SARRC: An Innovative Use of GivingBands

The Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) launched a new program called CulinaryWorks® this year, and has used GivingBands to help spread the word. By combining food, fun and friendship, CulinaryWorks® arms adults with Autism with the skills to achieve personal and professional success.

CulinaryWorks® sells GivingBands customized with their logo on their website, and has designed creative packaging to include the bands in their Gift Sets.

This is such a great and innovative use of GivingBands to help spread awareness.  Thank you SARRC for doing such a wonderful job and continue doing great work for autism awareness!

GivingBands can be used in a huge variety of ways to customize your fundraising and awareness campaigns. Let us help you find your own way to spread the word!

info@charitycharms.com
800.615.3120

Purchase GivingBands On Our Facebook Page!

You can now purchase GivingBands to benefit 10 national charities straight from our Facebook page. You get 2 bands for $25, one to wear, one to share! $5 is donated to charity with every purchase. Visit our Facebook page and click on the GivingBands tab to help band together to spread awareness for your favorite causes.

 

Charity Charms - Charms to Change the World

Tails Of Hope Foundation and GivingBands®

GivingBands® were used for the Tails of Hope 10th Anniversary Tribute Commemorating & Celebrating the Canine Search & Rescue Community of 9/11.

The unveiling of their new Legacy Tribute Charm at Macy’s was a great success. Macy’s Vice President, Ericka Murphy-Kazinci was there to receive the charm.

They gave the GivingBands to attendees who gave a small donation to the cause. “Worked like a charm!” says Barbara Ela, Acting Executive Director, 9/11 10th Anniversary Search and Rescue Tribute.

Tails of Hope Foundation, Inc. (“Tails of Hope”) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the field of veterinary medicine and helping to eradicate cancer and other life-threatening diseases affecting companion animals. Find out more here.

We are so glad that our product could help this amazing cause.

How GivingBands® helped raise money for Aubrey Sacco

We recently had the opportunity to make a GivingBand® for a unique program. We were approached by a loyal customer who wanted to help her friend find her missing cousin. We are happy that the campaign has been able to help raise funds. Here is the story:

"The dragonfly bracelets were created as a symbol of hope, way to raise awareness, and funds to support the search for Aubrey Sacco, 23 year old University of Colorado graduate who went missing in Nepal on April 20, 2010. So far, we have raised almost $4,000 from dragonfly bracelet sales. Her website is www.aubreysacco.com, and you can also visit her Facebook page, where you can get more details about Aubrey and her search, and help donate. It's big!

I wanted to do this because Aubrey's cousin is a close friend of mine and when I heard about her going missing, I wanted to do something to help lift people's spirits and raise money to help find her. I had been a fan of Charity Charms and loved the concept so I wrote an email telling them my idea to create this bracelet to sell and they helped me turn it into a reality.

I have yet to meet Aubrey but feel like I know her because of her free fun loving spirit and the massive amount of people who do know her and love her so much! The bracelets were my way to let her and her family know that I'm pulling for her to come home and hope others will catch on and do the same."

- Jessica Hinton

Thank you so much Jessica for being a wonderful person and helping out such an admirable cause.

We are the Valley

How one company and 11 charities have collaborated to help raise funds and spread awareness

We Are the Valley is a program developed by Dave O. Dodge from Ideation Nation. This collaboration helps 11 charities raise funds and spread awareness through events such as the Taste of the Biltmore, and with the sale of our custom GivingBands®. The whole program is sponsored by the National Bank of Arizona, who has underwritten the campaign.

With the launch of the We Are the Valley website, and with its debut at the Taste of the Biltmore 2010, you can help your favorite cause by visiting the site and purchasing their custom logo Givingbands®.

View the video for the making of We are the Valley.

To have your own custom logo charm made, please visit our wholesale site, or email us at info@charitycharms.com.

STARS Gets a New Facility

Scottsdale Training and Rehabilitation Services (STARS) is a great organization that provides services to individuals with developmental or physical disabilities. STARS’ mission is to provide people with special challenges the opportunity and resources to achieve their highest individual levels of personal, social and economic independence. We are proud to have STARS as one of our jewelry manufacturers, which gives adults with disabilities work opportunities assembling our GivingBands®.

GivingBands® Assembly

STARS is relocating programs to a new facility that will provide them with tools to better serve for disabled individuals. Such improvements are mentioned in their latest newsletter:

"...the relocation of our Evans site to the Special Needs Community Campus at Cholla offers larger classrooms for our Day Programs, a larger Work Center, a special Autism classroom, wellness and recreation opportunities, benefit acquisition services, and expanded vocational training programs."

New Location

We are excited for the move and look forward to continuing our wonderful relationship with this group.

Learn more about STARS here.

How GivingBands® can enhance your Fall Events

Charity Charms was proud to be a supporter of the Sleep America Charities 6th Bi-Annual Golf Tournament.

Three charities were featured and each had a custom GivingBand®:

SARRC (Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center)

Advance autism research and provide a lifetime of support for individuals with autism and their families. They also give employment opportunities, and help assemble our GivingBands®.

Children's Angel Foundation

An affiliate of Hacienda Healthcare that provides medical, educational, therapeutic, and social services for infants, children and young adults.


Sleep America Charities

The efforts of Sleep America to give back to the communities, especially to charities that focus on helping children and families in need.


For the Sleep America Charities golf tournament... the 3 charities gifted GivingBands® in the goodie bag to all participants.

This was an example of how GivingBands® are a great way to enhance collaborative campaigns for multiple charities.

The bands reinforce the campaign and the charities branding and provide wearers with a vehicle to talk about their participation and philanthropic support.

Read more about this event in the Lisa Land Update.

Social Media

Social Media has exploded as a marketing tool and is a great way to reach out to customers. This has been especially true for charity organizations. They have found social media to be an effective way to rally supporters, spread their message, and promote awareness campaigns. The best part is, it’s free!

Social media offers a free way to find supporters and reach out to millions of people. Facebook has more than 500 million active users, and those users are connected to an average of 80 community pages each (stats)! The potential is truly incredible.

Here at Charity Charms, we have used a combination of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and a News Feed to increase our online presence. We have made some valuable connections through these campaigns, and they have been great relationship building tools. It is exciting to get leads contacting you about your products via Twitter!

Social Media is a great way for Charities to stay connected to their supporters and keep them engaged and excited about the causes they love. We have truly enjoyed seeing the fabulous ways our partners have used these tools to help their causes.

Connect with Charity Charms online:

We Are The Valley: A New Charity Program Featuring GvingBands

This Fall is an exciting time for charity events. We have been really impressed with the many different applications of our products we have seen in order to support these events. One of the most unique ideas is the concept by Dave O. Dodge from Ideation Nation LLC, called, "We Are the Valley: Banding together for Arizona Charities."

We Are the Valley is a unique program offered to Arizona charities to collaborate with other 501c's to promote awareness and raise funds. The participating charities will work together to promote the sale of GivingBands® through individual channels and events resulting in greater visibility for all charities involved.

The program is a collaboration among 11 participating charities including: The Arthritis Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Camp Soaring Eagle, Phoenix Suns Charities, Gabriel's Angels, Sleep America Charities, Keogh Health Connection, Chrysalis, Face in the Mirror and The Great Canadian Picnic. Presenting sponsors include: National Bank of Arizona and The Arizona Republic.

“National Bank of Arizona is honored to sponsor the We Are the Valley program and promote a collaborative approach to fundraising,” said Deborah Bateman, Executive Vice President of Specialty Banking and Marketing at National Bank of Arizona. “It is important to continue to give back during challenging economic times because that is when charitable organizations need the most support.”

The public can show its support for these charities by purchasing the special edition GivingBands for $15 at the 4th annual Taste of the Biltmore event on Oct. 7 or online beginning Oct. 1 at www.wearethevalley.com

We are so thrilled about this program and will keep you updated after its launch.

GREEN IS A GREAT COLOR FOR FALL

Being GREEN is important for all businesses and charities alike. Not only does it show that you are mindful of an issue that the world is focused on, but it can actually save money which certainly helps in a tough economy.
The team at Charity Charms brainstormed to think of ways that we could be green in all of our operations. I thought I would share some of the things we have done to perhaps give you ideas for YOUR organization.

OUR PRODUCTS and PACKAGING...

We make our pewter charms out of recycled, lead free pewter and our sterling theme charms are made from recycled sterling. We offer a recycling program to end users for the signature oval hatboxes that they receive their charms and jewelry in. We also came up with fun ideas to reuse the boxes. Our favorites: As a Barbie’s hatbox, poke holes in the lid and make a house for ants, and of course re-gifting. We are also finding that many of our clients are seeking companies that DO provide recycled products and a new niche of business is developing, especially with environmental organizations.

IN OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS...

We separate our trash into recycle bins, reuse paper and plastic bags and tissue when possible, try to limit excessive printing and reuse the blank side of printed materials for notes and scrap, and stopped buying bottled water ...to name a few.

And our last application for GREEN…..is providing a 25% online commission program for our charity partners so they earn GREEN from us year round! Click here for more information.

Make your LOGO come alive... View the possibilities!

Are you looking for a unique awareness product to invigorate your campaigns? Do you need a new way to engage your supporters? Are you launching a new brand?

Charity Charms can make your LOGO or concept come alive with meaningful products that have LASTING value.

Take a look at our updated product catalog full of "Charming" ideas:

Let  our  experienced  staff  help  you craft  the  perfect  product for your needs by sending us a message at: info@charitycharms.com. Or give us a call at 800-615-3120. Also, sign up HERE to have a representative contact you and to join our mailing list.

For more information view our website: 

Click HERE for more information about us & creating a charm

Click HERE to view our retail site that donates 25% to our charity partners (which could be you!)

AUGUST SPECIAL

Place a start-up order and receive our web fulfillment program for FREE. ($500 value)

- or -

Receive 25% off of any order this month.

Bret Michaels Wins Award, and wears GivingBands™!

Bret Michaels was recently awarded the Chair's Citation Award from the American Diabetes Association for his efforts to spread awareness and to help find a cure for diabetes. With his recent victory on the show, "Celebrity Apprentice," he raised $390,000 for ADA.

We would like to congratulate him on receiving this award and thank him for all of his work to help stop diabetes. We also would like to say thanks for wearing the American Diabetes Association's custom GivingBands™ by Charity Charms!

For more information about Bret and the American Diabetes Association, go here.

Another Fabulous Partner: American Diabetes Association

The American Diabetes Association is a great organization that fights to find a cure for diabetes through funding research, providing support, and offering community services. We have had the privilege to work with this organization to come up with custom ADA products to help promote the cause and raise funds. Here is an example of how they have used Charity Charms GivingBands^TM:

Partnering with Charity Charms, Phoenix has designed a Stop Diabetes Giving Band. These bands will be premiered at next weekend's 2010 American Diabetes Association EXPO. "As part of our Share Your Story Booth, the first 25 attendees to share their story will receive a Stop Diabetes gift," explained Jayme. "They can choose from the Giving Band or Stop Diabetes T-shirt. EXPO attendees can also 'Band Together and Stop Diabetes' by purchasing a Stop Diabetes Giving Band/T-shirt combo in the Bookstore."
(From an ADA Newsletter)

Be sure to check out their website for information about this fantastic organization.

Monthly Marketing Tip: Use GivingBands­™ to enhance your raffle

Raffles can be a wonderful source of fundraising and a nice enhancement to any event or campaign. A fun idea that many charities have done with their custom GivingBands™ is to include them in a raffle:

'Purchase $50 worth of raffle tickets and receive this fun GivingBand™ as our thank you!'

People LOVE gifts and thank you’s and the GivingBands™ engage everyone at your event to purchase raffle tickets. And, you KNOW that they have purchased because they are wearing the band so they won’t be bombarded again and again by different raffle selling volunteers!

CHARM your attendees and your event will live on!

July is an important planning month for your upcoming Fall campaigns. As you work with your committees and boards take some time to think about the impact your campaign or event will have before, during, and after it is over. A well run event or campaign has many facets and you want to make sure all your bases are covered.

As you strategize on the venue, theme, décor, marketing, financial goals, etc. don’t forget the all important MEMENTO. Whether you are planning a walk or a gala, an event memento that the attendees can take away brands the occasion, and keeps people talking about it long after the event is over.

Charity Charms specializes in creating meaningful logo products that people WANT to wear and use. Charms give the wearer a chance to show the world, via their wrist, what they are passionate about. This passion will be shared with others again and again…thus spreading the word about your organization and event or campaign throughout the year.

In the last five years we have enjoyed working with hundreds of organizations (charities, schools, and businesses) crafting beautiful charms to make their events extra special. Once the Charm design is created we can shrink it down to make earrings, children’s charms, and ball markers, or blow it up to become an ornament, paperweight, or keychain. Give us YOUR idea and let us help you make your FALL 2010 venue the most memorable ever!

Pepsi Refresh Project

The Pepsi Refresh Project is a great new idea to help causes and ideas get the funding needed to help change America! 1,000 entries are submitted every month and voters get to decide who's idea or cause will win the grant. Visit their website to learn more and to start voting!

Beads of America is a great organization that is in the running this month, feel free to check out their profile and vote for them.

The Fabulous Giver

Thank you to The Fabulous Giver for the support on their Blog! Check it out here:
Charity Charms on TFG

About TFG:
"The Fabulous Giver exists for the purpose of spreading the word about fantastic ways to participate in philanthropy. I do my best to stay on top of the latest happenings but if you have an event that you would like to submit or would just like more information about The Fabulous Giver, send me an email at kb@thefabulousgiver.com!"
-Karyn Brianne

Thanks Again!

Monthly Marketing Tip:

Create a colorful CAUSE MARKETING/GIVING campaign

You spend thousands of dollars on direct marketing campaigns asking your donors for financial support. Over ten “asks” landed in our mailbox last week! NOT ONE offered to send anything to show that we HAD indeed donated OR asked us to spread the word about their mission. Imagine if just ONE of the asks we received offered to GIVE a bright colored GivingBand™ as a THANK YOU for a $50 donation. The donation would live on as the bracelet was worn, and so would the fundraising campaign.

A brightly colored postcard featuring your logo GivingBand™ can engage your donor and will stand out in the mail. The donor can donate online, and when the bracelet(s) is sent, the envelope provides another opportunity to market to the supporter about your cause or upcoming event.

Better yet. Do a direct mail CAUSE MARKETING campaign. Your sponsor underwrites the cost of the GivingBands™, mailing, and fulfillment. They receive acknowledgment & thanks, and the end supporter receives a coupon to support the business as well as the charity.

Supporter or not, spending money to make money is necessary for non-profits as well as businesses. If the cost per GivingBand is $5 (or less) and can bring in a $50 donation…isn’t that a great ROI?

Cause Marketing Forum

Charity Charms was a sponsor at the Cause Marketing Forum in Chicago in June and we learned and shared so much! Any non-profit or business that wants to learn more about Cause Marketing can benefit from the very strong presentations from organizations like Pepsi, Nike, or Feeding America... here is a way to access them. (per David Hessekiel/President/Cause Marketing Forum)

If you did not attend, but would like to view the presentations, you can purchase a virtual pass on their website.

Or e-mail him at dh@causemarketingforum.com.

Cause Marketing can Change the World

Charity Charms was a sponsor at the Cause Marketing Forum in Chicago this month and it was an invaluable experience. Our goal was to meet national charities and corporations to introduce them to our Shared Giving Program. The Shared Giving program combines GivingBands™ as the vehicle, Charities as the platform, and a key corporation collaborating in a program to “BAND together to SUPPORT AMERICA’s CHARITIES”… a win/win for all. We certainly achieved our goal, but the ultimate benefit of attending the conference was interfacing with over 400 dynamic charities, consultants, and corporations and hearing about CAUSE MARKETING programs that have made history (like Nike’s LIVESTRONG).

Businesses are increasing the focus on their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustaining relationships with charities whose causes align with their goals or products. New ways of connecting and supporting each other HAVE to happen and there was a lot of BUZZ about changing the world.

Wendy MacGregor, the Senior Vice President, CMO of Feeding America gave a moving presentation with the theme “Selling Doesn’t Mean Selling Out.” Wendy shared with the attendees the importance of marketing of their brand and mission in order to see a Hunger-Free America in our lifetime. Feeding America won the 2010 Golden Halo Award for a non-profit, and in her acceptance speech she thanked “our wonderful, smart and generous partners for making this recognition possible. For it is these very partnerships that are critical to our mission of feeding American’s hungry and engaging the public in the fight to end hunger, through increased financial resources and increased brand and issue visibility.”

As you plan your Fall initiatives, encourage your team to seek out businesses that align with your mission and create a Cause Marketing campaign to benefit all parties.

If you need a meaningful product to fuel your campaign, like GivingBands™, we can help.

Not only do we provide the products, but we can help craft campaigns.

Charms to Change the World

Cause Marketing: marketing or cause-related marketing refers to a type of marketing involving the cooperative efforts of a "for profit" business and a non-profit organization for mutual benefit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cause_marketing

Cause Marketing Forum

Check out our video from the Cause Marketing Forum in Chicago last week!



Thank you to 3BL Media for the coverage!

Collaboration is the key to success

The world has changed…and the way the world now operates is through collaboration. Collaboration increases opportunity, solves crisis, and addresses the needs of the whole.

In this economy we need to work tighter to support all charity missions and each other…and collaboration is a holistic approach to accomplishing TOGETHER what cannot be done individually.

Whether your organization utilizes a collaborative brain trust or you actually partner with others to achieve your goals, collaboration can accomplish your goals more quickly and effectively.

Charity Charms products are often part of large scale collaboration initiatives. Our “In the Spotlight” section of the May Newsletter features a retail collaboration that benefited 13 charities. We feel our role is to create unique awareness and fundraising products that benefit charities and help support their branding. This fall we are facilitating a national campaign to “Band Together to Support America’s Charities” ™. This campaign, called SHARED GIVING will be underwritten by key corporations to help raise millions for charity.

The SHARED GIVING program will feature our newest and most popular item, GivingBands^TM, which are a great vehicle for collaborative initiatives. The program will also be launched City by City. Let us help you create a “charming” collaboration in your community.

Collaboration: A mutually beneficial and well defined relationship entered into by two or more organizations to achieve results that are more likely to achieve TOGETHER than alone.

Team-up with Corporations to benefit your cause

Seeking out and partnering with corporations whose services, products or goals align with those of your organization can make a huge impact on your organization’s bottom line.

Charity Charms’ products are often underwritten for charities by corporations or private donors. This allows charities to spread awareness for their cause by either gifting our charms, or, if they are sold, retaining 100% of the donation/sales price of the charm.

When corporations underwrite a charm program for you, they are billed at the retail price, so the true value of their donation to your charity is actually double what they have given.

Our newest and most popular item, GivingBands^TM, is a great way for corporations to GIVE a product to you that helps spread awareness for your cause and maximizes your fundraising. When donors GIVE you $10, you GIVE them one of the GivingBands… and the GIVING continues!

We offer custom packaging to acknowledge your donor and can even recognize them on the actual charm (view our Case Studies to see examples).

Let us help you “Charm” your corporate partners to maximize your donations and the impact of your cause marketing.

Charm Your Supporters By Thanking Them

Your organization depends on board members, event committees, donors, and volunteers to help you successfully carry out your mission. With limited staff and so much to do, often, a heartfelt THANK YOU is overlooked. Use Charity Charms as a recognition gift that has meaning and lasting value for these important people. A charm created from your logo or campaign will be worn over and over….and your charity and/or event will remain in the spotlight, and in their hearts…..continually.

In the March newsletter we share ways that charities have used our products and hopefully give you some innovative ideas.

Our trained staff is here to help you create the perfect recognition gifts for your needs. Our goal is to help you “Charm” and thank your supporters in an innovative way.

Outdoor Events Make Yours Memorable

Outdoor events raise funds and awareness for your cause and help participants to personally connect with your mission. Show your appreciation to the people who volunteer their time and support your events with donations by rewarding them with a gorgeous Charity Charm.

They'll wear it with pride... and tell their story about your event over and over again. Your one-time event lives on through the power of word-of-mouth marketing.

If a custom logo program is out of your budget, we have hundreds of in-stock items like those in our Non-Logo Item section.

Planning for Success in 2010

If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to finalize your plans for 2010. A key component of any successful plan is the schedule of events. Whether your planned events are walks, runs, auctions, black tie dinners, open houses, music festivals or neighborhood cleanups, events that draw a crowd can create a “feeding frenzy” when it
comes to boosting donations.

Having helped our charity partners raise over $1 Million in donations over the past 5 years, we’ve become experts at how to use Charity Charms to raise money at charity events. Selling a Charity Charm with your charity’s custom logo not only generates income, but also creates added exposure for your cause when donors wear your charity Charm to show their passion and commitment. It’s a double win for your charity!

If you’d like some creative ideas on how to boost donations at your next event, give us a call (800.615.3120). We’re always ready to help.