Events bring people together through a shared experience. Supporting a cause works much in the same way—people unite to support something important to them. Pairing the two together is a natural fit.
When you partner your event with a good cause, you’re doing good for the community. A side benefit of this partnership is increased brand awareness and access to new customer bases.
In this article, we’ll explore cause-related marketing, how fundraising for a cause is of mutual benefit to events and charities, and how to make the most of the partnership. We’ll also look at what to consider when choosing a charity and discuss how events can develop meaningful engagement around their cause.
Key Takeaways
- Cause marketing pairs events with charitable causes for mutual benefit
- 64% of consumers make purchasing decisions based on brands’ social stances
- Multiple partnership types exist: one-time events, ongoing alliances, local community, and themed partnerships
- Success measurement includes engagement metrics, media coverage, fundraising campaign performance, and long-term partnership benefits
- Authentic alignment between your brand and charity partner is essential for credibility
What Is Cause Marketing?
Cause-related marketing is when a business or event teams up with a charity to promote each other’s causes. It allows businesses to build public goodwill and brand loyalty by demonstrating their commitment to social issues.
A study conducted by Edelman found that “64% of global consumers will choose, switch, avoid, or boycott a brand based on where it stands on the political or social issues they care about.”
Additionally, “eighty-three percent of Millennials say it’s important for the companies they buy from to align with their beliefs and values.” (via Consumer Culture Report)
Young people aren’t the only ones who respond to brands that are associated with a worthy cause. Older generations do, too.
A study from Pro Bono Australia found that over 23% of Australians have switched brands because of a charity supported by the company, and more than 50% say they’re likely to do so in the future. The same report revealed that nearly 80% of Australians believe brands should use their influence to create real-world social change.
In other words, whoever your target audience is, demonstrating that your brand cares about the local and global community is important. However, note that Gen Z takes a brand’s connection with a cause very seriously. According to Forrester’s Technographics data, almost a third of Gen Z say that they unfollow, hide, or block brands on social media on a weekly basis. The reason? “Gen Zers don’t hesitate to cancel brands when they sense a shallow veneer.”
Benefits of Cause Marketing for Events
Increased employee and attendee engagement
Cause marketing increases employee and guest engagement by giving events a meaningful purpose. Employees and guests are more engaged when they are taking part in activities that promote social responsibility. That sense of making a difference fosters camaraderie in the workplace and boosts morale among those passionate about the cause. As such, partnering with a good cause can make an event much more memorable overall!
Enhanced media coverage and brand visibility
Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Charity Partner
Make sure your charitable partner aligns with your goals
Supporting a charity simply because it syncs with your target audience isn’t a good idea. Your charity partner should be something that resonates with you and your brand.
Evaluate impact
Look for a charity that has made a measurable impact on its cause. Consider the tangible results that have been achieved, the stories that can be told, and the unique ways the charity is making a difference. If you’re able to quantify the impact, that’s even better. Being able to share these numbers with your audience will show them that their money is going to a cause that can make a difference.
Cause Marketing Best Practices
Cause-related marketing is mutually beneficial, so make sure your charity partner feels supported and appreciated. You can do this by providing them with promotional materials, event tickets, and in-kind donations, as well as by incorporating their branding into your event. Additionally, it’s important to be open with your charity partner and share information about the event’s progress, milestones, and outcomes. By keeping them up to date, they will be more likely to promote your event and become a long-term partner.
Set clear objectives
Promote the event
Develop a social media strategy together with your charity partner so that you are both inspiring your followers to buy tickets to attend. Ask vendors and partners to share information about the event on their social media. Utilise influencers and other social media celebrities to further increase your reach. Additionally, create a hashtag for your event and use it across all platforms to spread the word and engage with potential attendees.
Social media is only part of the event promotion equation! Ask your charity partner to email supporters about the event, and create an email campaign to send to your own list. Print posters, flyers, and postcards with QR codes that direct people to your event ticket sales site. Send out press releases to local media outlets to build awareness and interest in your event. Use vendor relationships to cross-promote the event, including having vendors host booths and provide sample products at the event. Finally, don’t forget word of mouth! Ask friends and family to spread the word and encourage them to invite their own contacts.
Provide value to all
Emphasise your cause
Ask a representative from your chosen charity to speak and inspire people to volunteer. Likewise, encourage attendees to contribute in some way outside their ticket purchase. Maybe you could come up with special limited-edition branded event merch and cause and ask guests to donate through a charity crowdfunding page.
Create interactive cause experiences
Events present an ideal chance to raise awareness for a charitable cause, so get creative! You could create a space where attendees can get hands-on with your cause, share video testimonials of those who’ve benefitted from the charity’s work, or engage the audience with a game or competition. Consider launching peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns where attendees create their own mini-fundraisers leading up to your event—this amplifies your reach and gets people personally invested in your cause. No matter what you do, remember to have fun and express your passion for the cause.
How to Measure Cause Marketing Success
Tracking the impact of your cause marketing efforts is essential for understanding what’s working and improving future partnerships. The good news? There are plenty of ways to measure achievement that go beyond just money raised.
Track engagement metrics
Monitor your event attendance and participation rates. Compare registration numbers, actual attendance, and engagement levels to similar events without charitable components. Look at social media metrics like shares, comments, and hashtag usage around your cause. High engagement often indicates that your audience connects with your chosen cause.
Measure media coverage and brand awareness
Document the media coverage your event receives. Track mentions in local news, industry publications, and social media. Compare this to previous events to see if your charitable partnership generated more buzz. You can also survey attendees to measure brand awareness before and after the event.
Assess long-term partnership benefits
Look at the ongoing relationship with your charity partner. Are they promoting future events? Have they become a regular collaborator? A successful cause marketing partnership often extends beyond a single event and creates lasting value for both organisations.
Evaluate fundraising performance
Set specific fundraising targets and track progress toward them. This includes direct donations, proceeds from ticket sales allocated to charity, and any additional fundraising activities during the event. Don’t forget to measure in-kind donations like food drives or volunteer hours—these have real value too.
Types of Cause Marketing Partnerships
Local community partnerships
Focus on causes that directly impact your local community. This might include partnering with local food banks, schools, or environmental groups. Local partnerships often resonate strongly with attendees because they can see the direct impact in their own neighbourhoods.
Ongoing strategic alliances
Develop long-term relationships with charity organisations. These partnerships might span multiple events throughout the year or even become a permanent part of your brand identity. Ongoing alliances allow you to build deeper connections and create more meaningful impact over time.
Employee or attendee-driven partnerships
Let your team or attendees help choose the cause. Some of the most successful partnerships come from causes that your employees or regular attendees already support. This organic connection often leads to higher engagement and more authentic partnerships.
One-time event partnerships
Partner with a charity for a single event or campaign. This might involve donating a percentage of ticket sales, hosting a fundraising auction, or organising volunteer activities during your event. One-time partnerships are great for testing the waters and seeing how your audience responds to cause marketing.
Seasonal or themed partnerships
Start Making a Difference with Your Next Event
By now, you’ve seen how cause marketing can transform your events from simple gatherings into meaningful experiences that drive engagement, generate media coverage, and make a real difference in your community. The key is finding the right charity partner and approaching the relationship with clear goals and authentic intentions.
Start small if you’re new to cause marketing. You don’t need to overhaul your entire event strategy overnight. Pick one element—maybe a portion of ticket proceeds or a simple volunteer activity—and see how your audience responds. You can always expand your efforts as you learn what resonates with your attendees.
Remember that the best cause marketing partnerships feel natural, not forced. Your chosen cause should align with your brand values and genuinely matter to your team. When that authentic connection exists, everything else—from promotion to execution—becomes much easier and more effective.
The beauty of cause marketing is that everyone wins. Your charity partner gets increased visibility and support. Your attendees get to participate in something meaningful. Your event gains purpose and often attracts new audiences. And your community benefits from the positive impact you create together.
Ready to get started? Our nonprofit fundraising platform is a powerful yet user-friendly tool equipped with fundraiser-type templates for auctions, raffles, walk-a-thons, and more. Plus, our integrated printing services make it easy to order custom postcards, raffle tickets, flyers, and invitations branded to your event.
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