began to flourish. In fact, CMF was renamed to Engage for Good (EFG) to better reflect the vast range of members joining its "do well by doing good" community. Today, EFG is known as the world’s leading resource on building mutually-beneficial business/nonprofit alliances and the host of the annual Engage for Good Conference.
So, What’s the Big Deal? Before EFG, learning about cause marketing, corporate social responsibly (CSR), or social impact was like a cruel scavenger hunt: Even if you were able to find the resource, guidelines, or case study you were searching for, the materials were likely too industry-specific or outdated to be of any use. (Not to mention best-practices or legal aid surrounding such partnerships were practically nonexistent.)
Think About It: The lack of credible guidance, combined with industry-siloed results, left many corporate partners skeptical of ROI and nonprofit partners ill-equipped to expand their partnership programs. Cause marketing just wasn't a viable option. Then, EFG provided a formal space for industry leaders, corporate/nonprofit professionals, employees and consumers to learn about successful campaigns and how to build the partnerships themselves. EFG made cause marketing more than just a viable option, it helped shape the world of purpose-driven business we see today!
[Triple] Bottom Line: If you want to learn about cause marketing, CSR, employee engagement or even social impact career opportunities – visiting EFG's website is your first step. Your second step is to look up resources from the annual Conference (an amazing event that we will break down for you in next week's post.) Your third step? Make your marketing matter. RightCause is here to help your business drive purpose and change, so let's get started: kwright@rightcauseconsulting.com.
Learn about RightCause and cause marketing: LISTEN, WATCH, READ
Ready to profit with purpose? RightCause offers consulting services, educational resources and operational guides for corporate purpose discovery, cause marketing campaigns, events and fundraising. Learn more at rightcauseconsulting.com or email kwright@rightcauseconsulting.com to get started!