“What is the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” – Henry David Thoreau, Letter to H.G.O. Blake, 1860.
Thoreau’s observation is even truer in our day, when technology brings the world to our desktops and smartphones and decisions made in remote locations have tangible impacts on our daily lives.
As a business owner, I am constantly reminded of the interdependence of my company, my customers and my community as we experience the vacillation of an ever-changing world economy. I realized long ago that for my company to thrive, I needed to find ways to support the community that in turn supports us.
We come into contact with all kinds of organizations that need our products and advice and we strive to match the best products to their specific needs.
In building relationships with our business customers, we are mindful of opportunities to share our products and abilities with groups that serve the larger community. We are in a particularly good position to support a wide variety of organizations because, fundamentally, every group needs help delivering its message to a larger audience. I am a big believer in tangible donations that deliver long-term benefits for the recipient.
While we could just write a company check to a charity — and of course, we write plenty of those — I find it especially satisfying to see donated AmpliVox products in use at fundraisers, educational events or community organizations.
Find your cause
In 2010, we launched the Pink Podium Promise, a cause-marketing program to aid in the fight against breast cancer.
The roots of the program are very close to home: my cousin, a breast cancer survivor, was participating in “pink” fundraising events and was looking for a lectern for her group. We came up with the idea of donating pink lecterns that could be used indoors and out for all kinds of advocacy and fundraising events, and reached out to local cancer groups, hospitals and other organizations with the offer of a free podium.
Four years later, hundreds of AmpliVox pink podiums have been delivered to groups all over the U.S., and have been sent as far as Iraq for use by the U.S. military in educational settings.
We expanded the program to include pink megaphones, as well as blue lecterns for prostate cancer advocacy groups. These donations have had a positive impact on all the recipients, and also stand as a physical representation of AmpliVox’s commitment to these groups in their fight against cancer.
The success of the Pink Podium program has inspired us to find other nonprofits that can put AmpliVox products to good use.
The ability to give back to worthwhile causes is one of the most satisfying elements of being a business owner. Our ever-growing network of relationships has strengthened our company, and I believe that it’s just good business to support the people and programs that strengthen our local, national and global communities. ●
