One of our strong desires at [B]cause Media is to ensure that our business model reflects our personal beliefs — giving back to our community to make it a better place. We do that by volunteering and donating to causes and organizations that speak close to our hearts.  Rarely, a weekend goes by without us doing some type of volunteer work — online or offline.

In the spirit volunteering and engaging our clients to give back to their community, we have come up with a service rewards price plan. Every hour you or your company (a team) volunteers in the community, we will donate $10 (every volunteer hour) of your [B]cause Media service fees to the cause or charity of your choice. For example, if your company volunteers at the local community garden or food bank for 10 hours, you get to donate $100 of your [B]cause Media service fees to any nonprofit or cause. Sweet, right?

There are rules:

> The volunteer hours must be done within the service contract period with [B]cause Media | Social Media Communications
> Community service must be approved by a staff prior to participating in the [B]cause Media Service Rewards Program
> We have the right to approve or disapprove the community service (i.e., walking your neighbor’s dog is not an approved community service project, but participating in Meals-on-Wheels and transporting hot food to those in need is an approved community service project).
> Maximum of 20 volunteer hours allowed to earn [B]cause Media Service Rewards. However, that shouldn’t stop you from continuing to volunteer

Here are some volunteering ideas:

Habitat for Humanity - This organization builds homes in poverty-stricken areas for those in need and you may even make a new friend while you’re at it! Go to www.habitat.org and click on the “Get Involved” tab in the upper left hand corner, or click on “Volunteer Locally” on the home page.

American Red Cross - These are the people at the heart of our disaster situations. You can even volunteer your time by donating blood, which is so important for those who depend on it! At the home page, on www.redcross.org, click on “Giving and Getting Involved”, and select “Volunteer.”

United Way - This organization is good for people that like variety or that can’t find a volunteer opportunity that they’re crazy about- they can connect you with everything from seniors living at home to children that need help with schoolwork. Visit the site at www.liveunited.org, and click on “Volunteer” under “Education.”

Big Brother/Big Sister - If you enjoy working with children and would like to meet someone with the same interests as you, this is the one! Big Brother/Big Sister programs pair you with a boy or girl, based on your interests, and you are their mentor. Have fun going on a walk together and grabbing an ice cream cone in the middle of July, or sit outside and do Algebra homework together! Many people stick with this for long periods of time because of the friendships that are made, and this helps the children have someone stable in their lives. Check out www.bbbs.org and click on “Volunteering” on the left hand side.

Meals on Wheels – This organization provides meals for seniors that live at home independently. Another wonderful way to meet some new friends! Click on the link: www.mowaa.org and go to “Take Action” near the bottom of the pages.

If you are interested in participating in the [B]cause Media Service Rewards Program or have any questions about social media communications, feel free to contact us.

When was the last time you gave back to your community?

[B]cause Media | Social Media Communications is a small company located in Vancouver, Washington (Not Canada but the United States). We help small businesses strengthen their brand and increase productivity by connecting with current and potential customers in the social media world.

During the process of building our company, launching a website, and working with a few clients, we’ve defined our services and honed our voice — show and teach small business owners the power of social media communications.

After researching the field and doing a competitor analysis it’s clear to us what we want to be and what we don’t want to be. We don’t want to be just another consulting company. No. We want to be more than that.

Our core values as individuals will always come first with [B]cause Media — that is helping our community become a better place to live. Giving is our passion. Social Media is our interest. We started this business because we know how effective social media can be (if used properly), and if small businesses in our community fail because we withheld this information than we failed as individuals.

Along with our charitable contributions (client’s choice) and making a conscience effort not to display any advertisements on our website — we are here to help our community succeed more than ourselves. That’s the message we hope to get across — “Good for Business. Good for the Community.”

These past few months have been busy, but rewarding. We’ve seen our clients turn around from non-believers to outright preachers of social media. They are excited, enthusiastic, and have hope for the future of their business. Amen.

We will continue to spread the social media gospel and help small businesses thrive and become successful in a little town called Vancouver, WA.

How does your business reflect your self-beliefs? How does your company give back to your community?