In the News

• 08/09/2012 - ASSOCIATION TRENDS: Elevate your good citizen reputation with Good360
  
  

  Elevate your good citizen reputation
  
  By Cindy Hallberlin | 08/09/2012
  
  

  According to the 2011 Cone/Echo Global CR Opportunity Study, 94 percent of consumers said they would switch brands to one associated with a good cause when price and quality are about the same. As association executives, it is vital to differentiate your trade, to project a positive image for your industry as a whole, and to provide guidance and value to your members.
  
  Good360 has been making the donation of slow-moving, obsolete and seasonal goods simple and beneficial for the past 30 years. We work with a wide range of esteemed associations that are spreading the word about the business benefits of product giving, promoting their industries? social responsibility efforts and extending the benefits of product donation to their members. Ongoing services, as well as tailored components, are provided at no cost to business associations and members.
  
  Through our sophisticated logistics network, we can create a special program for your association or simply help your members distribute their product donations to thousands of qualified nonprofits in the U.S. and around the world. Our partners consist of a broad range of companies, including 125 of the Fortune 500 consumer and retail product corporations, a diverse network of 30,000 nonprofit organizations, and some of the most respected business associations, representing industries including apparel, furniture, retail, software and technology, building materials, sporting goods, toys and educational equipment and supplies.
  
  Today?s association executives face an increasingly crowded marketplace in which to attract members who demand more for their membership fees. Just a few examples of how we work with associations include:
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  - Donation management for ongoing giving programs and one-time donation opportunities;
  - Customized association/member communications, including media outreach when appropriate;
  - Quarterly campaigns/emergency relief coordination; and
  - Targeted recognition strategies including industry awards programs.
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  The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers partnered with Good360 to create an appliance donation program to help celebrate AHAM?s 40th anniversary. The program provided new appliances to more than 40 families in the New Orleans area, who were forced to rebuild following Hurricane Katrina. AHAM received widespread media coverage for the program and was honored with the ASAE?s Award of Excellence.
  
  In addition, the American Cleaning Institute, formerly the Soap and Detergent Association, worked with Good360 to create a program in which industry members donated cleaning products to benefit those affected by disaster or other circumstances that have left them homeless. They were distributed to qualified nonprofits through Good360 and promoted the good citizenship of ACI and its members.
  
  As more companies realize the importance of corporate social responsibility in both the corporate and association worlds, they will require new ways to demonstrate that they are involved in their communities and are helping to improve the world. Our programs provide a wide range of opportunities to build such a platform for your industry.
  
  Details: Hallberlin is CEO of Good360, Alexandria, Va., www.good360.org.
  
  
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