A recent NBC News report on a breast cancer brand by Brian Williams raises these questions.

Several years ago, I was hired as the first marketing and communications director for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. My job was to manage the brand. And what a task it was! Unlike the United States, the pink ribbon in Canada is an official mark, meaning it carries greater weight than a trademark. No entity can use the ribbon without consent of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF). With so many American products bearing the pink ribbon symbol, managing the intellectual property and symbol became a full-time job when products crossed the border onto Canadian store shelves.

So, why the angst about pink ribbons and brands? As one of the women interviewed in this segment notes, “We’re all supposed to be fighting for breast cancer.”

Yes, she’s right. That’s why many nonprofits collaborate to achieve greater impact. But the reality is that nonprofits fundraising for breast cancer research and programs compete against each other for funding dollars. They also compete with other charities in their market that raise money for other causes. How can they stand out and differentiate their missions unless they have solid marketing and branding strategies?

It is absolutely the same as in the business sector. Companies that invest heavily in their brand assets must protect them to avoid confusion in the marketplace. We accept that. Can you imagine what Nike would do if another company began to use a symbol similar to its swoosh? So, why should we expect it to be different in the nonprofit sector? Is there a double standard at play here?

There’s an archaic viewpoint about the charitable world that needs to be dispelled. If we expect nonprofits to solve the problems that governments and businesses cannot fund, then it is in our collective best interest to ensure they function effectively. And if that means spending money to defend their brand assets, market their missions, and invest in things like leadership and staff development, it can only make them stronger and able to accomplish more.

If we expect them to run so “lean and mean” that they cannot strengthen and grow, then we’ll get more of what we have now. Leadership attrition, staff turnover, wait lists, and an inability to fully tackle the huge problems that face our society.

What do you think? Should charities operate more like businesses and protect their brand assets in the same manner?

Well, let me share who says this statement a lot – nonprofit professionals. And do you know why? If you have ever made a donation to a charity or volunteered for a nonprofit, you’ll want to hear what author and Harvard Business Review blogger Dan Pallotta has to say. I heard him speak recently and he turns this sector on its heels.

Based on his book, Uncharitable:How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential, Pallotta said his research has uncovered the history of nonprofit organizations to “Puritan notions of charity and self-denial.”

Pallotta’s company, Pallotta TeamWorks, was the for-profit brainchild behind several campaigns to raise funds for breast cancer and AIDS research and awareness, creating several nationwide, marathon-like events that raised millions. But its founder came under attack for violating the sacred premises of charitable organizations: low profile, low budget, and little or no profit.

Pallotta questions the assumption that charity and capitalism should be divided. He asks, “Don’t charitable causes deserve the same kind of competitive forces that work to get results in the for-profit sector? Wouldn’t social causes be better served if charitable organizations were headed by the kind of bright, aggressive executives that work in the for-profit sector?”

I absolutely concur! I’ve worked on the “inside” of the nonprofit sector at the national and regional levels, and found it frustrating that people thought we were only effective if we didn’t spend more than 10-15% of “overhead” on administrative costs and fundraising. So, where did they place marketing expenses in the budget? On the program side. Sad.

What are your thoughts? Do you think that a for-profit, capitalistic approach can help us solve more of our society’s problems?

I can’t count how many times I’ve seen nonprofit professionals cringe at the thought of adopting a business mindset. Sometimes, it’s their own personal biases, and sometimes, they fear the repercussions of their supporters. But now, there’s Dan Pallotta who is singing a tune akin to my playbook in his Harvard Business blog.
During my marketing career in the nonprofit sector, I’ve seen some leaders adopt a social entrepreneurial attitude to revenue generation. Many organizations have diversified their revenue streams by adding businesses to their revenue mix. This has helped some move away from the high risk of dependency on government grants and other handouts that tend to disappear in tough times. Besides, so many grants come with strings attached that organizations have been unable to invest in their own growth.
Dan Pallotta says it beautifully:
The nonprofit sector remains tightly constrained by a set of irrational economic rules handed down to us from the Puritans that discourage profit, self-interest, serious marketing, and risk-taking and long-term investment for revenue development. They work against the sector on every level, and they have been elevated, of all things, to the status of “ethics.”
We have two rulebooks – one for charity, one for the rest of the economic world.
How contradictory is this?
For decades, nonprofits have been picking up the pieces that governments and the private sector let fall through the cracks. Especially now, in this recession, charities are struggling to keep up with demand while donations have been cut back. They are expected to do more with less, but frankly, so many have been coming at this from a position of weakness even before the economic downturn. How much more can they scrape off the bottom line? There’s not much gravy there.
Yet, fundraisers will tell you that supporters are frequently reluctant to fund operations. Donors are eager to have their dollars go to the mission, but not necessarily to the salaries, infrastructure, and costs associated with running the organization that makes the mission possible. If they won’t fund these essentials, where does that leave funding for innovation?
As Pollotta says, “We let for-profit companies invest in the long-term to identify new sources of revenue, but we want charitable donations spent immediately to help the needy…No wonder charities can’t scale to the size of the social problems they confront.”
So, even when nonprofits try to develop more of a business sense to sustain themselves and do more, they are butting heads with the public and supporters on whom they must rely.
How do we resolve this?

Here’s how it works:
You can purchase Good Cards as gifts in any dollar amount (up to $250). The cards allow your gift recipients to give that amount to the charity of their choice – any charity from a list of more than 1.2 million!
Whether you send your cards via e-mail or regular mail, you can customize them with your own company brand and messaging. Not only that, Good Cards qualify as a tax-deduction, so you can use them for business and personal gifts and benefit in this tax year.
Why am I sharing this info with you? As some of you may know, I have spent a good part of my marketing career in the nonprofit sector. It is a passion. So, when nonprofit colleague and friend, Katya Andresen, VP of Marketing at Network for Good, sent a LinkedIn announcement about this new fundraising marketing program, I thought it was brilliant and wanted to spread the word.
As bad as some people have it in this economy, there are always those who are worse off than you or I. People coping with severe illness, homeless people, people down on their luck. There are environmental causes that need help to fight global warming and animal rights groups trying to save animals from extinction.
There are educational nonprofits teaching youth with special needs, and arts organizations giving inner city kids a chance to sing, play an instrument, or dance. There are health-related nonprofits rehabilitating people with chemical dependencies, and shelters that house women escaping domestic violence.
There are thousands of others causes and missions that need your help. What better way to share the holiday spirit with your customers, clients and employees.
OK, what kind of marketer would I be without a call to action? Learn more now or email the Good Card team at Network for Good. They would be happy to send you some card samples.
So, what do you think? Is this a good idea? Would you consider this as a holiday gift option? Let me hear your feedback.

Here’s the rundown:
1. the NFL Alumni Super Bowl of Golf Showcase with dozens of NFL greats raising money for NFL Alumni youth charities.
2. Super Bowl NFL Charities Celebrity Golf Classic with former players. Proceeds benefit the NFL’s YET (Youth Education Town) Center in south Phoenix.
3. The Super Skins Celebrity Golf Classic has NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, singer, Nick Lachey and 36 celebs competing for $20,000 a hole for their favorite charities. There’s also a private pre-show party featuring P. Diddy.
4. Bowl with Champions benefits the Special Olympics and the NFL Retired Players Association. Mike Ditka is a guest.
5. The Super Bowl NFL Charities Celebrity Bowling Classic will have 40 celebs on hand with Lynn Swann as spokesperson. Again, YET is the recipient of proceeds.
6. Put Me in Coach SuperBowling Extravaganza will have 32 celebs and athletes (inlcuding members of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks) raising funds for the Put Me in Coach Foundation, providing scholarships for local kids.
And that’s not all!
7. Hearts & Helmets Poker Tournament with Pamela Anderson and Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns) hoping to raise $1 million for a variety of charities.
8. Par & Poker Celebrity Challenge for Charity begins with celebrity golf at the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club and ends with poker at the Radisson Fort McDowell Casino.
9. Put Me in Coach Celebrity Poker & Fashion Show has Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns raising money for the Put Me in Coach Foundation.
Thanks to the Arizona Republic for the scoop on this.
So aside from Phoenix welcoming a roster of celebrities and athletes, and Glendale playing host to the big game, a lot of charitable giving is happening around town. And as Martha says, that’s a good thing.
Anyone want to rent a room in my house for $1000 a night? Just kidding.