Conference Roundup: Reaching Out to Corporations

“The Gap is a highly visible cause retailer,” Koon said. “Not only do profits go to the fund, but its participation builds the community in Africa. They had to agree to build jobs in Africa, and it uses cotton from Africa.”

Companies and nonprofits find themselves in win-win situations when they team up, Koon said. When cause marketing originated a few decades ago, she said, the major draw for companies was simply image enhancement. But not so much anymore.