Cause Marketing

SAN FRANCISCO, April 30, 2009 — On May 1, “501 Day,” more than 800 Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&CO.) employees in San Francisco will step away from their computers and workstations to spread out across the city and spend the day providing volunteer work at 27 local nonprofit organizations. Employees will be busy with a variety of labor-intensive activities, including painting, cleaning, gardening and other much-needed tasks to help local organizations that focus on health issues; the homeless; HIV/AIDS; the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender community; youth and schools; and the environment.

NEW YORK, April 28, 2009 — This spring, Saks Fifth Avenue will once again partner with charity: water, a non-profit organization that funds freshwater wells in developing nations for as little as $5,000. Last year, Saks raised over $500,000 for the charity, which aided in the construction of over 100 wells that will serve 37,000 people in Central America, India and Africa.

CANTON, Mass., April 21, 2009 — Today, enjoying a small cup of refreshing Iced Coffee can make a big difference for severely injured veterans. Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, has declared April 21 to be "Iced Coffee Day." Small (16 oz) Iced Coffee beverages will be served all day for the reduced price of 50 cents at participating shops nationwide. For every small Iced Coffee purchased, Dunkin' Donuts will donate five cents to benefit Homes for Our Troops, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to building specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans.

WEST WARWICK, R.I., April 17, 2009 — Arpin customers now can help make a difference in the life of a child affected by poverty. Arpin Group, Inc. announced this month that it will support Save the Children's work until at least 2011.

PHILADELPHIA, April 16, 2009 — ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group of Companies, today announced that its environmental liability division, ACE Environmental Risk, has joined with American Forests, the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization, in a year-long campaign to improve the environment by planting 5,000 trees in five locations across the United States. In appreciation for its clients’ support in 2008, ACE Environmental Risk is making this donation as part of American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Campaign for the second consecutive year.

TOPEKA, Kan., April 13, 2009 — Just in time for Earth Day, Payless ShoeSource and The Nature Conservancy today announced a partnership to raise money to plant a minimum of 100,000 trees to support the Plant a Billion Trees campaign dedicated to planting 1 billion trees by 2015 to help rebuild the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. As part of the effort, today, Payless is launching a Green BOGO(TM) (Buy One, Get One Half Off) sale to partner with shoppers to raise money for the important cause. Payless will donate $1 -- the cost to plant one tree -- for every Zoe & Zac green brand item sold through May 4 and on every Payless exclusive reusable shopping bag sold throughout the year.

Performance Research — While consumers generally appear to expect the same or higher level of corporate sponsorship from stable or profitable companies, a Performance Research study of American consumers revealed that one-third (32%) reported they are paying "Less attention" to corporate sponsorships than they were a year ago. Moreover, the majority would like to see less spending on sports sponsorships for companies experiencing any difficulties (62%), and particularly by those accepting federal assistance (68%).

April 3, 2009, The Motley Fool — With a recession raging, nonprofit groups need money more than ever. But many individual donors are giving less, instead of more. Unfortunately, large corporations have begun to follow suit.

CANTON, Mass., April 2, 2009 — Dunkin' Donuts, America's all day, every day stop for coffee and baked goods, wants Americans to kick off spring with a refreshing cup of Iced Coffee that will help make a difference for our injured veterans in need. The price for a small (16 oz) cup of Iced Coffee will be reduced to 50 cents at participating Dunkin' Donuts shops throughout the country during Dunkin's all-day "Iced Coffee Day" event on April 21. For every small Iced Coffee purchased on this day, Dunkin' Donuts will donate five cents to benefit Homes for Our Troops, a national, non-profit organization that builds specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans.

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2009 — Rebuilding Together, the nation's leading nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership, today proudly announced that Sears customers in total have raised nearly $7 million dollars over two years for the charitable program 'Heroes at Home.' The 'Sears Heroes at Home program' includes a joint effort between Rebuilding Together and Sears Holdings. The program was created to assist military families and veterans in need across America by making necessary repairs, improvements, and modifications to their homes.