Newsletter: Rage Farms are Coming for Your Partnership Program 😤 ; Tito’s Flips Turkey Trots 🦃 ; Should Your Nonprofit Have a Mascot?🦄
Outrage is the new business model—and your next cause marketing campaign could be the target.
Recently, The Wall Street Journal ran a story about the activewear brand Set Active. The company promised that “every purchase goes toward breast cancer research,” then revealed that only 2% of sales would actually go to Susan G. Komen. The internet lit up like a Thanksgiving deep fryer.
I was quoted in the story saying what you already know: purchase-triggered donations can be a fricken minefield. Younger consumers especially want clear math—who gets what, for how long, and why it matters.
Set Active scrambled, bumped the gift to 20% of gross sales, and raised the cap from ten grand to ninety-five. But by then, the pitchforks were out. The outrage felt real—and in this case, it probably was.
But what if it wasn’t?
Marketing legend Mark Schaefer published a jaw-dropping post called Rage Farms: The Hidden Industry Weaponizing Outrage Against Brands. He uncovered AI-driven bot networks that manufacture boycotts out of thin air. Get this: Half the anti-Cracker Barrel tweets during its rebrand came from bots. The company caved and killed a $700 million rollout because of fake noise.
So here’s the scary question: what happens when the next Set Active moment isn’t sparked by real people but by a rage farm testing how fast it can wreck your nonprofit’s reputation?
Partnership teams can’t ignore this. One confusing pledge or off-brand post and suddenly you’re trending for all the wrong reasons. Doesn’t matter if the outrage is human or synthetic, the damage looks the same. Just ask Cracker Barrel.
Here’s how to keep your cause from getting cooked:
1️⃣ Be painfully transparent. “We’ll donate 10% of gross sales from these items through December 31, up to $100,000.” Put it everywhere: site, receipts, FAQs. Vague math fuels rage.
2️⃣ Run the ‘headline test.’ Ask: “What’s the worst headline that could come from this?” Fix anything that makes it plausible.
3️⃣ Watch for bot fingerprints. Spikes in identical posts? New accounts yelling the same thing? That’s not organic. Nonprofits are notorious for skipping brand monitoring until something blows up. Don’t wait for that.
4️⃣ Have your real fans on speed dial. When bots swarm, don’t argue—activate employees, partners, and superfans who can share the truth. This is exactly why your nonprofit needs a strong online presence—and let’s be honest, most don’t. I mean, how many times have I said this to you? 🙄
5️⃣ Lead with trust. Do purchase-triggered giving right: transparent, measurable, and verifiable. Credibility is your crisis plan.
I’m certainly not telling you to stop doing cause marketing, and especially purchase-triggered donations—heaven forbid! But I am telling you to do it with eyes wide open. Be clear, be fast, and be ready. The next wave of outrage might not be real, but the damage will be.
✍️ Partnership Notes
In my "Partnership Notes" section, I share stellar corporate partnership programs and show you how to do your job better!
1. Tito’s turns Turkey Trots into Turkey Rots—and still raises a ton of money.
💡 Tito’s Handmade Vodka is flipping Thanksgiving fitness fundraisers on their head with the Turkey Rot, a “do less, rest more” twist that benefits Meals on Wheels America. Instead of lacing up for a 5K, participants buy $25–$85 “race packets,” with Tito’s donating $500K upfront plus $5 per signup (up to $1 million). The takeaway for partnership pros? You don’t need to run to raise money. When your campaign taps into cultural humor and stays true to brand voice, authenticity—and even a little laziness—can drive serious impact.
2. C-stores turned Veterans Day into a masterclass in purpose-driven giving.
💡 Last week, two convenience giants showed how to connect patriotism with purpose. Casey’s wrapped another successful round-up campaign benefiting Hope For The Warriors and Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, aiming to raise $1.3 million with help from PepsiCo. Pilot honored veterans and their families with free meals and continued its Miles of Good initiative, rounding up for the Call of Duty Endowment. The takeaway for partnership pros? When a brand’s values and audience align this closely, cause campaigns don’t feel like marketing—they feel like gratitude in action.
3. The penny’s disappearing—that’s your cue to pitch a round-up program. 🎁
💡 With the penny on life support, retailers like Burger King are scrambling to round prices up or down while customers fume over the math. The Wall Street Journal says the shortage is forcing businesses to rethink small-change transactions. Partnership pros, take note: this is your opening. Round-up programs can turn spare change into real impact—solving a business headache while generating donations. When cash gets complicated, make giving the simple answer.
4. Car washes keep cleaning up for good causes.
💡 In my last newsletter, I wrote about how haunted car washes were cause marketing gold. This week, here’s proof that the magic doesn’t end with Halloween. ZIPS Car Wash just hosted a free wash day for veterans and donated $170,000 to Folds of Honor, funding scholarships for military families. It’s a great example of how a simple, high-traffic service can become a year-round fundraising engine.
🤑 Marketing Your Cause
In my "Marketing Your Cause" section, I share strategies for growing your brand and audience—two key ingredients for securing more partnerships.
1. Every brand needs a character—and maybe your cause does too.
💡 This article says brands aren’t using mascots enough, and they’re leaving money on the table. Characters give campaigns personality, consistency, and heart. The same goes for nonprofits: a mascot can make your mission memorable and your message human. From event costumes to social media cameos, a lovable character can do what no press release can—make people smile, remember you, and give again.
2. Your nonprofit newsletter isn’t raising money (mainly because most of you don’t even have one).
💡 Fundraising guru Jeff Brooks reminds us that newsletters can raise real money and boost supporter loyalty—if they exist in the first place. Most nonprofits (or partnership teams) don’t send one at all, and when they do, it’s usually about the organization, not the donor/partner. His list of classic mistakes includes walls of text, boring leadership letters, bad photos, and “educating” instead of thanking. The fix? Tell supporter-centered stories that show impact, make them easy to read, and—yes, if you send a print newsletter—include a reply envelope. A good newsletter doesn’t just inform; it connects, retains, and raises.
3. Want more corporate partners? Start by becoming a thought leader.
💡 If your nonprofit can use a newsletter to raise more money, you can also use one to raise your partnership profile. A Garrett Public Relations piece outlines how to turn your insights into thought leadership—a proven way to attract partners. Companies want to work with experts who understand their world and share valuable ideas, not just asks. Start by using your newsletter (you do have one now, right?) to publish short, smart pieces that showcase your industry perspective. Done consistently, thought leadership builds credibility, visibility, and trust—the very currency partnerships run on.
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause
In my "Cool Jobs in Cause" section, I share open partnership positions so you can discover your next adventure.
1. Director, Corporate Partnerships, Special Olympics, Chicago ($75k - $85k)
2. Director, Corporate Partnerships, United Way, Washington, DC
🧠🍌 Brain Food
In my "Brain Food" section, I share things that spark inspiration, fuel curiosity, and bring a smile to your face!
1. Honestly, we say “honestly” way too much.
💡 I was car shopping this weekend, and the salesperson said “honestly” in nearly every sentence, so this article hit home. People say "honestly" to signal authenticity, buy time, or soften hard truths. The irony? The more we say “honestly,” the less honest it sounds. Real trust isn’t built with filler words. It’s built with clarity, transparency, and doing exactly what you say you will.
2. Military causes get a lot of attention—but not a lot of dollars.
💡 As a cause marketer, it can definitely feel like every brand is supporting veterans, but new data from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy tells a different story. Less than 1% of all U.S. charitable giving goes to military and veterans’ organizations. The sector brought in $3.7 billion in 2023, up from $2.6 billion a decade ago, but growth has lagged behind other causes.
3. Why leaving the leaves is better for everyone and everything. 🎁
💡 My garden’s just about put to bed for the year, and this fall I finally did what garden experts recommend: I left the leaves where they fell. The benefits to wildlife, insects, and the soil are extraordinary. Over time, I’ve gone from raking every last leaf (exhausting) to raking and shredding them for mulch (very exhausting) to now simply letting nature do the work. I also left the garden standing. No fall cleanups, no cutbacks. Now the birds are feasting on seed heads, and the garden feels more alive than ever. 🥰
Left to Right: A blooming native witch hazel adds color to the garden even in November; leaving New England aster seedheads feeds the birds; a carpet of red Japanese maple leaves is far prettier than bare soil; and naturalistic garden designer Piet Oudolf reminds us that “brown is a color too”—and I couldn’t agree more.
