It must be my age because I'm a sucker for things that bring up memories of the old days - and all the happy feelings of comfort and joy and safety that come with them. I call them "The good ole days" but what I'm really talking about is Nostalgia. 

I get nostalgic get whenever I watch The Waltons or White Christmas or think of The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon or remember playing Space Invaders. It's an ache for a simpler time when life seemed easier, richer and happier.

I vividly remember coming home from a day of canning for the Muscular Dystrophy Association on Telethon weekend. It must have been 1975 or '76. I came through the front door and my mother and godfather were watching Lewis on our old Zenith television (which needed to be serviced by a repairman named Lloyd at least once a month). They were laughing about something on the show and asking me about how much I had raised.

Happier times. Simpler times. Warmer times (and not from climate change).

Two of the biggest challenges facing nonprofit organizations are relevance and visibility. To prosper on the new philanthropic landscape, nonprofits must change how they engage the world with branding and communications.

Historically, nonprofits have largely practiced self-centered marketing - focusing on transmitting their story, showcasing their achievements and asking for support of their cause. Today, they are competing in a true consumer marketplace where they need to work differently in order to resonate with people.

There's an interesting body of research that shows that people will go to great lengths to escape giving a donation over the holidays. Ah, the spirit of the unreformed Scrooge is very much alive!

Even for folks in the nonprofit field such as us, the unending request for money can sour generosity as obligation takes hold. Personally, I've been blown away by the of number charitable appeals I've been getting in the mail since Thanksgiving. It's overwhelming, and frustrating because there is no way I can support all of them.

To ensure the spirit of generosity doesn't harden into resentment, I'm doubling down on giving this holiday season. And I'm using cause marketing as my guide!

I know what you must be thinking: Joe has finally gone nuts. 🤪 The cheese has finally slipped off the cracker. 

But hear me out before you call the guys with the van and white jackets. 🚑

1. I've talked before about why content, especially email marketing, should be part of every cause marketing team's outreach efforts....

I hate wasting food. Ask my kids. It drives me nuts. And it drives them crazy because I'm always yelling at them about it. 😤

That's why I'm excited about a new app called Food for All. I'm doubly excited that it was developed right here in Boston!

Here's how it works.

There's a fascinating article in this week's Wall Street Journal on how discount retailer Dollar General is thriving in rural America. The numbers are impressive.

"Dollar General Corp.’s 14,000 stores yielded more than double the profit of Macy’s Inc. on less revenue during its most recent fiscal year. And its $22 billion market value eclipses the largest U.S. grocery chain, Kroger Co., which has five times the revenue."

Sadly, as you'll learn in the article, the reason Dollar General is thriving is because rural America is not. Still, Dollar General's business and success has a few key lessons.

People often ask me what tools I use to run my business. Here they are! I use these tools EVERY. DAY.

1. Squarespace. My website is hosted on Squarespace. While it's not a perfect platform, and I would sometimes like more of the flexibility that Wordpress offers, Squarespace is easy to work with and their customer service is great.

2. Tweetdeck. I wouldn't want to look at my Twitter feed on anything else. I segment most of my followers into one of two columns, a "Watch" list or an "Influencer" list. Which one are YOU on? 😉

Check out nine more tools I use every day!

Colleen Brinkmann has been raising money for a long time. Way back in 2002, she started as the communications and marketing director for the North Texas Food Bank.

It wasn't easy back then.

"We said yes to everything," Colleen told the Chronicle of Philanthropy. "When anyone wanted to do a food drive, we said yes, whether it was Joe Bob’s Tire Shop or AT&T."

The food bank has come a long way in the past 15 years. In 2016, it raised $127 million in cash and donated goods. Along the way, Colleen learned a couple important lessons about raising money...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Brock Weatherup, Executive Vice President, Strategic Innovation & Digital Experience, at Petco, about the launch of Heads & Tails, the first iOS app where pet parents can both receive a gift card and donate to help animals in need by simply having fun taking cute pet selfies.

On the show, Brock, Megan and I discuss...

After starting my blog, getting on Twitter and starting an email newsletter, the next best thing I ever did for my business was to start a podcast, which many of you know is CauseTalk Radio. This week Megan Strand and I will air our 243rd episode!

There are a lot of benefits to having a podcast beyond amassing a huge following that you can monetize with advertising and sponsorships. I say this because the listenership for CauseTalk Radio is small - just a few thousand downloads a month. And while we have done some advertising on the show, the money isn't what keeps the show going.

This is what does...

It started as almost a joke. It was 2005 and I was wracking my brain trying to choose a name for my new website. I can't even remember the other names I was considering. Even then it felt like all the good web domains were taken! But, truthfully, you could still get many great domains with a vowel!

Back then, people were still trying to come up with clever names for their websites. If I had started my site a few years later I probably would have just gone with my name, JoeWaters.com.

I remember talking to my friend and colleague, Joanna MacDonald (who co-wrote Cause Marketing with Dummies with me five years later), about what to call it...

Friday was World Aids Day. I heard about it because I saw on Twitter that 25 cents of every holiday drink sold at Starbucks was going to Red. This was great news for me as I didn't feel guilty about splurging on a second drink.

I've been a big admirer of Red since it's founding in 2006. And while it's a unique brand in many ways there are few things that causes of all sizes can learn from Red.

I just got back from talking to a bunch of nonprofits. Of course, a top question was how to squeeze more money from the company checkbook.

"Don't bother," I told them. "That's peanuts compared to how much you can raise from employees and customers."

Microsoft employees have proven at least half my answer true. They raised $142 million in just 2016 alone.

A few key takeaways...

Like all the great celebrities (e.g. Cher, Adele, Beyonce), the newest social media star only goes by a first name: Fiona. However, she's a bit different as she's a baby hippo at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Weighing in at 500 pounds - and growing - she's a BIG star. And it's reflected in her following.

“We have tried to say we are going to stop posting about her every day, but we get 100,000 commenters telling us they must have updates," reported Michelle Curley the communications director of the zoo to the New York Times. "Everyone is so invested now.”

There's so much we can learn from this young superstar and the team of people at the zoo that are covering her.

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Mike Richardson, Vice President of Marketing, Casey’s General Stores, a 2000-store convenience store chain in 15 states, about their recent charity pinup fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The $1.35 million raised will be used to help send kids with muscular dystrophy to MDA Summer Camp.

On the show, we discuss...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Melanie Zachar Kaloski, Nesquik Marketing Manager at Nestle, about QuikStache, a fun campaign with the Movember Foundation to raise awareness of men's health. The campaign included a pledge from Nesquik to match every $10 donation made to the foundation on Movember's 10th birthday.

On the show, Megan, Melanie and I discuss...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Racquel Russell, Senior Director, Government Relations and Public Affairs of Zillow Group, about a $5 million pledge in cash and in-kind contributions over the next five years to address housing insecurity as part of the company's first social impact program, The Home Project.

On the show, Megan, Racquel and I discuss...

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talking to Karen Davis, Senior Vice President of Global Philanthropy and Social Impact at Hasbro, about Be Fearless Be Kind, a philanthropic initiative, which is designed to empower kids to have the compassion and courage to stand up for others and make a difference. To help nurture empathy and compassion, parents and adults can access proven tools and resources through the Be Fearless Be Kind online hub.

On the show, Megan, Karen and I discuss...