Athens resident Tara Ball has always been pro-choice, but said she didn't have disposable income to donate to her cause.
But Ball did have the ability to make jewelry. She began the business Jewelry for Choice in 2006. The organization donates 25 percent of every sale to pro-choice organizations.
The trend of businesses taking up charitable causes became more prevalent in the 1990s and has been increasing ever since, said Catherine Axinn, a marketing professor at Ohio University.
These partnerships exist at every level of business, she said.
Partnerships between charities and businesses aren't clearly good or bad, Axinn said.
While some may criticize companies for using charities for free advertising, Axinn says that skeptics should remember that corporate donations are often vital for charities.
Businesses have an expectation that they're going to benefit
Axinn said. But company funding can give security and assistance to a charity that it wouldn't have otherwise.
John Faulkner, director of brand communications for Campbell's Soup, said the company's Labels for Education program is an attempt to give back to customers.
Labels for Education began in 1973 and allows customers to redeem brand labels for school equipment that includes everything from dodge balls to an 11-passenger van, he said.
The program has donated over $100 million worth of school equipment, he said.
Campbell's founded Labels for Education after determining that the majority of its customers were mothers with children who were in school.
We just really wanted to reward loyal customers he said.
Businesses are strategic in choosing charities they believe their customers will respond to, Axinn said. - he said.
Part of the proceeds from the River City jewelry line sold at Artifacts Gallery, 2 W. State St., goes toward finding vocations for the mentally handicapped, said business owner Amy Mangano.
The necklaces cost $32, Mangano said.
Carrying a product that works with a charitable cause was a win-win situation, Mangano said.
The fact that part of the proceeds from the product goes to charity makes the necklaces more marketable and popular with customers, she said.
The jewelry is really beautiful and well-made
she said. The fact that part of it goes to benefit charity is just icing on the cake.
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Ashley Lutz
Companies and charities work together to earn both profits and donations from product sales
