The Spirit of Giving – A Look Back at 2010

As I wrote in an earlier post this year (Cause Marketing is Thriving – Thanks to Moms and Millennials), cause marketing is alive and well in the U.S. despite the economic difficulties of the past several years, according to Cone’s 2010 Cause Evolution Study, released this fall. In fact, per the study, 83 percent of consumers want more of the products, services and retailers that they use to benefit causes. Looking back over 2010, while individuals and businesses may not have been able to give as much overall as in previous years due to the economy, the spirit of giving illustrated in Cone’s study has been clearly evident to us at GroundFloor Media.

Our clients continue to seek ways to become more involved in their communities. For example, Westwood College recently donated Netbooks, portable computer carts and interactive white boards to Skyline High School in Dallas in order to help the school meet its technology needs. Westwood IT students are also helping to repair previously donated computers and equipment so that they can be put back into classrooms and student homes.

In addition, Qdoba Mexican Grill continues to support the Starlight Children’s Foundation through the company’s CSR program.

And, at GroundFloor Media we are celebrating the successful launch in 2010 of our Get Giving program. Through this program, we collected and donated hundreds of items to nonprofits including PlatteForum, SafeHouse Denver, Dumb Friends League, Colorado Youth at Risk and Florence Crittenton Services. In addition, thanks to the generosity of partners and clients such as LiveWell Colorado, Westwood College, Young Americans Center for Financial Education, CCT Advertising, Bradley Consulting Group, Motive, BusinessWire Denver, Radius, Relish Studio and Activate, we were recently able to donate 11 large boxes of Christmas wish list items to the families of Denver’s Warren Village through our Get Giving “On the Road” holiday initiative.

Looking more broadly across Colorado, as many of you are no doubt aware, Community First Foundation and FirstBank presented the first annual Colorado Gives Day on Dec. 8. Their goal was to raise $1 million in one day for Colorado nonprofits through online giving. Individuals and businesses across the state literally blew that goal out of the water by donating more than $8 million in one day!

As news stories focusing on bad news continue to abound, it is incredibly encouraging, especially during this holiday season, to know that the drive to do good is so strong in Colorado. We look forward to an even brighter and more generous 2011!

~Amanda Brannum