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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

What Purpose-Driven Companies Need to Know About Insurance

Entrepreneurs understand the fine balance between risk and reward, especially when it comes to doing business.

For purpose-driven companies who are innovating and taking risks in order to make the world better, the reward may include nothing less than helping save the planet itself.

But what happens when the insurance companies, a crucial component in the function of the economy, aren’t prepared to take the same risks?

Sparx Publishing Group spoke with James K. Asaad, President & Vice Chairman at Ferrari and Associates Toronto, who has extensive experience working with emerging industries, about the complex relationship between these businesses and the insurance industry.

The Current Relationship Between Insurance and Purpose-Driven Companies

As many business owners and seasoned entrepreneurs already know, securing adequate insurance coverage is a prerequisite to doing business. Insurance is embedded into every part of commerce and every transaction that takes place. 

But what does insurance actually do for a company?

Put simply, insurance effectively takes away various elements of risk your business would otherwise be liable for, in exchange for a small percentage of what those risks would actually cost you.

However, the insurance industry in general is not very friendly towards innovation. 

“The insurance market has been hardening since 2019, exacerbated by COVID,” Asaad said. “That issue is acute for startup segments… because the insurers that have been around for a long time are insuring a lot of these businesses which have had a long runway in history. It’s an industry that looks backwards and then makes decisions on the future.”

In another view, the insurance industry’s perceived resistance to insuring purpose-driven companies seems contradictory. Insurance is designed to mitigate uncertainty, and from that perspective, a better world is a predictable world. 

However, nature is becoming increasingly unpredictable, in large part due to climate change. If a company’s work helps mitigate the effects of climate change and restore some of that predictability, it seems logical that the insurance industry would want to incentivize these companies to succeed.

Perplexingly, this does not appear to be the case.

“Unfortunately, when the capital markets and entrepreneurs are always looking into the future… but the insurance company can’t stop looking at the rearview mirror, you slow down that innovation,” said Asaad.

Challenges Around Securing Insurance Coverage

The insurance industry’s pervasiveness and challenging relationship with innovative companies has resulted in an environment that can make it difficult for businesses in the impact space to get off the ground.

“It’s become an unfortunate situation where businesses are unable to launch,” remarked Asaad. “They can’t secure contracts if they don’t have insurance.”

In cases where purpose-driven companies are able to secure insurance, pricing is often a hurdle, especially for start-ups.

“As a result of reduced interest in that space, there are insurance companies that have become opportunistic,” said Asaad. “They do charge a premium to insure these companies. Recognizing that they’re one of few that have an interest in underwriting these things, they can call their shots on pricing.”

One potential solution to the pricing problem is grants and subsidies for entrepreneurs. However, Asaad believes this only addresses part of the overarching issue.

“We are seeing an increased amount of this capital that’s being provided to the entrepreneurs, be that by the private sector or the government,” he said. “That does help to remedy the situation in the sense that it gives them the capital they need to secure insurance. However, it does not change the insurance segment’s vision or view on startup businesses and startup segments.”

Though these challenges are undoubtedly tough, they’re not insurmountable.

Critical Shifts in the Industry, and What Still Needs to Change

There is a growing sentiment in the insurance industry towards the opportunity purpose-driven companies represent. 

“The competitive landscape right now, from an insurance perspective, is ready to be disrupted. What I’m seeing right now is a lot of younger people who see an opportunity within the industry to disrupt it, and have an entrepreneurial mindset, that want to insure and support the vision of these new segments where the journey is to make the world a better place,” noted Asaad. 

Asaad compares these more entrepreneurial insurance companies to investment bankers. “They want to get to know: who are the people, the players, that have this idea? What’s their vision? What’s their aptitude, their experience?”

According to Asaad, one important change that still needs to be made across the insurance industry is a shift in mindset

“We have to take the mindset of supporting the entrepreneur and supporting the segments that are trying to make the world a better place. That is our duty.”

What Can Purpose-Driven Companies Do?

In emerging sectors, where there’s not a lot of data and history available, it’s difficult to quantify execution risk from an insurance perspective. That’s why it’s important to make as many unknowns as possible into “knowns.”

To turn unknowns into knowns for his clients, Asaad uses a method called the Insurance Investment Presentation. “We want the insurance companies to get comfortable investing their capital into these leaders and businesses,” he said. 

“We want to start to recognize some of the operational pieces of the client or the business as it relates to insurance… When you get a sense of what the ecosystem looks like for their product or service, and how much control over it they have, you get a better sense of their ability to actually execute.”

Purpose-driven companies will also want to be particular when selecting an insurance broker to work with.

“Choose an insurance broker who demonstrates an interest in you and your business, an understanding of who you are, what your vision is, and who is fluent in the language of entrepreneurship, law, and finance,” Asaad recommends. 

“They must exemplify the qualities of your business while packaging your story creatively in a manner which navigates the needs of underwriters in today’s market.”

Finally, purpose-driven companies should feel empowered to speak up about the challenges their companies are facing when it comes to insurance, and encourage others in the sector to share their stories as well. 

If entrepreneurs advocate for focus on innovation in the insurance industry, meaningful change is possible, and with it, a chance to build a better world.

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Make The World Better Magazine

Canadian Organic Growers: Advocating for an Organic Future

Organic food is widely considered to be healthier for both people and the environment. While you may be able to find organic food in the supermarket, finding information on how to grow and garden organically is a different story – at least it was – in Canada.

Canadian Organic Growers (COG) grew from the need for better understanding about organic farming and gardening methods, and today, they’re advocating for organic farming across the country. We spoke with Canadian Organic Growers about their mission and projects.

Tell us about Canadian Organic Growers’ mission. 

Our mission is to provide education, advocacy, and leadership to help build an agricultural system that empowers farmers and consumers, enhances human health, builds community, and mitigates climate change, while increasing Canadian food sovereignty. 

What inspired your founders to start Canadian Organic Growers? 

Our founders wanted to grow food without chemicals, both for their own health and the health of the planet. However, there was a lack of information on organic farming and gardening, particularly in the Canadian context. Backyard gardeners, “back to the landers,” and farmers joined together to help share knowledge and resources.

What were some of the challenges they encountered? 

There was a general lack of understanding about organic farming and gardening methods, as well as a social stigma directed at organic farming. Also, organic farming wasn’t taken seriously by agricultural departments (provincial and federal) or agricultural colleges. This meant that farmers had to learn by trial and error, or from mentors.

The organic certification process and logo did not exist, so people didn’t have a way of knowing what foods were actually organic or not. Things have come a long way since those days!

What do you consider Canadian Organic Growers’ biggest success? 

By creating Canadian Organic Growers chapters across the country, organizing workshops, and publishing a series of books, we have played a pivotal role in stimulating the Canadian organic movement.

Over the decades, an increasing number of farmers and gardeners have embraced organic methods, and the demand for organic food keeps growing, for example from 1.7% of the Canadian market share in 2012 to 3.3% in 2020 (Canada Organic Trade Association).

Part of this reflects the work COG has done over the decades. Our courses and books have helped farmers transition to organic farming. In fact, three of our books have been used as textbooks in universities in their agricultural departments.

We have also enabled more people across the country to access organic food – partially by our work in stimulating the organic movement but also through specific programs, such as COG’s Growing Up Organic, which has led to the development of school gardens and the introduction of organic food in schools, daycares, and other institutions across Canada.

Connaught gardens: students from Connaught Public School harvesting kale in their garden.

What makes your organization unique? 

Canadian Organic Growers is the only national organization representing organic farmers, gardeners, and consumers from coast to coast. Our membership encompasses people from all sectors of the organic community; no other organization has this scope.

As a result, our activities range from teaching people how to grow sprouts and microgreens on the kitchen counter, to creating school gardens, to advocating for government support for farmers who are transitioning to organic agriculture, to teaching prairie farmers about organic regenerative agriculture.

We have chapters and affiliates across the country, which allows different groups to work on the local aspects of organic growing, education, and advocacy that meet the needs of their own community.

How do you feel Canadian Organic Growers makes the world better?

Canadian Organic Growers makes the world better by advocating for a cleaner environment, greater biodiversity, and a healthy, nutritious food supply.

As a result of our work, more people of all incomes and ages are eating local organic food and more land is being farmed organically. This means greater biodiversity and protection of pollinators, less pollution due to runoff of agricultural chemicals and antibiotics given to livestock, and more animals have access to the outdoors and are humanely treated.

Rural communities are benefitting from more money flowing into rural economies, and more people living in these communities have access to healthy, nutritious food. COG address the human aspect of food production by supporting the development of school gardens, incorporating mindfulness practices into gardening workshops, and developing an online Indigenous gardening workshop.

Our work also addresses the current climate crisis. Agriculture accounts for about 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) globally; COG is teaching farmers how to sequester (trap) carbon in the soil and reduce GHG emissions.

Tell us about your organization’s goals. 

Our main goal is to promote organic growing and strengthen the organic food supply through education, advocacy, collaboration, and partnerships. We want to provide farmers and gardeners with the tools they need to grow organic food, and in doing so, promote biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and protect our environment for future generations.

For farmers, we’re doing this through peer-to-peer education, publication of books, and production of webinars. We bring experts out to the field to talk with individual farmers about how they can adopt regenerative organic farming practices, and go to schools to help children learn how to garden organically and develop a taste for organic food (and practices). Canadian Organic Growers also helps seniors find accessible ways to garden and, in doing so, they can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of gardening organically in a community.

We also want to help consumers understand and appreciate the value of locally grown organic food. COG aims to increase awareness of the many reasons to buy local organic food, including the environmental, socioeconomic, and nutritional benefits. We do this through webinars, events (such as Organic Week held each September), and through our magazine (currently in the process of being moved to a free online format here).

Nature’s Path.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share? 

Regenerative Organic Oats in the Prairies (ROO) is a three-year project to help oat farmers in Saskatchewan transition to Regenerative Organic Certification. The educational aspect of the project will help encourage other farmers to adopt regnerative organic practices. This initiative, the first of its kind in Canada, is made possible due to the support of industry partners Riverside Naturals and Nature’s Path.

In Growing Up Organic (GUO), COG partners with schools to establish school garden programs as the basis for experiential education. For example, in the past year alone, GUO delivered 270 workshops and established 30 new garden beds in Ottawa schools, and the goal for 2022 is to build up to 48 new gardens and deliver more than 250 garden curriculum-connected workshops. COG is also developing a virtual Indigenous gardening workshop and now incorporating land acknowledgements, as well as mindfulness exercises in many gardening workshops.

The Canadian Access Project (CAP) is a two-year collaborative project, made possible with an investment from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), that will identify current barriers in the organic food supply chain, help the Canadian organic industry fulfill its economic potential, and provide Canadians with increased access to regionally-grown, organic food. COG will deliver virtual workshops and reports, and provide a detailed plan to create an environmental model, which would highlight the benefits of removing barriers to organic commodity production and distribution.

Growing Eastern Ontario Organically (GEO-O), is a three-year, on-the-ground initiative to support farmers to transition to organic agriculture through mentorship, financial incentives, and on-site experiential learning. GEO-O provides farmers with in-person, on-site, farmer-to-farmer training. GEO-O is a first of its kind experiential learning-centred approach in a specific region. It was made possible with funding from Ontario Trillium Foundation and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

To date, we have had 57 farms enrolled in the program, representing over 10,000 acres of farmland. COG will compare the outcomes of GEO-O to similar efforts across the country in order to bring further benefits to the entire Canadian organic sector.

Lastly, for more than forty years, COG published a hard copy magazine; however, we have since gone completely paperless. The Canadian Organic Grower is now available free, online, in a blog-style format. The new version has information for consumers, as well as resources for backyard gardeners and farmers. The content includes features on organic businesses, tips for organic farmers, recipes, and news about organic science. Check it out! A beta version is online here, and we expect to launch the website formally in early 2022.

Growing Eastern Ontario Organically (GEO-O): the Beetbox Farm Cooperative Team, who serves West Ottawa with organic produce.

What do you most want people to know about Canadian Organic Growers? 

We offer something for everyone who has an interest in healthy food and a healthy environment. Whether you’re growing herbs in window boxes or planting one thousand acres of wheat, Canadian Organic Growers has resources to help you learn how to grow food organically.

For consumers, COG works to improve production and access to organic food across the country and will soon (through the free online magazine) provide tips on buying, storing, and cooking organic food in season.

We also do a lot of work behind the scenes, such as advocating for changes in agricultural policies (particularly regarding GMOs), helping develop the Canadian Organic Standards, and standing up for organic growers in any way we can.

William Amos announcing a $640,000 grant from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

How can people help or contribute to Canadian Organic Growers’ mission?

Grow or buy organic food. When you buy local organic food or grow your own food organically, you are helping to create a healthier planet for ourselves, future generations, and the living organisms who share our environment.

There are several ways people can contribute, including becoming a member of Canadian Organic Growers, volunteering with a chapter or the national organization, and helping to support our important work by making a donation on our website. COG is a charitable organization and can issue tax receipts for donations of $25.

This story was featured in the Make The World Better magazine:

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips Sustainability Tips

How to Avoid Greenwashing Your Brand

With over two-thirds of North American consumers preferring sustainable brands today, it’s no surprise that many organizations are responding by prioritizing environmentally-conscious business practices, such as reducing carbon emissions, using recycled materials, or donating to related causes. 

This has given way to green marketing, which is essentially organizations’ efforts to shout how amazing their environmentalism is through their advertising. All good things to fight the climate crisis, right? 

Well, unfortunately, there is a growing trend of brands making unsubstantiated green marketing claims, which leads them to be under scrutiny for false or misleading information, known as greenwashing. This can lead businesses to lose money and customers, receive negative reviews, and even be the target for class-action lawsuits.  

While Kermit the Frog may think “it’s not easy being green,” we think implementing authentically green business practices isn’t an out-of-reach ambition. At Sparx Publishing Group, innovation and sustainability is at the forefront of the content we create to make the world better. Here are our three tips to avoid greenwashing and reap the rewards of implementing green marketing into your marketing strategy. 

Become a Truly Green Business

The first step to avoid greenwashing is to practice what you preach. Do your research and commit to becoming a green business for real. Not only will you be contributing to positive environmental change, but marketing your green practices can improve your stock performance and get more loyal, higher-paying customers, as discussed in this Barron’s article. 

For more information on sustainable business practices, check out our article. Once you have an idea of ways you can make the world better, learn about setting SMART goals in cause marketing, including SMART goals examples. You can also harness the power of technology and social media to do good. 

Get Your Business Tested and Certified

Before you go to market with your green product, it’s advised to get your product certified. CSA Group is a Canadian standards organization “dedicated to safety, social good and sustainability” that can evaluate your product and, if approved, give you a sustainability mark, which will set you apart in the marketplace. 

As well, any buildings you operate can be evaluated with green building certifications. Becoming a B Corp (Benefits Corporation) is another excellent seal of approval to prove to customers you reach the highest standard of social and environmental performance.  

Communicate Your Sustainable Efforts to Customers

While it can be tempting to look better on paper, it’s worse to be discovered fraudulent or misleading. Communicate your sustainable efforts in an accessible, honest, and repetitive way for your customers and stakeholders. 

For example, this study found that Timberland, a United States-based manufacturer, sticks labels that resemble nutrition facts onto their product boxes. These labels list information regarding the company’s environmental practices, such as their environmental footprint, number of trees they’ve planted, and the total of their renewable, organic, and recycled material in their products. 

We’re Here to Help You

Sparx Publishing Group is a full-service marketing agency creating content to make the world better. If you need help with making a real, positive impact without greenwashing your brand, reach out to Sparx here. 

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

Why and How to Lead with Your Values in Content Marketing

As the saying (or misquote from Field of Dreams) goes, “If you build it, they will come.” You have big dreams of making the world better, and chances are, there are people out there who share the same dreams and values.

Connecting with people to grow a value-aligned following can result in positive benefits for your organization in the long-term. Not saying that short-term wins aren’t important, but focusing on them exclusively, is, well, a little short-sighted. Here’s why and how you should lead with your values in content marketing. 

Why You Should Lead with Your Values in Content Marketing

1. Grow Your Community

By leading with your values, you humanize your organization, which makes it easy for people who share those same values to naturally gravitate towards your brand. This community is not only a place for relationship building and education around your important work, it’s also an invaluable source of feedback on how your organization is doing.

Plus, these followers represent a crucial part of your customer base. 90% of people buy from brands they follow on social media, according to a Sprout Social survey. The bigger your community, the more potential customers you have.

2. Maintain a Loyal Customer Base

When people like what you do and connect to it, they tend to stick around. And not only do they stick around, but they may become your biggest fans and cheerleaders. They’ll likely recommend you to your friends, write positive reviews, and continue to make purchases. 

Loyal customers are the right people to have on your side, considering customers trust family and friends’ opinions the most before making a purchase. That’s pretty powerful stuff.

3. Improve Your Bottom Line

If you’ve read point #1 and #2, this point should come as no surprise. Leading with your values means growing a loyal following, which leads to growing a loyal customer base, which leads to word of mouth spreading to even more future fans and customers. 

It’s also important to remember that the product or service you offer makes the world better. Not only does leading with your values help your bottom line and keep your organization growing, it also helps you achieve your environmental and social goals, because more people are making the better choice by interacting with your brand. 

How to Lead with Your Values in Content Marketing

1. Prepare Value-Driven Content for Each Phase of the Marketing Journey 

In case you weren’t aware or hadn’t considered how prospective customers become loyal fans, we’re here to convert you to using the customer journey in your content marketing efforts (wink). If you don’t have a marketing strategy, now is a good time to make one. And don’t worry, your marketing efforts don’t have to break the bank, there are plenty of ways to up your marketing game on a budget.  

Here are the four stages of the customer journey to keep in mind when creating marketing content:

  • Awareness – Like it says on the tin, this is the stage where you’re building awareness of your organization among prospective customers. Content marketing at this stage should be educational and start with why you do what you do.
    This can include revamping your “About” page, informative infographics, or educational videos that communicate your values and how you’re making the world better. If you’re unsure how to communicate your values, check out our blog. What’s important here is to be genuine, prove your value, and show that you offer a solution. 
  • Consideration – Now that your followers know what you do (and why), they may reach the point where they’re considering your product or service. At this stage, you’ll want to stand out from competitors. While you no longer have to focus quite so much on educating customers, it’s important to move customers closer to a decision while not pushing too hard. You can build trust by creating content that positions you as an expert in the space, such as case studies and FAQs.
  • Conversion – This stage is where your customers are ready to make a purchase – you just may need to edge them along. Your content marketing here should remind them why your product or service is the more ethical and sustainable choice, and what differentiates your company from any competitors.
  • Loyalty – As mentioned in the first part of this blog, leading with your values is a great way to build customer loyalty. Continuing to create share-worthy content about the amazing work you’re doing enables your customers and fans to share your content and amplify your good work, getting more people into your customer funnel at the awareness stage. 

2. Lean on Your Customers and Community

Remember your growing community? They’re also an invaluable source of impactful content ideas. Your community can tell you exactly what kind of content is important to them. Are they sharing an important cause? Using a specific hashtag? See if there are any aligned passions that make sense for your organization to get involved with. For example, Lyft Toronto acknowledges the pride of the LGBTQ2SAI+ community in the city and actively gets involved in the city’s pride events every year. 

Get in Touch

At Sparx, our mission is to create content to make the world better.

If you need help securing your website, creating great content, building experiences to delight your customers, marketing your business, or you simply have questions, the experts at Sparx Publishing Group are always available to chat. You can reach us here.


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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips Sustainability Tips

Challenges That Are Unique to Sustainable Marketing and How to Overcome Them

Taking the road less travelled to make the world better may result in a bumpier ride along the way. Your purpose-driven organization is likely no stranger to unique challenges like sourcing sustainable materials or getting certified (for example, through Greenguard or B Corp). 

But in the end, you know that it’s all worth it, because you’re making tangible and positive impacts on not just people, but the planet.

However, just because you know your organization is doing the right thing, that doesn’t always mean customers know. When it comes to convincing people to choose your company, you may face specialized marketing challenges as a purpose-driven organization. Here’s our guide to overcoming them.

Communicate Your Value to Customers

Brands that pay fair wages, use sustainable materials, and have ethical production processes usually incur higher operational costs, so generally charge more for products that may also have an inexpensive “fast factory-made” counterpart. 

Money-conscious customers may be tempted by the cheaper option, so you’ll need to communicate your value and impact.

It’s a good idea to include an “About” page on your website that showcases your backstory, goals, and impacts. Periodically share this page and related content on your social media platforms, emails, and advertisements to educate new customers and remind existing customers of the impact of your good work.

Kotn, a B Corp-certified Canadian clothing retailer, is a great example of how to do this. Check out their About page here. 

Another way to let customers know that they’re making the more sustainable, ethical choice is to inform them of the impact they have by choosing your products or organization. For example, US shoe retailer Thousand Fell shows the driving emissions avoided, bulb energy saved, and plastic bottles recycled for each product, so customers know their individual impact before purchasing. 

Rise to the Challenge of Meeting Higher Customer Expectations

Customers that are willing to choose an environmentally and socially conscious product generally have higher expectations, as they’re potentially paying more and waiting longer for their product.

It’s a good idea to ensure your marketing-adjacent user experiences, such as your website and your customer service channels, are solid and easy to use, so customer satisfaction is not only met, but exceeded. 

It’s also important to remember that these are well-researched, well-educated customers, which means they’ll likely be able to sniff out any potential marketing disingenuity, like greenwashing. Always be completely transparent and honest with your processes and efforts.

Stand Out From the Competition

Whether it’s for altruism or to keep up with increasing consumer demand, more brands are entering or transforming themselves to fit into an environmentally and socially conscious marketplace. 

The Global Sustainability Study 2021 found that “Globally, 85 percent of people indicate that they have shifted their purchase behavior towards being more sustainable in the past five years.”

While this is great for people and the planet, it also means increased competition for your organization. You can set yourself apart from the competition by focusing on what makes your company unique – and get specific.

Have you innovated an existing product? For example, SAYE is a shoe brand that uses “leather” made from cactuses. Have you innovated on the process? For example, Canadian furniture brand Pivot has a circular approach to their manufacturing by using reclaimed materials for their furniture, and they also have a made-to-order option. Communicate these differences, and their impacts, through your marketing efforts.

Another important way to set your purpose-driven organization apart is through your branding. Make sure you have a distinct visual identity (i.e. logo, fonts, imagery, and colour palette), and tone of voice that fits with your values and resonates with customers. Here are some examples of eco-friendly companies who have memorable branding. 

Keeping up with trends can also ensure that you’re also keeping up with (or getting ahead of) the competition. Check out some Marketing Trends to Look Out for in 2022.

Time and Budget Constraints? Plan Marketing Efforts Strategically

For purpose-driven organizations, tasks like developing aligned partnerships, working towards or maintaining certifications, and developing new sustainable products may take up the lion’s share of your time and budget. However, you can still employ sustainable marketing tactics strategically, even if you don’t have a lot of time or resources.

Whether you want to drive website traffic, grow your social media audience, and/or convert prospective customers, here’s how to up your marketing game on a budget. 

Choose Sparx to Elevate Your Sustainable Marketing

You’re making the world better and we want to help you do it. 

If you’re looking to elevate your sustainable marketing, the experts at Sparx Publishing Group are always available to chat. We help purpose-driven organizations secure their website, create great content, build experiences to delight their customers, and help grow their business, all within a variety of budgets. You can reach us here.


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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

How to Up Your Marketing Game On a Budget

As a purpose-driven organization that’s making the world better, it’s important to amplify your impact story. If you’ve been around the block, there’s a good chance you’ve already undertaken some sort of marketing effort, whether it’s email newsletters or social media posts.

For many organizations, especially in the ESG space, there’s a chance that marketing efforts may wind up getting deprioritized to help keep different priorities or impact projects on track. 

This might make marketing seem like an expensive “luxury.” However, being tactical and strategic with your efforts can result in effective marketing that doesn’t break the bank. Here’s how to up your marketing game on a budget.

Drive Website Traffic

Whether you want to educate your audience on your important cause, or encourage them to buy your company’s sustainable products from your digital storefront, it’s a good idea to make driving website traffic one of your goals. After all, your website is the digital home of your organization! 

You can tailor your marketing tactics depending on your budget to increase website visitors. One relatively inexpensive way to do this is by regularly producing educational and value-driven blog posts that include necessary search engine optimization keywords to help your Google ranking. 

Similarly, an email newsletter can also be another effective website traffic driver and all-around great marketing tool. There are several free and paid email marketing tools out there that can help you create emails to strategically drive traffic directly to specific pages on your website.

If your target audience is particularly active on social media, running paid ads on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn that link to your website can be a way to put your budget to good use and get more eyes on your brand. 
Alternatively, you can also launch paid Google search ads, which is when you bid on keywords to show up at the top of Google search rankings. Just a heads up, though, this tactic can get expensive quickly, so you’ll want to be very strategic in its execution if you choose to do this.

Grow Your Social Media Audience

When it comes to achieving your organization’s impact goals and boosting awareness of your cause, social media can be a powerful tool. In fact, 83% of Canadians use social media, which means it’s likely your target audience is already there. 

In addition, according to GlobalWebIndex, 71% of consumers are more likely to purchase products and services based on social media referrals. 

A good first step is to regularly post well-curated content on your key social media platforms with relevant hashtags. Hootsuite recommends posting at least once per day depending on the platform.

In order to show your audience and prospective followers what your values are, it’s also a good idea to post about the causes that matter to you through educational infographics, reshares of content from other value-aligned organizations, or collaborating with micro influencers in your specific niche. Content resharing in particular is a budget-friendly method of community building online.
If you’ve got a little extra room in your marketing budget, you can introduce paid social media ads into your repertoire designed to increase your followers. For example, to show up on the Explore page of like-minded Instagram users, you could try Instagram Explore ads. Other social media platforms have similar ad types as well.

Convert Prospective Customers

For many organizations, conversion is the ultimate end-goal – literally. Perhaps you want to sell more of your ethically-made products or get more donations for your worthy cause. That’s where marketing efforts towards conversion come in. 

If you sell a tangible product or service, one relatively budget-friendly way to encourage sales is to offer a deal or promotion, or to run a giveaway. You can promote the sale in your email newsletter, on social media, and on your website. Encouraging sharing and tagging in your social media posts is a good way to get more eyes on your promo.

If you have the budget for paid advertising, an excellent form of paid ads for converting customers is retargeting ads. These ads remind customers of an item in their cart or an action they didn’t complete to remind them in order to edge along the conversion. For example, if someone went to your page, learned about your cause, but hadn’t yet donated, a retargeting ad could remind them to do so. 

If this all seems a little overwhelming, it’s fine! The most important thing to remember is that if you’re on a budget, you don’t need to do it all when it comes to marketing. Find out where your audience is, identify your most important business goals, and create strategic content around that.

Marketing agencies are also a great resource. We’re able to help you map out your customer journey, strategically identify and target critical marketing touchpoints in that journey, and build tactical content and ads designed to support your most important business goals.

Choose Sparx for Your Budget-Friendly Marketing Efforts

You’re making the world better and we want to help you do it.

If you’re looking to amplify your world-changing message, the experts at Sparx Publishing Group are always available to chat. We help purpose-driven organizations secure their website, create great content, build experiences to delight their customers, and help grow their business, all within a variety of budgets. You can reach us here.

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Make The World Better Magazine

Heal Mary: A Better Way to Connect with Clinical Trials

When it comes to illnesses such as cancer, clinical trials can be helpful in achieving the best possible health outcome. However, finding information about clinical trial options can be difficult and stressful. 

Heal Mary makes this process easier by connecting patients, caregivers, and doctors with data on clinical trials that are happening worldwide. We chatted with Founder Cassandra Hui about Heal Mary’s history, mission, and goals, and what makes this company unique.

Heal Mary’s Founder Cassandra Hui

Tell us about Heal Mary’s mission. 

Heal Mary’s mission is to make clinical trials accessible to people of all backgrounds by easing the burden on the search and enrollment process. We’re focused on empowering patients. 

What inspired your founders to start Heal Mary? 

My sisters were both diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Our mom was already a Stage 4 cancer survivor. I decided at that point to move my career from technology to digital health.  

What were some of the challenges you encountered? 

I think the biggest hurdle was trying to understand how clinical trials and enrollment functions behind the scenes. We had to bring on several advisors in the space to really get to know the problem we were solving.

In April 2020, we pivoted to help with COVID-19, and everything we thought we knew changed overnight. And so, we had to be incredibly agile in both spaces to address the impact the disease was having to the existing clinical trial industry and to the new state of the industry. 

What do you consider Heal Mary’s biggest success? 

Our biggest success is really what we’ve done in the past 12 months after pivoting our business, from the life science team we’ve brought on – who have done everything to help out, from translating medical terms to plain language and digital patient outreach – to our technical team who spent countless hours building out the functionality and technical process for the patient experience.

 Our community really came together to help us out in an effort to help more patients. 

What makes your organization unique? 

Our diversity. The rich experiences of our team members who have had training or education in places like the US, Africa, Scotland, and Hong Kong, and in industries like Pharma, Digital Health, AI, and Telecommunications. 

The lens in which we operate internally is how we feel best serves a diverse patient population as well. 

How do you feel Heal Mary makes the world better?

We are passionate about patients and their ability to know their options. We feel we make the world better by making it easier for patients to access those options. 

Tell us about your organization’s goals. 

We have several technology and investment goals in the next year that will get us to a place to serve more patients and increase access to trial information. 

What’s probably more compelling are our goals for 2021/2022 that tie into our UN SDG objectives:

  • Good Health and Well-Being: 100% increase in matching patients to clinical trials.
  • Gender Equality: 40-50% of potential participants in any trial from Heal Mary are female.
  • Reduced Inequality: 25-30% of potential participants in any trial from Heal Mary are BIPOC.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share? 

Currently, users of our platform can get matched with individual trials based on acceptance criteria. Our next technology implementation will help patients match with multiple trials, and they will only need to fill out the acceptance criteria once.

What do you most want people to know about Heal Mary? 

We want patients and caregivers to know that they’re not alone. Most of us have been there. This is our passion.

How can people help or contribute to Heal Mary’s mission?

Help us share the word with people who you think could use our platform or services. We want to work with patients to create the best patient-empowered platform.

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QMUNITY: Providing Safe Spaces for LGBTQ2SAI+ People

A strong community is a foundational aspect of our society, and having access to communal spaces can greatly improve our quality of life. But for LGBTQ2SAI+ people, these spaces can mean survival.

QMUNITY is passionate about being the safe, welcoming community that many queer, trans, and Two-Spirit people in British Columbia never had. We chatted with Visual Communications Designer Tamara Touma about QMUNITY’s mission, and goals.

QMUNITY, BC's Queer, Trans, & Two-Spirit Resource Centre

Tell us about QMUNITY’s mission. 

Our mission and mandate is to improve queer, trans, and Two-Spirit lives through services, connection, leadership, and engagement.

What inspired your founders to start QMUNITY? 

Like many other communities, the need for services and a safe space for LGBTQ2SAI+ people was at the core of the then lesbian, gay, and trans community coming together and creating this space. QMUNITY was founded in 1979 and we celebrated our 40th anniversary just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

What were some of the challenges you encountered? 

Having to go through the global COVID-19 pandemic for over one and a half years was a big challenge. Our organization had to adjust quickly to the new ways of running our programs and services to provide the support our community needs. 

Our staff were put under a lot of pressure to act fast and cater to growing needs, especially from the most vulnerable populations of youth and seniors. In only a few months, we managed to be running completely online. 

An important takeaway was to understand the need for online services by LGBTQ2SAI+ community members, many of whom cannot access our physical space.

What do you consider QMUNITY’s biggest success? 

Our most recent success would be our new co-leadership model that was implemented earlier this year. QMUNITY adopted a shared leadership model and appointed new Co-Executive Directors in April 2021, which marked a new phase in the organization’s growth and evolution. It also set an example for other nonprofits to take similar steps. This adoption came after months of conversations and preparations.

What makes your organization unique? 

QMUNITY is the only provincial LGBTQ2SAI+-specific resource and community centre in British Columbia. We are a 100% safe space and welcome everyone to come as they are, whatever that may mean to them.

Aging with Pride, QMUNITY celebration for LGBTQ2SAI+ Seniors

How do you feel QMUNITY makes the world better?

Through education and advocacy, we work to improve the experiences of those within the LGBTQ2SAI+ community, be it by queer competency trainings and larger involvement at a more political level, group and one-on-one support for youth and older adults, or mental health and wellness programs. We are helping individuals through day-to-day life.

Tell us about your organization’s goals. 

Our goals can be summarized into three points:

  • Support: We empower queer, trans, and Two-Spirit individuals to be their best selves by providing free and low-cost counselling, youth and older adults groups, one-on-one support, and information and referrals.
  • Connection: We strengthen our LGBTQ2SAI+ communities to be inclusive, connected, and resilient through peer support groups, volunteer opportunities, and special events.
  • Leadership: We lead the way towards legal and lived equality in our society through our education and training services, resources, and advisory committees.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share? 

After a long closure of our offices, we are happy to share that our offices are fully open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm. Our Q Desk for information and referrals is staffed with volunteers who are more than happy to help. (Please check the QMUNITY website for the latest information on hours of operation.)

Our Older Adults program has launched multiple new programs, such as Zoom Socials, WalkOUT, and GenYOGA. All details can be found at www.qmunity.ca/olderadults.

Our Bras, Binders, and Breast Forms (BBB) exchange program for youth is constantly growing with the increased need for youth support. We are always happy to receive physical donations for the program. More details can be found at https://qmunity.ca/get-support/youth/bbbexchange/

QMUNITY Pride Parade volunteers

What do you most want people to know about QMUNITY? 

The staff and volunteers at QMUNITY all have unique lived experiences that we bring to our work and that is why we are able to do what we do. 

We have passion for our jobs and passion for creating community because a lot of us have needed what we offer at some point in our lives. We want to be able to share our triumphs as well as the hardships that are a reality for our LGBTQ2SAI+ communities.

How can people help or contribute to QMUNITY’s mission?

There are many ways for the community to engage with us and support our mission. We believe that education is key and an ongoing process. Read our resources, ask us for recommendations, or have conversations with others and share the knowledge.

Another way is to volunteer. We are always looking for new volunteers to support our Q Desk, our programs, or at one of our events.

Donations of any amount go a long way. As a registered charity, we count on the support of the public, and we are happy to accept individual donations or new monthly donors.
Tell people about us and share our information with the most vulnerable in our community, especially the youth. Find us at www.qmunity.ca and follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @qmunity.

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ShareWares: Taking the Single-Use Out of Take-Out

Getting take-out from our favourite restaurants has been a convenient advent of modern dining, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, environmental considerations are often sacrificed with the single-use package waste of these take-out meals. 

ShareWares tackles this problem head-on by taking single-use package waste out of the equation. We chatted with CEO Cody Irwin about ShareWares’ mission and goals, and what makes this company unique.

ShareWares scannable mug display.

Tell us about ShareWares’ mission. 

We supply, collect, and sanitize reusable packaging for Vancouver businesses. Our closed-loop reuse services help businesses make sustainable buying decisions by replacing single-use products with reusables. 

We care about the environment and people, and we believe working together as a community is the key to creating an extraordinary positive impact.

Our mission is to keep plastic pollution out of our oceans and terrestrial habitats by disrupting the single-use status quo. We are working hard to end the global plastic waste crisis by developing an innovative platform that offers businesses and cities the most convenient and easily adoptable reusable packaging solution.

What inspired your founders to start ShareWares? 

ShareWares is a phoenix born out of the “fires” of the pandemic. Our pre-COVID-19 business, Natural Source, which helped companies manage their in-office kitchen programs, took a nosedive when offices closed. We dropped 98% in four days. However, as devastating as this was, it turned out to be an opportunity of a lifetime! 

We pivoted hard and took a deep dive into the circular economy. The “take,” “make,” “waste” linear economy is unsustainable, and a transition to circularity is the only way to ensure we don’t deplete all our resources and destroy our planet. 

With the absolute best team of humans we could ever wish to work with and the support of the Canadian government’s emergency COVID-19 subsidies to keep us in business, we were able to create a game-changing business that has the potential for global environmental and social impact. 

What were some of the challenges you encountered? 

The plastic pollution crisis is very real and very big. We feel privileged to be able to work on one of the most challenging topics the world is facing. Like with any startup carving out a new industry, there are loads of challenges and obstacles, but we think it would be most helpful to highlight just one. 

Circular economy policies and funding in Canada are not a priority (yet) for the federal government when compared to what’s happening in Northern European countries. 

The awareness and support from all levels of government are critical for new circular businesses to start and scale up, as well as to incentivize existing businesses and the community to make more sustainable choices.

What do you consider ShareWares’ biggest success? 

Our biggest success to date as an organization was to stay resilient, adapt, see opportunity, and launch an innovative new business during the pandemic. 

We achieved this with the help of a wonderfully supportive team that we are so grateful for, COVID subsidies (thank you, Canada!), and the amazing team at the Vancouver Mural Festival who were excited to offer ShareWares’ reusable cups at their 30+ events in August. We are very excited for the months to come as we launch reusables for more businesses and industries.

What makes your organization unique? 

What makes ShareWares truly unique is that we didn’t have to start at zero. Since we were pivoting an existing business, we didn’t have to spend years building a team, finding a facility, buying vehicles, onboarding software, and pretty much everything else required to build the infrastructure for a scaled business. We were so fortunate to jump right into the fun stuff that will allow us to really accelerate out of the pandemic.  

What is this “fun stuff?” It includes sourcing and testing existing reusables, designing new reusable products, developing relationships with other local circular businesses, forming local infrastructure partnerships to help with quick future growth, building out multiple revenue streams, building a washing facility dedicated to reusables, and working with brilliant BCIT students to build a guide for creating high-value, fulfilling jobs for people with barriers to employment. That’s just some of the fun stuff we have been getting up to this past year.

Open ShareWares mug with breakfast.

How do you feel ShareWares makes the world better?

ShareWares, along with many circular businesses, will make the world better through the power of the circular economy. 

Circularity empowers businesses and communities to achieve truly exceptional environmental and social progress through avenues such as fortifying local economies, influencing producers locally and abroad, creating inclusive, high-value, fulfilling jobs, and creating resilient economies. We are extremely excited to get out there and fight in this revolution. 

One exercise I did that I thought was really insightful was mapping the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on ShareWares’ value chain at a scale. Through the power of the circular economy we can address 16 of the 17 SDGs. I think that is pretty darn cool.

Tell us about your organization’s goals. 

Well, circularity is uncharted waters and a virtually untapped market, so my brain goes wild with all the opportunities and areas ShareWares can play in to create impact. 

That being said, our main goal is to build an advanced automated washing facility to act as a new utility for future circular cities. This facility will not only wash and sanitize the wares we supply, but will also support other business so we can achieve a capacity of rapidly processing over one million units each day. 

Growing up, I spent a lot of time hand washing dishes at my dad’s guest ranch, and I would have been shocked to see my future self so excited for a career in dishwashing. It’s funny to say that I don’t think you will ever find someone more pumped to wash your dishes.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share? 

We are jazzed to work on several fun projects, but things are quite dynamic now, so we aren’t sure which ones will get the green light. I guess all I can say is that we hope you all “stay tuned,” as there are many exciting projects coming down the pipeline!

ShareWares cup at festival.

What do you most want people to know about ShareWares? 

I believe we are on to something really big, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. 

The pandemic has set the stage for a transition to a circular economy, as people are noticing and becoming aware of the excessive single-use garbage generated over the course of the pandemic. 

Our current trajectory isn’t sustainable, and now is an ideal time to reevaluate and reset. Humanity has all the technology and expertise to make this happen, and ShareWares is so fortunate to be at the cutting edge. 

We have discussed our plans with numerous experts from dozens of industries, and so far, we haven’t had any doubters. We even got a “you are blowing my mind,” which was super nice to hear. 

We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but in theory, we have modeled the game-changer that could expedite a transition to large-scale citywide reuse programs. Fingers crossed!

How can people help or contribute to ShareWares’ mission?

Rebel. Rebel against single-use. Rebel with any reuse and circular business you can find. Use your hard-earned cash to make purchasing decisions to influence retailers, manufacturers, governments, and the people around you to go reusable. 

The current recycling and compost systems for packaging that have been in development for decades are not getting us close to where we need to be for a sustainable future. A transition to reuse is an immediate and effective way to make leaps in waste diversion and climate change. 

Remember, none of this is your fault. Humanity got caught in a runaway train of convenience. The good news is that now we see how bad it has gotten, we know we need to fix it, and there is a solution. 

Technology can make reuse convenient so let’s get going! Help your community and your planet by rebelling against the system that is designed to offer you only unsustainable options.

Furthermore, we would love your support in getting some conversation going with us on Instagram and LinkedIn to build up some groundswell. Social media is a powerful influencer, and we need your help to keep the circular chatter growing. 

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Raising the Roof: Building Lasting Solutions to Homelessness

The cycle of poverty can be difficult to break. It’s not just about being homeless, though that’s a major consideration. It’s also about being able to enter or re-enter the workforce, and having the skills to do so.

Raising the Roof considers the full picture of homelessness and comes up with concrete, long-term solutions with proven results. We chatted with Director of Resource Development and Communications Leslie Bellingham about Raising the Roof.

MTWB - Raising the Roof

Tell us about Raising the Roof’s mission. 

Raising the Roof provides national leadership on long-term solutions to homelessness through partnership and collaboration with diverse stakeholders, investment in local communities, and public education. 

Our vision is for all Canadians to have access to a safe, stable home and the support they need to achieve their potential.

What inspired your founders to start Raising the Roof? 

Raising the Roof was launched in 1996 by members of the Canadian Non-Profit Housing Foundation. The goal was to create a national charity dedicated to finding long-term solutions to homelessness. After receiving a grant from the McConnell Foundation, our team set up shop in an old warehouse in Toronto’s east end. 

Raising the Roof launched its first major fundraising campaign to help the homeless. Based in Toronto, the campaign featured a week of comedy events, public education activities, and a gala featuring entertainers. The shows, which later expanded to Halifax and Vancouver, continued to raise funds and awareness for the next 15 years. 

In addition, the campaign raised enough money to benefit the Toronto homeless community, help us expand across the country, and introduce our now-famous Toque Tuesday, where toque hats were sold throughout Toronto. 

Over the years, Raising the Roof has initiated several high impact public education campaigns and research projects which are informing national policy today, as well as several innovative pilot projects. 

Today, we have completed two housing projects in our Reside program, resulting in vacant properties being transformed into homes for people at risk of homelessness, and training people with significant barriers to employment to go on to futures in construction.

What were some of the challenges you encountered? 

Raising the Roof has always been about homelessness prevention, which includes our own research and pilot projects. There have been challenges associated with researching the causes of homelessness and ways to prevent it, as well as piloting new, untested, innovative prevention measures.

We have also been an organization that brings together diverse people, organizations, and stakeholders. This has had its own set of challenges, especially as a national organization, learning about unique geographic, cultural, social, and demographic issues across the country.

In every community we are a part of, we have prioritized listening to the local community members who know the needs and resources available in that community.

COVID-19 has also produced some challenges. One way was that the funds raised for the homelessness prevention initiatives were mainly raised through in-person events pre-COVID, so we needed to pivot. 

We are looking to reinstate many of these events in a modified fashion this year, but we have also added new distribution channels for our toque sales, distribution through Home Depot stores Canada-wide this coming Toque Campaign.

What do you consider Raising the Roof’s biggest success? 

While we’re very proud of our pilot programs and research, our biggest success is our Reside program. The initial projects proved to be so effective, we put all of our resources toward it and have helped end the cycle of poverty for trainees, teaching them hands-on skills and compensating them for their work. 

Eighty-five percent of the 147 trainees have obtained permanent full-time employment in the trades after completion of the program.

Raising the Roof not only provides job opportunities, but support for trainees, including mental health counselling, parenting classes, social workers assistance, and financial management courses. 

Past Reside program trainee, Edward, has a stable, way-paying career in construction, says his mental health and housing security has improved, and he’s saving to purchase a home.

In terms of the housing projects that the Reside program works on, one of our most recent successes was a renovation that is now currently rented to two young Black women who were previously living in a temporary, emergency youth shelter. Because of the quiet, space and stability, the women are able to pursue their educational goals. 

Not only that, the project created 6,000 hours of paid training and saw nearly 87% of trainees go on to unionized apprenticeship programs or full time careers in the construction sector.

What makes your organization unique? 

Raising the Roof is unique in that we are concerned primarily with prevention and long-term solutions to homelessness at a national scale. With our Reside program, we are implementing a holistic solution that not only meets immediate needs, but addresses important root causes of homelessness. 

Because we have an existing national network of agencies that we support through our Toque Campaign, we are in a unique position to be able to implement the Reside program across the country.

How do you feel Raising the Roof makes the world better? 

Raising the Roof makes the world better by connecting people and organizations through projects that solve complex social issues in a holistic manner. The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness has estimated the average cost of an emergency shelter bed is $1,932 per month. 

Over 20 years, the cost of one shelter bed would be $463,680. One of our next projects (in Winnipeg), will be creating 10 beds. By investing in this issue now, Canada can save millions of dollars by tackling the issue at the root cause, while also preventing homelessness through careers in the trades.

MTWB- Raising the roof

Tell us about your organization’s goals. 

In 2016, there were 1.34 million empty and temporarily occupied homes in Canada. At the same time, 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness each year. This presents an enormous opportunity for housing and hands-on training for thousands of people at risk of homelessness.

There is also an opportunity for green buildings, improving skills training of trainees, and ensuring long-term sustainability and affordability of the homes. We work with sustainability consultants to implement innovative GHG emission reduction measures that greatly exceed National Energy Code for Buildings efficiency standards, commission detailed energy models, and implement leading edge efficiency technologies.

We plan to take our Reside program and expand it to new communities across Canada. With projects located in six cities across three provinces, we have the potential to provide housing stability, income stability, and family support to over 450 people. With the projects we have in the current pipeline, we create sustainable, affordable housing for over 50 families and training opportunities for over 300 people.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share? 

Here are three of our upcoming projects:

Winnipeg:

  • Housing: Renovation of a vacant property into three affordable homes made available to Indigenous families who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, and youth aging out of care. North End Community Renewal Corporation and FearlessR2W (an Indigenous organization dedicated to keeping families together and children out of care) will provide property management and individualized, ongoing wraparound support to the tenants.
  • Employment: More than 35 people with barriers to employment, mainly Indigenous people, but also newcomers to Canada, people with disabilities, previous incarceration and other barriers, will be employed by Purpose Construction. 
  • Timeline: Construction to begin in December 2021 with the goal of completing training and achieving occupancy by September 2022. 

Orillia:

  • Housing: Forty residential units, including 24+ units made available at affordable rates, specifically for women and children fleeing domestic violence, in cooperation with the Lighthouse and Redwood Park Communities. 
  • Employment: More than 70 people with barriers to employment will gain hands-on training and employment opportunities by finishing units and providing general labour support through the Community Builders Construction Training Program. 
  • Timeline: Construction to begin in November 2022 and first tenant occupancy by October 2023. 

Sudbury: 

  • Housing: Renovation of five vacant single-family houses into 10+ units of affordable housing, with supports for 25+ individuals and families experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness.
  • Employment: Projects will help launch a new social enterprise contractor, Community Builders North. Through the renovation of these five properties, 30+ people with barriers to employment, mainly youth under 25, many of whom are Indigenous, will receive hands-on training, wraparound support, and connection to local employers.
  • Timeline: Construction to begin in December 2021 with the goal of completing training and achieving occupancy at the first property by August 2022, and achieving occupancy at the fifth property by December 2024.
MTWB - Raising the Roof

What do you most want people to know about Raising the Roof? 

That we are focused on prevention and long-term solutions for homelessness. Our famous Toque Campaign supports local homelessness prevention initiatives and our national Reside program.

How can people help or contribute to Raising the Roof’s mission?

Buy a toque! They are sold on our website at www.raisingtheroof.org or in Home Depot stores starting in November. Alternatively, you can help identify vacant properties that would be suitable for affordable housing or connect us with local potential partners. 

You could also organize a toque sales event, connect us with potential places to sell toques in your community, or participate in a Community Build Day. Community Build Days are fun team-building volunteer days that help us raise funds for future Reside projects.

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