BreakTheChain.org
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A Sweet Solution to Fund RaisingDate Added: Jan. 18, 2004
Many charitable campaigns rely heavily upon the generosity of major corporations for funding and word-of-mouth to get their message out. E-mail seems the perfect vehicle for both, as it allows individuals to quickly and effortlessly spread a message to several people and encourage them to support corporate good deeds. As e-mail chain letters go, this one is fairly accurate, despite glossing over one of the realities of corporate giving. Subject: Pink M & Ms Subject: Pink & White M&M's Pass this on to all of your friends. There are many women out there who have breast cancer. Lets do all we can to support this cause. New Pink & White M&M's. The makers of M&M candies has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to raise funds through the sale of their new "pink & white" M&M candies. For each 8-ounce bag of the special candies sold, the makers of M&M (Masterfoods) will donate 50 cents to the foundation. The next time you want a treat, please pick up a bag (now sold in stores nationwide)--you will be donating to a great cause and satisfying your sweet tooth. Please pass this on to all your family and friends. Thanks~ In September 2003, Mars, Inc., through its Masterfoods division and M&Ms brand, made a generous corporate donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. To raise awareness of breast cancer research, Mars symbolically tied its donation to sales of a special package of pink and white M&M's brand candies. The company pledged to sell 1.3 million bags of the custom candy at 50 cents each, with a maximum donation to the Komen fund set at $650,000 and the minimum donation set at $250,000. M&M's repeated the campaign in 2004. As before, they promoted it with the goal of selling 1.3 million 50 cent bags of the special candy, but the donated funds did not come directly from the consumer. In 2005, the company again launched its pink candy campaign, this time selling 14 and 21.3 ounce packages of light pink and dark pink M&M's, with a donation of $.35 and $.50 tied to each, respectively. They again listed a minimum donation of $250,000, but no cap this time. Mars focuses this annual campaign around September, October and November each year, as October is is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the United States. Companies like Mars frequently offer specially packaged or designed products in support of charity as part of their 'corporate citizenship' programs. The company will make the donation regardless of how many of the special products are sold, but tying the specialties to the cause helps broaden awareness. Chain letters promoting these campaigns are relatively harmless (aside from the usual privacy risks - spam, scams,etc.), as long as they contain accurate information. Before you pass any chain letter about the M&M's Breast Cancer Campaign, check it against the information on the latest effort at the M&M's link in the references below. References: Snopes.com, M&Ms.com
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