What Every Nonprofit Should Know About Cause Marketing

Cause-related marketing has exploded in recent years even though it is a relatively young concept.

Cause marketing began, on a national scale, in the early 1980s when American Express partnered with the nonprofit group that was raising funds to restore the Statue of Liberty.

American Express gave a portion of every purchase through its credit card to the cause and an additional amount for every new application that resulted in a new credit card customer. The company also launched a huge, for its time, advertising campaign.

The results are now legendary: the Restoration Fund raised more than $1.7 million, and American Express card use rose 27 percent.