Generosity Is Not A Technique

May 21, 2012 12:59 PM

Among the fifty coffee shops in my neighborhood, Postmark Cafe is always slammed.

Not just because the location is ideal,
the wifi is free, the coffee is organic, the food is tasty, the staff is
friendly, the music is cool and the art is inspiring.

But because they donate one hundred
percent of their tips to charity.

Every month, they select a organization
that does meaningful work in the world, whether it’s donating livestock to poor
countries or building wells in drought prone areas of Africa. They write a
summary of that group’s mission on the chalkboard to inform customers exactly where
the money is going. And at the end of the month, they post the total amount donated
on the wall, then keep it on the wall until the next month.

Now, I’ve see a lot
of companies donate to charity. But there’s something special about the way
Postmark approaches their generosity.

First, they select a
new cause every month, which allows them to reach diverse organizations. Second,
they let their customers have a say in the causes they select, which gives them
ownership of the process. Third, they make their financial information public
and handwritten, which demonstrates accountability and transparency. And
lastly, their donations actually come from people’s pockets each month, not
just from the president writing a check at the end of the year and forgetting
about it until tax season.

That’s straight
class.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What have you declined this week?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.