Signature Programs Related Content

We create new, and enhance existing, signature programs that address social issues, meet business objectives, and enhance brand equity. Our proven process is customized to work with global CSR, corporate foundation, corporate communications, community relations, marketing, and sponsorship teams to … Continue reading →

Fidelity at School is Fidelity Investment’s national community relations strategy. The program addresses the U.S. high school dropout crisis by focusing on helping at-risk middle school students achieve the foundational skills required to transition successfully to high school.  Leveraging its … Continue reading →

The Opportunity Project is a global social innovation initiative of the eBay Foundation.  Cause Consulting partnered with the eBay Foundation team to build the strategy and design this program that supports and helps scale market-based approaches to empowering economic opportunity … Continue reading →

ARAMARK Building Community is a signature philanthropic and employee volunteer program committed to strengthening our nation’s neighborhood community centers.  By providing vital workforce readiness, health and wellness, and basic support services, ARAMARK is enriching the lives of millions of families … Continue reading →

AMD Changing the Game is the AMD Foundation’s signature education initiative.  The program leverages the power and experience of gaming as a way to teach less-advantaged middle and high school students critical science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and life skills. … Continue reading →

Adobe Youth Voices is a global philanthropic program of the Adobe Foundation. The program engages 13-18 year-olds in an educational experience to capture their passion and concerns about issues that matter to them most by creating media. The program empowers … Continue reading →

Brewing the American Dream is a signature cause initiative whose mission is to provide low and moderate-income small business owners with the essential ingredients to become financially independent in the food and beverage industry. With partners such as ACCION, the country’s … Continue reading →

Cause Consulting has joined the Billion + Change campaign by pledging to provide hundreds of hours of pro-bono services to non-profits. The campaign aims to encourage companies across America to start or expand their skills-based volunteer programs in order to … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman moderated a session on breakthrough cause programs at the Conference Board Community Involvement Conference. The conversation centered on innovative approaches to integrating philanthropy and business investments. Companies and organizations on the panel include the Acumen Fund, the Boston … Continue reading →

Risa Sherman facilitated the first annual AMD Changing the Game partner summit in New York City. Through AMD’s signature philanthropy initiative, the company works with more than 25 partner organizations around the globe to engage less advantaged middle and high … Continue reading →

Nikki Korn and Mark Feldman taught a day-long training program for a select group of corporate practitioners on “Maximizing Signature Cause Programs” with the Association for Corporate Contributions Professionals (AACP). Highlights of the workshop include an assessment of key trends and best practices … Continue reading →

I just returned from judging the 2010 Cause Marketing Forum Halo Awards. And the winners are….

Actually, I am sworn to secrecy.  Sorry!  Finalists will be announced June 3^rd at the Annual Cause Marketing Forum Conference.  There truly are some amazing programs to look out for.

One of the best things about being a part of the cause-related world is that our collective field is constantly innovating, evolving, pushing the limits of what might be possible and, ultimately, raising the bar for all of us who practice in this space. It is an amazing experience to be part of a discipline that is old enough to recognize some best practices, yet still young and agile enough to be the source of fertile ground open to exploration. Continue reading →

Risa Sherman was a guest lecturer at the Simmons College School of Management where she spoke about “Signature Philanthropy Program Development” at a class entitled Corporate Social Responsibility taught by Dr. Shuili Du, Professor of Marketing. Read more information about … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman co-authored the best-practice guide to developing strategic Cause Branding initiatives in the Harvard Business Review.  This article emphasizes the importance of taking a strategic approach to developing Cause Brands and signature cause programs. It discusses how to gain … Continue reading →

I recently attended my first Adobe Youth Voices Live! event at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). I was blown away by the films and other media produced by the Boston AYV youth. Please take time to check them out Continue reading →

Today is Patriot’s Day in New England, a perfect day to celebrate news that another revolution is storming the country. We are thrilled to share that the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine, among others have been spreading the word about the expansion of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Program. This philanthropic initiative provides small food, beverage, and hospitality businesses with micro-loans, access to business coaching, and opportunities to showcase their products.

This month the program formally expanded its Loan Fund from five New England states to small brewers nation-wide, and to food and beverage and hospitality entrepreneurs in Ohio, Greater Lehigh Valley PA, and the five boroughs of New York City. Continue reading →

You must take five minutes this weekend to watch this inspiring short film created by 16 year-old David Were about his realities living in the largest slum in Kenya. I have been working on the Adobe Youth Voices program since its inception four years ago, and I am continuously inspired.

This and ten other youth produced films are being celebrated this week at Lincoln Center in New York City as part of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. Over a hundred additional films are uploaded at the Adobe Youth Voices Gallery. Continue reading →

Congratulations to our client the Boston Beer Company for receiving the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy’s (CECP) prestigious Founder’s Award for Excellence in Corporate Philanthropy.  This award recognizes the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream® program for its demonstrated CEO leadership, dedication to measurement, successful partnerships, and innovation.

We are proud to be a part of the Samuel Adams team and honored to work on this exciting program that supports low and moderate income micro-entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry. Continue reading →

I just returned from judging the 2010 Cause Marketing Forum Halo Awards. And the winners are….

Actually, I am sworn to secrecy.  Sorry!  Finalists will be announced June 3^rd at the Annual Cause Marketing Forum Conference.  There truly are some amazing programs to look out for.

One of the best things about being a part of the cause-related world is that our collective field is constantly innovating, evolving, pushing the limits of what might be possible and, ultimately, raising the bar for all of us who practice in this space. It is an amazing experience to be part of a discipline that is old enough to recognize some best practices, yet still young and agile enough to be the source of fertile ground open to exploration. Continue reading →

The second annual ARAMARK Building Community Innovation Awards honor and support programs that are proven to put people to work and serve as best practice examples of new, creative solutions that help families succeed and revitalize neighborhoods. As part of … Continue reading →

International Data Group (IDG) has named the AMD Foundation as the 2012 Laureate of IDG’s Computerworld Honors Program. Every year the program recognizes organizations that use technology to support and create positive social, economic and educational change. The AMD Foundation’s global … Continue reading →

Jim Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Company, spoke with Bloomberg’s Pimm Fox and Courtney Donohoe about Sam Adams philanthropic program, Brewing the American Dream, and  the motivation behind the program’s recent national expansion. Working in partnership with Accion, the … Continue reading →

The national expansion of Brewing the American Dream was reported in The Wall Street Journal, CNN Money, CNBC, Boston Business Journal, Boston.com, Yahoo Finance, among others. It was also covered in Food & Beverage news outlets around the country. All … Continue reading →

Sam Adams has expanded its signature microloan program, Brewing the American Dream, to all small food, beverage, craft brewing and hospitality businesses nationwide. The expansion will provide at least $1 million in new loans and industry-specific coaching, mentoring, and educational … Continue reading →

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) recognized ARAMARK’s commitment to communities through ARAMARK Building Community with the 2012 Restaurant Neighbor Award. The awards celebrate outstanding charitable service efforts restaurateurs perform in their communities. Launched in 2008, the ARAMARK Building Community program … Continue reading →

ARAMARK announces an additional $1 million investment in grants, in-kind resources, and volunteer support to community centers nationwide through its signature philanthropic program, ARAMARK Building Community (ABC). The commitment includes $100,000 for the second annual ARAMARK Building Community Innovation Awards … Continue reading →

Fast Company’s “Expert Blog” features a candid interview with Sam Adams Founder Jim Koch where he describes his passion for beer, innovation, and his inspiration for launching Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, the company’s core philanthropy program. The program … Continue reading →

The Adobe Foundation launched the Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards, a new opportunity for youth worldwide to submit their most compelling digital work to an international, online media competition. As part of Adobe’s signature philanthropy program, Adobe Youth Voices, these … Continue reading →

The AMD Foundation announced its 2012 sponsorship of the 2nd Annual National STEM Video Game Challenge, a video-game-design competition designed to motivate interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), learning among America’s youth by tapping into students’ natural passion … Continue reading →

The Boston Business Journal featured the success of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, including highlights of several small businesses that have benefited from and expanded due to the capital received from the fund. Through Brewing the American … Continue reading →

ARAMARK launched the ARAMARK Building Community 2012 Innovation Awards. These awards, which will provide a total of $100,000 in grants, will honor one community center executive director for visionary leadership, and will recognize three community centers for innovative programs that … Continue reading →

As part of a partnership announced in 2010, Fidelity Investments and the HandsOn Network, the volunteer arm of the Points of Light Institute, completed their second annual school “Transformation Days” for middle schools in 10 cities. Fidelity employees and local … Continue reading →

Samuel Adams announced the first ever recipients of its Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream® Experienceship, a new mentoring opportunity offered as part of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream philanthropy program. The recipients of the Experienceship, San Francisco-based … Continue reading →

The Chicago Tribune and the Wall Street Journal announced that Chicago’s small food, beverage and hospitality businesses are now eligible to participate in the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, as its micro-loan fund becomes available to entrepreneurs in … Continue reading →

Michele Norris recently interviewed Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer, about the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream micro-lending program and the success of it has had among food, beverage and hospitality small businesses. Through Brewing the American Dream, Samuel … Continue reading →

The Adobe Foundation in partnership with the Black Eyed Peas Peapod Foundation will open a new Peapod Adobe Youth Voices academy for San Jose youth. Building on the success of existing academies, the collaboration focuses on empowering underserved youth by … Continue reading →

AMD Changing the Game held its first annual AMD Changing the Game partner summit on June 23 in New York City. Through AMD’s signature philanthropy initiative, the company works with more than 25 partner organizations around the globe to engage … Continue reading →

The Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program hosted its first Speed Coaching event since the program’s expansion to Ohio to provide expert counsel to food & beverage and hospitality entrepreneurs. The event was held at the Economic and Community … Continue reading →

In June, Boston Beer started making its signature microloan program, Brewing the American Dream, available nationwide to craft brewers in need of startup capital. The company began the program in partnership with ACCION USA  in 2008 with a focus on providing microloans to … Continue reading →

Entrepreneurs in Lehigh Valley, PA participated in a speed coaching event hosted at the local Samuel Adams Brewery as part of the company’s signature philanthropy program, Brewing the American Dream, which provides micro-loans to small businesses in the food, beverage … Continue reading →

ARAMARK recognizes Houston Neighborhood Centers Inc. CEO and three leading community centers for innovative and successful health and wellness, workforce readiness and communications campaigns through its inaugural awards program. Visit ARAMARK Building Community to learn about all of the award … Continue reading →

USA Today featured Lucy Valena, one of the first entrepreneurs to receive a loan from the Brewing the American Dream, as part of a story exploring new and creative financing options for small businesses. Read more in the article.

The Black Eyed Peas Peapod Foundation and the Adobe Foundation launch a new Peapod Adobe Youth Voices music and multimedia academy in New York City. Building on the success of existing academies, the collaboration focuses on empowering underserved youth by … Continue reading →

Jim Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Co., discusses a new twist on Samuel Adam’s philanthropy program, Brewing the American Dream, to provide loans and resources to small brewers nationwide for help with start-up costs. Read more in the Wall … Continue reading →

Samuel Adams is expanding its philanthropic program, Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, to current and aspiring small business owners in the food, beverage and hospitality industry in the five boroughs of New York City. Read coverage of the expansion … Continue reading →

eBay Inc. launched The Opportunity Project, a global social innovation initiative designed to support and help scale market-based approaches to providing economic opportunity in vulnerable, impoverished communities. Powered by the eBay Foundation, The Opportunity Project’s first investment is $250,000 in … Continue reading →

Fidelity Investments was honored for its commitment and leadership in community service at the Massachusetts Service Alliance (MSA) 20th Anniversary Celebration. The MSA praised the leadership shown by Sheila Cavanaugh, Senior Vice President, Community Relations and Corporate Affairs, in focusing … Continue reading →

As part of its ongoing seasonal product series, Samuel Adams partnered with Karl’s Sausage Kitchen in Saugus, MA to create a German-style sausage flavored with caraway and Samuel Adams Noble Pils. Karl’s Sausage Kitchen is a loan recipient of the … Continue reading →

Human Rights Watch, in partnership with Adobe Youth Voices, presented the 2011 San Francisco Bay Area premiere of “Youth Producing Change” on March 10 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, as part of Human Rights Watch’s … Continue reading →

The New England Sports Network (NESN) announced a JumboTron series at Red Sox games highlighting entrepreneurs receiving loan and small business support from the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program. While this Samuel Adam’s signature philanthropy program is operating … Continue reading →

U.S. Senator Rob Portman attended a press conference with Samuel Adams’ founder Jim Koch in Cincinnati to announce the expansion of the company’s microloan program to Ohio, helping small business owners in the food, beverage and hospitality industry in Cincinnati, Cleveland, … Continue reading →

The ARAMARK Building Community 2011 Innovation Awards will distribute $100,000 in grants to community centers to spur breakthrough solutions for helping at-risk families. Through these awards, ARAMARK and its partners, United Neighborhood Centers of America (UNCA) and the Alliance for … Continue reading →

Fidelity Investments has partnered with Teach for America (TFA), a national nonprofit organization that enlists recent college graduates to teach in urban and rural public schools, to provide students with more learning opportunities and access to mentorship from Fidelity employees. … Continue reading →

CNN featured the success story of one of the first loan recipients of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, Lucy Valena of Voltage Coffee. Lucy has grown her business from a small mobile espresso catering cart to a … Continue reading →

The AMD Foundation sponsored the 8th Annual Games for Change Festival held at the NYU Skirball Center June 20 – 22, marking the 4th consecutive year of major support for the conference. The event is the largest gaming event in New … Continue reading →

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield and Jim Koch, founder of Samuel Adams beer, joined small business owners and community leaders in Northampton, MA, to discuss the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program. The micro loan program offers loans … Continue reading →

Fifteen ARAMARK managers provided a resume and career preparation workshop for 30 high school students at the North Light Community Center in Philadelphia. Students from the city’s “Teens for Good,” program participated in the workshop and worked one-one-one with the … Continue reading →

Carlene O’Garro of Delectable Desires bakery in South Boston, MA created a Harvest Pumpkin Ale Pumpkin Bread using Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale that will serve as the brewery’s seasonal product available in its online store. Carlene is a beneficiary … Continue reading →

More than 125 ARAMARK employees in Los Angeles dedicated their time, energy and talents to over 20 projects to refurbish the Salvation Army’s Bell Shelter as part of ongoing partnership to strengthen local neighborhoods. The shelter serves over 350 of … Continue reading →

The Boston Beer Company received the 2010 Founders Award from the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy for its philanthropy strategy in creating its signature cause program, Brewing the American Dream, to provide small-business owners in the food and beverage industry with … Continue reading →

Citizen Schools, one of the nation’s leading education programs that partners with middle schools to extend the learning day with innovative academic and apprenticeship programs, and Fidelity Investments announced a new collaborative educational partnership to help 8th grade students across … Continue reading →

The Fidelity FutureStage music education and arts program kicked off another year with a four city satellite celebration hosted by special guests Jamie Foxx, Joan Cusack, Dominic Monaghan, and Keith Lockhart.  This program will bring $500,000 worth of instruments to … Continue reading →

ARAMARK and Hull House representatives highlight the significance and impact of their partnership serving Chicago communities through ARAMARK Building Community in this short film. Clarence N. Wood, President and CEO of the Hull House Association commented, “It has been a … Continue reading →

ARAMARK was chosen as a finalist in the category of U.S. Community Service in the 2009 Corporate Citizenship Awards from the U.S. Chamber’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC). The ARAMARK Building Community program was recognized for linking employees and resources … Continue reading →

The Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program was awarded the 2009 Corporate Citizenship Partner of the Year Award for Innovation during the Boston Business Journal’s Annual Corporate Citizenship Summit in front of 800 Boston business and community leaders. Read … Continue reading →

Adobe sponsors I3 innovation plenary sessions at the 2010 BSR Conference with presentations by the Museum of Modern Art’s Paola Antonelli, Women for Women International’s Zainab Salbi, and The 99 comic creator Naif A. Al-Mutawa. The introduction to each plenary … Continue reading →

Lucy Valena of Voltage Coffee was featured on CNN’s American Morning. Lucy is one of the first loan recipients of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Program. Watch the CNN video.  

A BCLC Blog series written by Bev Dribin, ARAMARK’s VP of Community Relations, features six posts on the company’s journey to create ARAMARK Building Community, the company’s signature program to strengthen the capacity of the country’s local community centers. Read … Continue reading →

ARAMARK announced that its signature volunteer initiative, ARAMARK Building Community, will expand from 12 to more than 25 communities around the world, and will offer skilled employee volunteer support, in-kind donations and funding to local community centers. Read more in … Continue reading →

Adobe Youth Voices, the Black Eyed Peas Peapod Foundation, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation joined forces to connect underserved youth with the chance to learn and use multi-media production tools, including those for video, music, dance, and art, through Peapod … Continue reading →

AMD released “Let the Games Begin: A Toolkit 4 Making Social Issue Games,” which helps nonprofit organizations to create social issue games on topics such as the environment, energy consumption, poverty and health. Produced by Games for Change with support … Continue reading →

The Houston Business Journal (HBJ) Giving Guide profiled the impactful relationship between ARAMARK and Neighborhood Centers Inc (NCI) as a case study of how to forge successful alliances with companies to drive change in communities. Read the HBJ article.

The Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program hosted a “Speed Coaching” event to provide expert counsel to food & beverage and hospitality entrepreneurs. Boston Beer Company employees volunteered their time to offer one-on-one advice on marketing, sales, distribution and … Continue reading →

Fidelity FutureStage music education program partners with the Houston Symphony Orchestra to provide new music education opportunities for Houston Public School Students. Read the Houston Chronicle report, An Original Work of Art.  

AMD and the AMD Foundation announced the launch of Changing the Game, their new signature cause program to improve the education and life skills of disadvantaged young people by teaching them to develop digital games with social content. Read more … Continue reading →

To raise awareness of the power of gaming for education purposes, AMD placed advertisements in the New York Times.  

Boston Beer Company, makers of Samuel Adams beer, is partnering with nonprofit micro-lender ACCION USA to launch Brewing the American Dream program, to offer small business loans and mentoring and coaching resources to New England entrepreneurs working in the food, … Continue reading →

Through ARAMARK Building Community, the company will dedicate more than $5 million in cash grants, volunteer hours, and product donations toward improving neighborhood community centers. Read more in the press release.

Adobe Systems launched its new global signature program, Adobe Youth Voices, designed to empower underserved youth to comment on social issues that are important to them through multimedia projects. Working in collaboration with five leading youth media organizations, Adobe will … Continue reading →