If you haven’t downloaded Catalist’s 2018 Issue Revolution research paper, make sure you do.  It is filled to the brim with amazing information to help you pitch new partners and/or maximize your current partnerships based on affinities from the public (i.e. their consumers).  The report has information on:

1. The Top 5 social issues Americans support and feel are most relevant to them AND the Top 5 causes they are actually talking about on their social networks (interesting results between “do-say”!)
2. Top 5 most relevant social causes to Americans broken down by Male, Female, Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers.
3. The preferred ways varying demographics want to engage with causes.
4. Details on how Americans want to learn about the IMPACT they or the brands they love are making on the issues they care about.
5. Not to mention a forward only the great Carol Cone can write, and smart insights from Rachel Hutchisson, Afdhel Aziz, Katy Moore and Max Lenderman.

But today, the thing I want to call your attention to the most is the

TOP 5 SOCIAL ISSUES AMERICANS WANT COMPANIES TO SUPPORT.  Those issues are:

Why is this information important?

1. If you are one of those causes Americans want companies to support and you are looking to acquire new corporate partners, your nonprofit has a great argument when pitching that you are one of the most relevant causes to partner with that will positively engage their consumers and employees.
2. If you are one of those causes Americans want companies to support and you want to keep, renew and maximize current corporate partnerships, your nonprofit can clearly justify why the corporate partner is the making the right decisions in continuing to partner with you.
3. If you are a cause that is not in one of the Top 5, then you should proactively be prepared with more defined partnership value, clear cause IMPACT information and speaking points on why your cause is still a right-fit to partner with. Think proactively about what you can do as a nonprofit to combat that your cause may not be the most relevant with the public if it comes up in a pitch or in maximization conversations with a partner. Clearly, don’t bring it up proactively, but if it comes up, be prepared!!

Now here comes some very interesting stuff.

When Catalist conducted the survey, we also used our measurement tools to listen to what causes the public was actually talking about in the marketplace. Those issues are:

Why is this information important?

1. There is a clear difference in the causes that Americans say they want companies to support and what causes they are actually talking about. Americans are talking more about emerging causes than traditional ones.
2. If you are a cause that Americans are NOT talking about on social, then you should proactively be running a constituent profile to see specifically how active and influential your specific donor or constituents are in the marketplace. You can combat this survey with your own detailed information.
3. If you are a nonprofit that works on gender equality, mental health, LGBTQ rights, gun control and/or education…it’s time to start pitching companies now because your causes are the ones Americans are talking about!

Maureen Carlson, Chief Member Officer and Co-Founder