Cause Marketing/Corporate Partnerships

Hewlett-Packard is reshaping its policies on giving away money to nonprofit causes. Now the company will not just give away money. It will also donate the expertise of its employees to build solutions for nonprofits.

The change in policy makes sense, as the value of HP’s technology expertise could be far more useful, in conjunction with a donation, than just writing checks to charities, said Paul Ellingstad, a director in the office of global social innovation at HP, in an interview.

Institutional philanthropy is on the rise throughout the world, can play a key role in addressing human problems and boosting civil society, and slowly is moving beyond traditional charitable giving to also include more strategic giving aiming at significant social change, a new study says.

Still, global institutional philanthropy faces big challenge, says the study, which was prepared by The Philanthropic Initiative for the Worldwide Institute for Grantmaker Support.

MyNewPlace, one of the nation’s largest apartment and home-rentals websites, today launches MyNewPlace PINK, a nationwide fundraising campaign benefiting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF), an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure by funding clinical and translational research worldwide. The goal of the year-long campaign is to raise $100K by encouraging MyNewPlace.com users to take an active role in finding a cure during their apartment search by simply clicking, printing and delivering a donation form to a participating community’s leasing office. “We’re grateful for the success we’ve achieved as a company and want

What started with a tweet from a 25-year-old Blue Jackets fan Wednesday morning ended Friday night with more than $10,000 pledged to local charities and nonprofit organizations.

In an effort to rouse the Jackets from a five-game losing streak, Columbus resident Tyler Schweinfurth got on Twitter and promised $20 to the Jackets player who delivered a winning goal Friday night against the Detroit Red Wings.

By the time the Jackets took the ice in Nationwide Arena, nearly 150 people, got behind the drive and pledged $5,327 to the "money on the board" campaign.

First Hawaiian Bank, which began its Kokua Mai employee-giving program in 2007 to give back to the community, is pledging to donate $2.5 million to Hawaii nonprofits in 2011, raising its total contribution to charities to more than $5 million over a two-year period.

The state's largest bank and its 2,200 employees gave more than $2.5 million to more than 400 local charities in 2010, with employees and retirees raising more than $560,000 of that amount for 38 designated charities during its Kokua Mai fund drive in October.

Donors to the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund made more than 353,000 grants totaling over $1.2 billion to nonprofits nationwide during 2010, up 19 percent and 14 percent, respectively, compared to 2009, the fund said.

Incoming charitable contributions surpassed $1.6 billion during 2010, representing a 42 percent increase compared to 2009. This is the sixth consecutive year that the Gift Fund has accepted more than $1 billion in contributions from donors.

Community Options, a national nonprofit organization that supports people with disabilities, is working to promote greater health and wellness this Valentines Day. The organization has put together a national 5K Run, Cupids Chase, which will take place in 24 cities across 10 states on February 12, 2011.

Mary Pat Christie, First Lady of New Jersey, is the Honorary National Chairperson of Cupids Chase. Christie is working with Community Options to bring greater awareness to the cause and promote corporate social responsibility and health and wellness.

Green America, a Washington nonprofit that wants the American economy to be dominated by environmentally friendly companies, has started a deal-of-the-day Web site called GreenDeals.

In partnership with Q4 Marketing, of Boston, Green America carefully screens businesses, allowing only those that it defines as environmentally friendly and socially responsible to offer discounted deals.

reen America says it’s on its way to raising $24,000 as part of the deal with Q4 Marketing, which is expected to make a bit less from the partnership.

While companies have had corporate giving programs for years, they increasingly are involving employees by giving them a say in which charities to support and providing time off with pay for volunteering. Corporate volunteerism is growing, with 20 percent more companies allowing employees paid time off for volunteer projects than three years ago, according to a report by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy.

Corporate giving also has been a bright spot. Corporate charitable contributions rose 5.5 percent in 2009, according to Giving USA Foundation's report.

Francisco and Pam Cruz will become first-time homeowners, helped by one of many nonprofit groups that can snag foreclosures at a discount - sometimes free - before banks make them available to speculators.

Rebuilding Together obtained the home for free from JPMorgan Chase & Co., the bank that foreclosed on its previous owner.

In a market hot with speculators snapping up cheap foreclosures, Rebuilding Together's program is one of many that give a leg up to nonprofits and redevelopment agencies trying to stabilize neighborhoods dotted with vacant houses.