Lighting the Way With Campfire Stories and Cause Marketing Examples
August 13, 2025
You don’t need to write a million-dollar check to make a difference.
Want some cause marketing examples? Just look around your community. What nonprofit organizations, social causes, or community initiatives hit the bullseye for you? When you partner with these organizations in ways that promote both the cause and your business, you take the trail of cause marketing.
At one point, someone conjured a myth that only the big guys can tackle cause marketing – the Nikes, the Patagonias, the companies with seven-figure ad budgets and celebrity spokespeople. Not true. You don’t need to bankroll a national campaign to stand for something that matters.
To align your company with a cause, all you need is a spark:
- A spark of compassion to meet the needs of another human being.
- A spark of initiative that pushes you to do your part.
- A spark of memory from a time when you needed a hand up.
The campaign size doesn’t matter.
At JamboJon, our clients’ and partners’ stories inspire us to take a step forward. These aren’t mega-corporations. Local builders, doctors, optometrists, and small business owners recognized a spark and decided to tie their work to something more meaningful than the bottom line. These business leaders in our community turned their daily grind into a platform for doing good.
Take a seat. Listen in on some of our favorite campfire stories. Throw on a hoodie and make yourself comfortable on a gnarled log. Tuck your hands in your pockets and lean in closer. As the kindling catches, watch the glow of something hot and powerful build inside you.
Wrapping Wishes Into Every Job
When you spot a local Advanced Windows service vehicle driving through Utah neighborhoods, take note of the images displayed on it. Their service vehicle wraps don’t just advertise glass and frames; they feature the smiling faces of children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It’s not just for show. A portion of every job helps make wishes come true for children facing life-threatening illnesses.
They have also partnered with Habitat for Humanity, donating materials and labor to help build homes for families in need. For Advanced Windows, installing glass pays the bills, but this skill also serves the community, one pane at a time.
How did it happen? JamboJon sat at the table with Advanced Windows for a mundane office meeting. Because this family-owned business wanted to improve its community, it embraced the suggested opportunity.
Running Toward Wellness
When Dr. Jaren Blake opened a new medical practice in Utah County, he wanted to serve his new community. He wanted to champion a local cause that embraced grit and resilience. It was simple. Running teaches life lessons. It clears the mind and strengthens the body. Dr. Blake became the first sponsor of the Roadrunners, a local running club that trains hard, rain or shine.
The Roadrunners have produced elite runners decorated with impressive awards. These aren’t casual joggers. Starting as young as six years old, these young athletes learn how to handle adversity and develop mental resilience through coaching. Financially, Dr. Blake helps make it possible for the athletes to train and compete. It was never about the PR. He believes in what the Roadrunners do and how they do it. So, like a proud papa, he shows up, cheering on the sidelines for the future leaders of our community, even in the worst of weather.
If you would like to donate to the Roadrunners, click here.
Turning Construction Sites into Training Grounds
dbURBAN, a builder of luxury living spaces in the heart of Salt Lake City, saw an unusual opportunity in the historic buildings they were set to demolish. Instead of rushing to clear the lot, they opened the doors to first responders: firefighters, police, and rescue teams.
Why? Older buildings were constructed differently from modern ones. Solid materials, unusual layouts, and quirks of aging
architecture pose unique challenges for first responders during emergencies. dbURBAN gives these everyday heroes a chance to train, practice, and prepare for real-world conditions. For them, “community building” isn’t just a slogan; it’s what happens before the first brick is even laid.
Giving the Gift of Sight Across Borders
Dr. Hulet’s dream of becoming an optometrist began while living in Honduras and experiencing extreme poverty up close. He built Family Focused Eye Care, knowing that vision is a privilege not everyone in the world can afford or access. His team collects, refurbishes, and hand-delivers used eyeglasses to underserved communities worldwide. He could opt to box up the donations and ship them off. But that’s not the point. Dr. Hulet gives attention to “the
one” by traveling to these countries, fitting the patients himself, and offering eye exams to those who need it most.
Because of his team’s efforts, a blurry world suddenly becomes crystal clear. A pair of glasses doesn’t get tossed. Instead, they get new life, fitted and matched to the needs of someone who can truly benefit from them. Imagine! A hand-me-down could be a passport to a brighter world for someone in need.
If you have any glasses you no longer need, let Dr. Hulet know!
Building Hope and Changing Lives
As a boy, Eric Natay grew up being told that he couldn’t change the world around him. Thankfully, he believed otherwise. Fueled by his Navajo heritage, he set out to build more than solid structures. He wanted to create hope. Dismantle stereotypes. Now, he runs his business “the Natay way.” His dusty, dirty artisans show up with a smile and are leaders in their industry. The Natay construction crew doesn’t shrug off problems that pop
up on-site. They handle them the right way – every handshake matters.
Eric attended a JamboJon seminar and connected with Cameron from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As the two got to know each other, Eric offered his “Natay way” to help make a difference for children battling critical illnesses.
Now, each Natay Construction project becomes an opportunity to prove the naysayers from childhood wrong. Eric Natay can change the world around him by bringing a little glimmer of joy into someone else’s life.
Consider donating to grant a wish today!
Kristi Durrant and Coldwell Banker:
Monthly Giving in Motion
Coldwell Banker fashions its mission on the foundation of giving back. Kristi Durrant, one of its realtors, explains that after each closing, they make a charitable donation to the client’s chosen charity. This simple, yet powerful approach to cause marketing proves that consistency endures.
Giving back to the community places them in the heart of something bigger, deeper, and longer-lasting. First-time
homebuyers and seasoned investors receive the individual attention they deserve. So does the local community! Since 2006, the total donations have totaled 1,017,363.84 million dollars and counting. Whether it’s helping provide a refuge for domestic abuse survivors at Safe Harbor or funding after-school programs at Utah Neighborhood Connection, this steady rhythm of giving keeps Coldwell Banker’s community connections alive and thriving. Small, regular acts of generosity can have a massive ripple effect.
Continuing the Legacy with Thanksgiving Heroes
Though he was only in elementary school, Rob Adams never forgot the Thanksgiving when his family had no home. A church friend invited them to house sit while they traveled out of state. Before leaving town, they stocked the fridge with a complete Thanksgiving feast for Rob’s family, and turned what would have been another hungry holiday into a cherished memory.
Years later, Rob founded Thanksgiving Heroes – a nonprofit organization that delivers full Thanksgiving meals to families in need. He makes sure no family spends the holiday with an empty stomach. To date, Thanksgiving Heroes has provided meals to thousands of families across the country. But more than the food, he has given dignity, grace, and humanity to those who need it most.
If you would like to contribute to Thanksgiving Heroes, you can volunteer your time to deliver meals, nominate a family in need, or make a donation to provide a memorable experience.
Feeding Futures in Guatemala
Tobie Spears, founder of Be Humanitarian, believes that nourishing a child’s body is the first step to nourishing their future. They lead volunteer vacations to Guatemala to inspire volunteers to become global citizens and take a hands-on role in the world around them. They improve the lives of those in need and help break the poverty cycle through early nutrition, education, self-sustainability, and income opportunities.
Businesses that partner with Be Humanitarian become part of a story that includes long-term community impact. Tobie invites fellow entrepreneurs to step out of their comfort zones and experience the hands-on joy of giving.
Fighting Teen Suicide
Alli Louthain prayed to find a way to use her love of yoga to benefit others. As an answer, she saw the need in the young women in her church’s youth group, in her local community, in the mental health crisis statistics around the world, and especially in the teenagers in her own home. With no experience in technology and no money to get started, she launched Isha Warriors, a nonprofit organization designed to increase emotional
resilience in teenagers. Through Isha Warriors, she offers free yoga programs, online content, and an annual live event to help prevent teen suicide by fostering mindfulness and connection.
Isha Warriors gives teens a safe space to breathe, move, and talk. Every mat rolled out is another lifeline. Every episode is a heartbeat-to-heartbeat connection. It’s satisfying work, and it’s making a difference.
Giving Families Educational Choices
For families with children on IEPs or 504 plans, many struggling children get lost. They do not qualify for special education, but schools cannot always provide the necessary accommodations for their children's needs. Every option feels blocked by district policy and red tape. Ronnie Daniel saw this gap in the educational system and joined the Children’s First Fund. This nonprofit organization allows anyone to donate state tax money,
and parents of children who fall into the “gap” can use these funds to choose a better educational option that suits their child’s unique needs. Every child needs an advocate – someone in their corner. Now, there is funding to make change possible.
Donate to the fund today!
The Adventure Is Yours
As the fire crackles and the sparks fly into the night sky, look around you. Incredible people surround you. Passionate souls who want nothing more than to pitch in and help. It’s possible to be a successful business owner AND an active member of your community. No boardroom approval needed. No million-dollar check required.
Creative cause marketing can be straightforward. You can round up the change to the nearest dollar and donate the difference. You can show up at a track meet with a pom pom in hand. It’s not a tactic; it’s an adventure. This spark begins in your backyard and in meeting the needs of your neighbors. People may not remember your Black Friday sale, but they will remember your kindness long after the transaction is done.
So, as you stoke the glowing embers of your daily grind, ask yourself: what cause could spark a meaningful change? How can your business be a vehicle to meet another’s needs? Think outside the box. Comb through your cherished memories.
The opportunities are endless, and the path is yours to blaze.
*Thank you, JamboJon family, for sharing your stories and supporting our community. You inspire us. For every new project in August, September, and October 2025, JamboJon will donate a percentage of your project to one of these phenomenal organizations. (We’ll let you choose!) Thank you for strengthening the connections in our community!
