Incentives

Since I work for nonprofits, I figure everyone wants to participate in do-gooding. Predictably, I make contributions to charity on behalf of the recipients for gifts. Call them socially responsible gifts. It makes me feel good to do that. I always presumed it made the recipient feel good, too.

There are lots of good reasons and creative ways to use promotional products: premiums, incentives, giveaways and more. How is your nonprofit using them? We want to know. And we're willing to pay up to find out. In order to better understand how nonprofit organizations use branded merchandise, we're conducting a brief survey to learn what you want from promotional products. Your answers will allow us to help you get your brand noticed and improve your marketing...

As a promotion at recent fundraising conferences, my team had the idea to give away pedometers to the more than 4,000 fundraisers in attendance. If they walked 33,000 steps at the conference, and sent a picture confirming their totals, we’d make a $25 donation to their nonprofits. I thought this would become the Ice Bucket Challenge of fundraising conferences. It did not...

The Chicago Cubs easily lead the league in fashion statements, with manager Joe Maddon’s propensity for turning his slogans into T-shirts. And one of his designs has prompted the St. Louis Cardinals to rethink a policy at Busch Stadium. During the Cubs’ first visit to St. Louis this season, ushers have told fans wearing Maddon’s…

After raising more than $10 million for charity in the run-up to the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" last year, Lucasfilm has relaunched the "Star Wars: Force for Change" fundraising campaign for a four-week push that will see the studio matching fan donations—and making fun of Mark Hamill's role in the film. Launched April…

A promotional product, when carefully selected, does not jeopardize a person’s view of why he or she is involved with a nonprofit, because it cannot be construed as payment in any form. The product is a reinforcement of the person’s self-label, e.g., “I am a cancer evangelist. I do this work because it’s who I am.” Here are the best practices to make sure that a promotional product works as recognition instead of as an incentive...

Is your nonprofit using promotional products? If your answer is "no" or "what's a promotional product?" then it might be time for a quick lesson in one of marketing's secret weapons. Chances are, you're already familiar with these items. The education and nonprofit sectors as two of the top three promotional-products buyers, and for good reason...

When it comes to peer-to-peer fundraising, it’s often difficult to provide a verbal acknowledgement to each volunteer and supporter. So many organizations turn to the tangible “thank you”—items that represent the organization’s recognition, appreciation, acknowledgement and thanks for the individual’s support. But how much power does a “thank you” have?...

When I started my company 27 years ago, I had the idea that giving someone a gift would make that person do what I asked. If I dangled that carrot, the horse would go for it. Now I know that idea, when applied to humans, is just as insulting and wrong-minded as it sounds...

Parking fines aren't usually the stuff of holiday cheer. But a few cities around the country are turning them into an opportunity to promote giving, letting drivers cover part or all of their fines with food donations. Lexington, Ky., first adopted the program, called "Food for Fines," during the 2014 holiday season. There, 10 cans…