Today’s post is the second of a two-part series courtesy of Isabelle Jetté, a fellow in Fenton’s NYC office.

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In this two-part series, we explore how nonprofits can leverage Groupon and other daily coupon sites for visibility, lead generation and fundraising purposes. While the first post discussed the opportunities that such sites offer nonprofits, since many of these opportunities are dependent upon a business partnership, we also wanted to outline the benefits available to businesses (the focus of this post), so that in turn you could develop a compelling ask to a prospective partner that also shows “what’s in it for them.”

For one, businesses stand to benefit from a nonprofit partnership via Groupon (or other coupon site) because they can capitalize on latent cause marketing synergies that wouldn’t otherwise be available to them if they simply wrote a check and handed it over to their cause of choice. By publicly supporting a charity via a matching gift on Groupon for instance, it allows the business partner to generate goodwill among their existing constituencies, the charity’s, as well as the coupon site’ users due to the halo effect created by their association with the said nonprofit. Groupon also publicizes its deals via a comprehensive social media network, which affords the business partner enhanced visibility and the potential for their deal to be picked up by the media (which happened in the case of DonorsChoose.org and partner Pershing Square Foundation, discussed in last week’s post). Plus, through Groupon’s crowdsourcing ability, they enjoy the potential to secure new customers, which can more than offset the costs of their donation over the long-term.

Other ways for nonprofits and partners to collaborate can also involve the partner offering a discounted offer via Groupon (or other coupon site), outlining in the deal editorial that for every purchase, a donation will be made to the charity. When users subsequently come to redeem their coupons at the partner’s business location, both the partner and nonprofit can look for ways to upsell onsite and capture data for future cultivation.

While not a substitute to traditional fundraising tactics, Groupon and other daily coupon sites do offer some exciting advertising, fundraising/gift matching and selling opportunities to the savvy, enterprising nonprofit and its business partners. Taking the time to evaluate and identify the business partners and daily coupon site(s) that align most closely with your objectives, while conducting an assessment of all potential opportunities, costs and anticipated returns, will be the key to ensuring the best possible outcome for your foray into the online couponing world.

Today’s post is the first of a two-part series courtesy of Isabelle Jetté, a fellow in Fenton’s NYC office.

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While online coupon service powerhouse Groupon has recently been the subject of scrutiny for its ad spot during the Super Bowl, business has hardly skipped a beat. Groupon’s revenues have been going gangbusters (rumored to be at the lofty tune of $800 million to $2 billion for 2010) and most of its 26.5 million users and featured businesses would agree that it’s been a win-win for all parties involved. Several similar sites have also emerged, including LivingSocial and BuyWithMe, which certainly attests to Groupon’s successful business model.

So, the big question for nonprofits is: Can we leverage this new channel to support fundraising efforts and initiatives? And if so, how?

The answer is yes, opportunities do exist that can fulfill the interests of the nonprofit sector, its business partners (the focus of the second part of this two-part series), the daily coupon site and its users. For nonprofits, Groupon and other sites boast an attractive audience largely comprised of college-educated women aged 18-34 with moderate to significant disposable income. While on the younger side of the traditional “ideal” donor, tapping this discerning, cause-conscious yet difficult-to-reach segment can afford charities an opportunity to cultivate the next generation of philanthropists and get them onto the “gift ladder.”

In addition, some sites like Groupon allow nonprofits to advertise on their site for free. Charities can also actively benefit from a “Groupon” deal, whereby each coupon sold is matched by an underwriting partner and 100% of the monies raised go towards the cause. This makes the ask that much more compelling for site users, as not only are they supporting a great cause, but they also have the satisfaction of knowing that every dollar they donate is effectively doubled. The only real “catch” for nonprofits in this instance is that Groupon will place the onus on them to find a partner. The Chronicle of Philanthropy summarizes a great example of how matched giving can work on Groupon: DonorChoose.org partnered with the Pershing Square Foundation last May and was able to raise $162,000 on Groupon to support public education projects.

Moreover, in the world of hyper-segmentation, a myriad of daily coupon sites are emerging to meet the needs of the many market segments out there. Moms have notably and appreciably been the sweet spot of several such sites, including Plum District and DoodleDeals – depending on your cause, these may well be worthwhile investigating. New York’s best established mom daily coupon site, PoppinsPerks, also donates 10% of all its sales to DonorsChoose.org (yet another great coup for this early adopting NGO of the daily coupon cyberspace). Other sites (CauseOn, GivShop, Philanthroper) seek to do well by doing good while appealing to a cause-conscious audience and donating a portion of their revenues to local charities. Groupon, which originally evolved from The Point, an online platform that allows individuals and groups to galvanize action for causes they care deeply about, is now looking to go back to its roots by introducing G-Team, an added layer to a Groupon deal that will allow a social good to take place if a pre-determined tipping point is reached (e.g., if X number of Groupons are sold for a given deal, then a local book shop will donate Y number of books to a public library).

Please tune in next week for the second part of this two-part series, where we will explore how running a cause-related campaign on daily coupon sites can be advantageous to businesses, and how nonprofits can attract business partners to align with them.

Pepperidge Farms, the makers of the “Fish” have a smart campaign out called “Fishfull Thinking.” It’s a site that gives tips to parents about how to raise a positive child.

Elements include:
1. Skill Quiz
2. Book Club
3. Guides to keeping kids active and optimistic
4. A parent survey
5. Q+A with experts
6. and more…

This is a wise campaign for the company. It allows parents (moms in particular) to see their brand as supportive to their parenting and not just a consumer transaction.

Moms will be loyal if you give her practical tips for doing the hardest job on the plant – raising happy, healthy kids.

Kudos to Pepperidge Farm for this campaign. Non-profits and companies to use this case study to do some authentic parent engagement planning.

In his Time column this week, Dr. Mehmet Oz reflects on the fact that, in most homes, women are the primary care doc, thanks to their “remarkable power” to keep their families well.

The article continues by offering tips aimed at helping women teach their family healthy habits – from inventing games and stories so health lessons are more likely to stick with kids to storing each family member’s health history in one place to better manage their healthcare.

All good advice. But I couldn’t help but think how all these great ideas add yet more “do’s” to a mom’s ever-growing to-do list.

It takes enormous creativity and organizing skills to be a great mom. So who wouldn’t appreciate a practical shortcut tool once in a while? This is a service that more nonprofits could provide. What if a nonprofit committed to children’s health offered an online bank of health-related bedtime stories or healthy snack recipes for moms on the go?

It may seem like a radical departure, yet corporations – including those that sell not-so-healthy products — do this all the time. But this is a space that nonprofits could own. They’d be doing moms across the country a huge favor, and also build brand loyalty among potential donors and activists.

What about when it’s time to remodel your home, paint the bathroom, or even build a new home or office.  What do you consider then?

Construction has never been an industry dominated by women, but women are bringing innovation, consciousness, and relevance to the field.  Green Economy Post recently made a list of who they consider the top ten women in green building.

We found another to add to the list:

Sarah Beatty founded Green Depot – “a leading supplier of environmentally friendly and sustainable building products, services, and home solutions” – in 2005.  The flagship store on Bowery in Manhattan hosts a myriad of products, for all elements of living, and empowers consumers with options.

Beatty got the idea for the store when pregnant and fixing her kitchen floor.  Blown away by the toxicity of the paint and products, and horrified by the difficulty of getting more sustainable and “green” products, she took matters into her own hands and started a distribution point.  The company has grown from one store to include ten stores and seven distribution centers.

Women seek an in-depth understanding of what they choose – whether it’s when they buy a product or take a bite of a pie.  How do they know what they are getting?

Two non-profits organizations are making detailed info available at the snap of a camera-phone.  Consumers simply take an iPhone to the grocery store with the GoodGuide app or the (soon to launch) Citizen’s Market app, and scan item barcodes.  From home they can search deep databases online.  Profiles for the product and company pop up with ratings and descriptions for them.  On Citizens Market, consumers can upload reviews, and companies can join the conversation, too.

GoodGuide helps consumers “find safe, healthy, and green products” with a rating system that accounts for ingredients, production, and the behavior of the company that makes or harvests the products.  They use a combination of science, widely sourced documents, and algorithms to rate products and companies.  Environmental, social, labor practices, and health performance are measured.  Ratings are available for food, personal care, and household products ranging from baby food to frozen food, from shampoo to sunscreen, and beyond.  And the company is always adding to their list.

GoodGuide also offers tips for feeding kids veggies, reducing your carbon footprint, and news about health issues.

Citizens Market offers insight and an open-source conversation on the issues that companies support.  They empower consumers to shop their values – and vote on issues with their dollars.  Environmental practices, a company’s stance on gay marriage, animal rights policies, and more can be reviewed on the site.

Women who seek a deep understanding of what they are buying, and are loyal to brands that have credibly cultivated relationships with them, will find these sites useful.

For marketers and companies themselves, these sites present opportunity and challenges.  Bad reviews will clearly have negative consequences, but joining and following the conversation here will help build those real relationships through awareness and action. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with women who could become loyal consumers.

Both sites are still in beta and are welcoming feedback and questions.

With chicken coops and children in tow, this movement is made up of women who stay at home, with a new spin on being a housewife.

They are “feeding their families clean, flavorful food; reducing their carbon footprints; producing sustainably instead of consuming rampantly.” Some seek an anti-consumer lifestyle, as advocated by Shannon Haye’s book, the Radical Homemaker with communities sprouting in support.

The limitations on consumption and the consciousness present in the lifestyle and purchasing decisions these women are making may echo in the back-to-the-land movement, the influx of green and organic products, or seem extreme to some.  Fundamentally, though, “Femivores” and even “Radical Homemakers” resonate with the wider pattern in women’s consumption: taking control.

Women’s conscious consumption is not a trend or fad.  Women generally spend more time than men deciding what to buy or consume.  Recognizing this and empowering it is vital to building relationships with women consumers.

(Photo by Katherine Wolkoff/Art + Commerce, Courtesy of New York Times)

Forget “Supermom.” Meet the “Real Mom.” That’s the message behind a recent white paper by Advertising Age and ad giant JWT.

According to authors Marissa Miley and Ann Make, today’s younger generation of Real Moms (Gen Xers and millennials) are similar to their have-it-all Super Mom predecessors insofar as they’re just as busy in their roles as “chief operating officer of the home.” The difference is, they’re more realistic about the push-and-pull dynamic of their multi-tasking lives and less beholden to perfection. Call it the New Pragmatism.

While the paper, which is based on a survey of 870 men and women, is ostensibly geared to consumer marketing, it has important insights for cause-driven communicators, too. Take, for example, these findings into What Real Moms Want:

Put family first: In today’s overscheduled world, Real Moms feel responsibility to create family time. Next time you want a mom to give money or take action for your cause, think about how you can turn your “ask” into an teaching moment for her children by creating kid-friendly content on your web site. That way she can do double duty: do good and pass along values while spending time with her kids.

The New York Times recently reported a recession-related lifestyle trend: Americans are buying less stuff—and doing more stuff together with their families. For nonprofits have an experiential activity they can offer as an entry point to their issue, this represents a big opportunity.

Be more than just mom: Real Moms want to be good caretakers. But they want to have an identity outside that, too. I have a 30something friend and new mom of twins who is hyperconscious about not becoming “one of those moms” who talks about her kids to the exclusion of all else. She also relies on Facebook to stay connected with friends.

For nonprofits, this is a reminder that the causes we support are one way we project our unique identity: they are an extension of our personal brand because they show the world what we care about (think Leonardo DiCaprio and the environment or Lance Armstrong and cancer). Social networking sites are ideal places to connect with Real Moms and encourage them to share their causes with others.

Permission to indulge/be imperfect. The new, pragmatic mom is open to brands that give her permission to be imperfect without feeling guilty. Frit-O Lay has cashed in on this phenom (which they dub “permissible indulgences”) with its 100-calorie-a-pack snacks.

I’m from a family of immigrants that derives intense pleasure from saving money by spending less. My mom practically levitated off the ground when she found a pair of pants discounted from $138 to $21 at an after-holiday sale a few weeks ago. Bargain hunting is our excuse to indulge our inner clothes horse.
The edge that nonprofits have on all this is that they can offer permission to indulge through giving back.My mom, for example, would never buy expensive chocolates for herself: too extravagant. But if I get them for her for Mother’s Day and part of the proceeds go to the Global Fund for Women, it’s all good.

MediaWeek: Mothers of young children are spending far more time with social media than just three years ago. And most claim that as their personal time becomes constrained, they end up sacrificing time with magazines and newspapers compared to before they had children.

Read what John Driscoll says about ‘Through-School Marketing’ and how it gets results.

How can  your cause/issue use school marketing to promote social change?