More Than WE Know

Did you hear about how MasterCard saved Christmas ice skating in Toronto? 

You can bet everyone in Canada has.  It seems that the city was planning to delay the opening of its 49 skating rinks until Dec 31st in order to save tax money.  The President of MasterCard Canada, who lives in Toronto, quietly stepped in and donated the needed $160,000 to the city so that the rinks could open on time at the beginning of December. 

MasterCard isn’t asking Toronto to rename any parks after them or paint their logo on the ice. They simply gave them the money and asked them to open up the rinks on time. This lack of requesting any kind of credit, made the story even more newsworthy. 

For the relatively small amount of money, MasterCard has gotten lots of free publicity and an increased level of goodwill in Toronto and other areas of Canada.

So, what is the lesson here for Women Entrepreneurs?

I’m not suggesting that you donate $160,000 to your town. But I am suggesting that there are lessons to be learned and followed from MasterCard’s example.

1) Find a cause or charity that aligns with the mission and values of your busines (for MasterCard, saving Christmas ice skating for local families and children was “priceless”)

2) Identify a unique, fundamental need that you can help with, rather than simply donating money to a general fund - the more personal and emotional you can make it - the more it will resonate with your customers

3) Don’t ask for advertising or recognition in return - this cheapens the perception of the value of what you have done - simply give money, time, merchandise or advice without a lot of fanfare 

4) It’s okay (even good) to create some press “buzz” around your charitable activity but ensure that it’s done in a way that highlights the charity and cause rather than your company - you want to promote the charity - not yourself.

Places to look for worthwhile causes:

1) Begin close to home - is there an organization that you have a long-standing relationship with? This lends more credibility to your efforts.

2) Look for logical alliances with your business. Don’t just jump on the bandwagon with the latest “fashionable” charity.

3) Do something unique that shows thoughtfulness, insight and an emotional connection. 

4) Make a long-term or regular commitment - don’t just do something quick for the holidays, really strive to make a sincere difference.

Depending on your interests, you can find organizations that:

• help women - domestic violence and temporary housing shelters, micro lending organizations, educational programs, job training programs
• help children - education, recreation, safety, health
• help animals - shelters, identification, training, health
• fight disease - cancer, diabetes, stroke
• promote health - obesity, lack of exercise, drugs, alcohol
• help the community - litter, recreation, safety, beautification
• help the environment - pollution, carbon footprint, land preservation

You can follow these same guidelines even if your main business is online. There are lots of virtual and national organizations that need help.

The bottom line is that you can think of your business as being more than just a personal asset. It can also be an asset to your community, whether it is local or online.  You and your business have an opportunity, and even a responsiblity,  to give back to your customers. 

And when your customers feel emotionally connected to you and your business, and that the world is a slightly better place because of it - they will work to support it and keep it in existence.  

And that kind of support? You guessed it - priceless.

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