True Bargain: A Bottle of Water at 20 Bucks a Pop

This intriguing interview from Fundraising Success Magazine discusses the work of a non-profit agency known simply as "Charity:". (The colon is part of their name for those dedicated proofreaders out there.)

In a nutshell, this organization sells consumers a bottle of spring water for $20. Then 100% of the donation goes to building freshwater wells for communities that need them. It's really that simple.

The connection that this organization makes between selling a consumer product and raising money for an important cause is keenly done. In fact the article even gives two examples of people saying they want to raise money for building wells, so ordinary individuals raised money by selling these to friends and customers.

Here's a free idea for your business: Going to a trade show? Stockpile some of these bottles of water and sell them at your booth. Your visitors will latch on to this idea and undoubtedly buy all of your bottles, you'll be raising money for charity, AND you'll create a nice buzz for your booth, all while staying well within your marketing budget. Everybody wins.