PPB August 2018

Mel’s Charities In 1999, Tom “Mel” Stanton established an organization called Mel’s Charities after a good friend lost his sister to cancer. As a single mother of a daughter with special needs, one of the joys of her daughter’s life was participating in Special Olympics. With the help of some friends, the Grafton, Wisconsin-based sales associate for American Solutions for Business held a raffle at an annual party to help assist the woman’s family. The effort raised $350, which was donated to Special Olympics in her memory. From this simple act of kindness, a mission emerged. Why couldn’t like- minded people who know how to have a good time, and who enjoy the company of—and assisting—those who need a little help, combine those two pursuits? Mel’s Charities has since expanded to a calendar of events including bowling, golf, a softball and music extravaganza, and collaborations with other organization, and what began as a $350 gift is now on track to reach $1 million in total grants in 2018. Give Your Brand A Hand Nonprofits, by nature, stretch their dollars as far as they can—and finding room in the budget for advertising is a strenuous activity. To help meet advertising and promotional needs, distributor Quality Logo Products in Aurora, Illinois, launched Give Your Brand a Hand in 2015. Even the smallest gift of promotional products goes a long way when it comes to creating awareness for causes and building a community of followers. To date, the company has assisted more than 50 nonprofits and small businesses by providing $500 worth of promotional products. Some of the organizations include: The Ragbaby Exchange, which teaches doll-making to build young girls’ self-esteem; Operation Appreciation, a program in Georgia that offers a cabin vacation to military families; and This Time Tomorrow Foundation, a music-inspired organization that donates money to cancer patients. Building Bridges With Nonprofit Work Do some heavy hitting for a good cause with the Breast Cancer Awareness Event pack bundle . This bundle includes the following: Econo Visor Cap, Ribbon Grocery Shopper, Awareness MopTopper Screen Cleaner with Stylus Pen, one-ounce SPF 30 Collapsible Sunscreen, Fashion Sunglasses, and a 16-ounce Breast Cancer Awareness Flexi-Bottle. Prime Line / PPAI 112744 / www.primeline.com The front desk is more inviting with a U.S.- made Vynex ® DuraTec ® counter mat . These mats are odorless, latex-free and backed with synthetic rubber. The mats are lightweight to reduce shipping costs and are a highly visible, cost-effective way to promote nonprofit programs and to deliver requests for donations or volunteers. CounterPoint / PPAI 227346 / www.doyoupop.com Nonpr o f i t s 40 | AUGUST 2018 | GROW Jen Alexander is associate editor of PPB.