Harvard has had one as well for some time :)

As you know, I sent some requests in March and still haven't heard anything for Big Love Little Hearts, but I imagine the way the Red Cross is using them is what I think is a smart way for any non-profit to use a badge: to reward volunteers. How many times you'll have to donate blood to receive the badge seems yet to be seen (if that's indeed how you get the badge) but I think it's a smart idea. You could also reward supporters for volunteering at a certain number of events, etc - depending on the scope of your work as a nonprofit there are all sorts of ways volunteers can be rewarded with foursquare badges.

I think it would also be great to use a badge as part of a reward for sponsors...for example, and this what I wanted to use them for: we have several restaurants that participate in our Eat Your Heart Out campaign (CM program that donates $1 from every check on Valentines Day and leaves the diner with a takeaway card with info about heart defects, heart defect awareness week, the program and what Big Love does). People that followed us on foursquare could get a badge if they checked-in at a certain number of the restaurants post the campaign, and we would have concrete proof for our sponsors that our community was coming into their restaurants as a result of their support of us. (we could also use a badge during the campaign, but part of the appeal for us is that restaurants are already at capacity on Valentine's Day. We get to reach out to an almost entirely new audience so although we let our supporters know that if they dine there we'll get a %, we have other events during that week with greater yield that we want to drive our existing donors support to)

I agree with Ian...it should fit strategy, but as you know Joe - I REALLY agree with you that there's very few NPO's that couldn't use LBM strategically.

The biggest thing to remember...and you did an excellent job of pointing it out, is that the players will change - so who cares whether you experiment with foursquare over gowalla? What matters is that you start thinking about it period because the game will only get more integrated as more and more people use the mobile web.

Chris Brogan talks about how New Marketing Labs is exactly that: a lab to test out new ideas on smaller scales. That's what LBM right now...a nice, relatively uncluttered lab for us to do experiments in.

Is your mind always in the gutter, John? ;)

Sorry I missed your call last Thursday...thought we were set for Friday. Anytime this week? or today?

Ha! A funny but very on the nose post, Joe. Clearly I should be taking a lot of lessons from it!

For me, your Step 2 is the most important. I spend time *thinking* about every new shiny object in the cause and techie realm, but how much time and whether I'll even continue to spend anytime on it comes from a quick (but educated) assessment of whether it will really be a useful tool.

For my part....my name is Estrella and I'm addicted to smartphones - and what that really means is I'm addicted to getting information and communicating reeeeeaaaaaallllllly quickly. And it's made me impatient. And annoyed many friends and relatives who wonder why what I'm reading on my phone is more important than them. The sad truth is that it's not more important than them....and that's why I'm with you on Step 1!

Great Joe....something new for me to obsess over, investigate and plan campaigns around!!

This is actually really interesting and just one more tool that makes it clear that the most important thing all of us in the cause world should be working on is telling our stories. We're given more and more ways to connect donors to the impact of their actions...but telling a compelling story and telling it quickly remains the backbone.

Not that we're not all richer for knowing what your self-congratulatory surfing tendencies are...I just think your point, such as it is, could've benefited from a more succinct approach. Something like this perhaps: "This subject matter and I are irrelevant to one another. I'm a hateful, pompous ass."

You'll do better next time.

Joe, first - thanks for mentioning me in this post!

The link between autism and certain foods is highly debated and there hasn't been enough solid evidence on either side to make a definitive statement that there is or isn't a correlation, but the mere fact that there's any talk about it means, to me, that White Castle just should have stayed away from this.

My main problem with this campaign (and Komen/KFC) is what a few other people have already mentioned...fast food chains doing ANY kind of cause marketing campaign with a health related non-profit leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Throwing money at a cause is just that - throwing money at a cause. KFC and WC missed the boat by not looking at what they could have done on a long term basis, like providing more varied and healthier food options. If my organization focused on heart disease instead of heart defects and I was going to partner with a restaurant or fast food chain I would insist that during the length of the promotion (at least) they offered heart-healthy versions of their most popular items.

Do I think it's great that WC is donating $50K to Autism Speaks? Of course - but it seems like this was just a gimmick to sell their candle (and it doesn't sound like they needed any help!) Like others, I fail to see the connection between WC and Autism (although as you pointed out, Joe - just because they haven't told us doesn't mean there isn't one).

Jen (PhilanthropyInk) - I strongly agree with you. As non-profits it's okay to say "no" to a donation or partnership. Protecting your mission, core values and brand should always be at the forefront of any cause marketing decision. Yes, we all need to raise money to fulfill our mission but we should never be doing so at the expense of our mission's integrity.