In this episode of The Think Tank, we’re focusing on the often-overlooked secret sauce to supercharging your business’s brand while doing a world of good: Nonprofit partnerships. Let’s dig in and talk about the positive impact on your brand and profits, then discuss how to choose the perfect nonprofit for your brand.
The Statistics Paint a Clear Picture
We always say “The numbers don’t lie”, so let’s start by getting into the weeds on some generational statistics that provide a clear picture of how partnering with a nonprofit impacts your current and prospective clients’ likelihood of choosing your brand over a competitor. For clarity, here are the generations broken down by age range:
Generation Z entered adulthood, and the workforce, around 8-10 years ago, officially making them the newest consumers and, most importantly, prospective new clients for your business. So, what does Gen Z value and how does aligning with a nonprofit help you score these young people’s loyalty?
Here are some interesting stats on Gen Z:
- 91% of the Gen Z generation actively incorporate volunteering into their daily lives, showing a deep commitment to giving back (source: Cone via ACCP report)
- 89% of Americans aged 13–25 (Gen Z) would switch brands for cause-related initiatives (source: Cone Millennial Cause Study)
- 78% of Gen Z consumers say a nonprofit partnership boosts a cause’s appeal and trust factor (source: Gitnux report)
What does this mean?
When your brand partners with a nonprofit, Gen Z takes notice. In short, it dramatically increases the likelihood of attracting and retaining Gen Z customers (and employees too, by the way). Gen Z cares a lot and they expect you to care as well. From their vantage point, your commitment to giving back shows authenticity, social awareness, and builds massive trust that translates into repeat customers and brand advocacy.
Now let’s discuss Millennials.
Want to snag this age bracket from your competitors? Promoting nonprofit involvement within your organization, and publicly, is the way to go. Millennials are drawn to purpose-driven messaging and more often swayed to switch brands when your products or services mesh with a social impact component.
Nonprofit stats for Millennials include:
- A whopping 84% give to charity annually (source: nonprofitsource.com)
- Approximately 64% of Millennials volunteer locally (source: thenonprofitmasteryacademy.com)
- 88% of millennials state an intention to be more loyal to brands that give back (source: melioryzm.org)
- Interestingly, 70% of millennials state they are willing to pay higher prices for products / services from companies that give back (source: csic.georgetown.edu)
As the first children of the digital age, Millennials pay close attention to brands online and their attention (and spending) is swayed by authentic and transparent cause marketing. Giving back can result in big gains with Millennials.
Next up: Generation X
Confession time – I’m a baby Gen Xer. Born on the cusp of Gen X and Millennial, I’m a true Gen X through and through. Yes, all of the jokes apply. So, what sways Gen X with regards to charitable giving and community support? Structure. We like a structured volunteer program and formal charitable giving opportunities that allow for repeat giving.
- 49% of Generation Xers enroll in monthly giving programs, which matches their volunteer stats as well (source: donorbox.org)
In a nutshell, Gen X loves to pledge monthly giving and roll up their sleeves to volunteer with purpose and on a schedule. Consider this when aligning with a nonprofit organization – Are they organized with monthly giving options AND a structured volunteer program? If so, this is catnip for us Gen Xers!
Finally, the often-maligned Baby Boomers.
Boomers take a lot of heat, but remember they have experience, wisdom, and let’s face it, a lot of money to spend with your business. As they age out of the workforce, volunteerism amongst Boomers is, well, booming.
Some Boomer stats:
- Interestingly, Boomers have a high rate of informal volunteerism and grassroots giving (source: www.generations.com)
- 72% of Boomers give annually and they spread the wealth amongst approximately 4-5 charities (source: NPTechforGood)
The “in-person” generation, Boomers are more likely to get involved in local, grassroots causes where they can show face and volunteer or mentor others. Consider this if your ideal client includes older Americans.
In summation, it’s pretty clear that, regardless of your ideal targeted age group for your clientele, partnering with a nonprofit can produce big gains for your brand.
Ways to Partner with a Nonprofit
What does partnering or aligning with a nonprofit actually mean? This goal can be attained a variety of ways, according to your business’s needs and capacity for giving either monetarily or with your time (or, ideally, both).
Here are some ways you can partner with a nonprofit effectively:
- Join a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Board of Directors
- Consider incorporating volunteering into your team building plan
- If your finances allow, consider enrolling your company in monthly or annual giving plans
- Sponsor local charitable events
- Allow employees the option of cashing in PTO hours & using the funds to donate to local causes
- Become a Community Partner with a local charity and hype their causes & events on your company’s socials & website
- Place a linkback to a charity of your choice on your website (this helps boost the charity’s SEO and shows your commitment to them)
We could go on, but this is a great place to start in your journey into supporting a nonprofit.
How to Choose the Right Nonprofit for Your Brand
There are so many great charities out there, so how do you choose the right opportunity for your brand? Tip: Choose a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is in good standing. The 501(c)(3) offers tax deductible options that non 501(c)(3) charities do not. You can research a charity here and here.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Are we a large company with multi-state locations? (if so, you should probably consider a well-known national 501(c)(3) charity)
- Are we a small to medium sized company residing in one state? (if so, we recommend choosing a local 501(c)(3) charity)
- Does the nonprofit’s mission align with my company’s values & purpose?
- Does this nonprofit offer both giving opportunities and organized volunteer opportunities?
- Would my staff & ideal customer feel compelled by their mission?
- Most importantly: Am I genuinely passionate about the work this organization is doing?
Here’s a real-world example to help you choose: When I founded VioletFig Marketing, I knew I felt compelled to give back, but was overwhelmed by the volume of local charitable causes and, frankly, the thought of adding more responsibility to my plate at the time was terrifying. Luckily, the perfect opportunity was presented to me by a loyal VioletFig client. They asked me to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the local 501(c)(3) nonprofit i-LIVE to Work, Play & Dream, which you can learn more about here .
I did not simply say yes because this was a client, I asked myself those aforementioned questions and everything was a big yes. i-LIVE to Work, Play & Dream’s mission is to promote disability inclusion in Central Arkansas by providing scholarships & other funding to support hippotherapy (occupational therapy, speech therapy, & physical therapy with trained therapy horses & human therapeutic practitioners). They also support social programs and other community activities aimed at helping individuals of all abilities thrive and gain independence.
It checked these boxes for me:
- Small, local 501(c)(3) charity in good standing
- Disability inclusion focus (Little known fact: VioletFig is a disability owned company)
- Bridges the gap and provides therapy for people otherwise lacking necessary funds (lack of quality healthcare options due to funding is a big issue in our opinion)
- Involves animals (We’re die-hard animal lovers here at VioletFig)
- Has a solid, well organized charitable giving option (one time & reoccurring options) AND a great volunteer program, complete with training & flexible scheduling for prospective volunteers
At the end of the day, we went with our heart, which is exactly what you should do when choosing a nonprofit organization to support. Bottom line: There is no reason for your business not to support a charity. The impact on your brand can be immense when properly marketed. From gaining new clients, to retaining current ones, this strategy is a winner. Imagine a world where every company gave back. That’s a powerful thought and, most importantly, it’s 100% possible.
