AGSA and the Seattle University Youth Initiative

AGSA is a nonprofit association for Seattle University students with the primary goal of bringing students, faculty and alumni together for networking and career development purposes. A key component of AGSA focuses on student and leadership development through service work. Every year in April AGSA plans to participate in the Jesuit Service Week, which involves a network of Jesuit schools donating time and resources to local nonprofit organizations across the nation during the month of April. For the first service week in April 2011 AGSA partnered with the Central Area Motivation Program to collect nonparishable food items, baby materials and toiletries. Although this was a great cause, AGSA hopes to establish a partnership with a nonprofit organization that is sustainable for years to come. The Seattle University Youth Initiative (http://www.seattleu.edu/suyi/) would be an ideal organization for this purpose benefiting both AGSA, Seattle University, and the children of Seattle. The Youth Initiative focuses on bringing together, "...Seattle University faculty, staff and students from all disciplines to join with parents, the Seattle School District, the City of Seattle, foundations, faith communities and more than 30 community organizations to help children of Seattle succeed in school and life." Recently the Academic Affairs Office announced that 10 organizations were chosen to receive funding and support from the Youth Iniative. The Albers School of Business will assist with the construction and development of Work It Out Seattle, a new alternative education program.

Cause marketing benefits of AGSA partnership with the Seattle University Youth Initiative - Work It Out Seattle
Traditionally cause marketing involves cooperation between "for profit" businesses and non-profit organizations for mutual benefit that is not necessarily based on a tax deductible donation. It also refers to in-house marketing efforts for social and charitable causes by non-profit organizations specifically. AGSA would partner with the Youth Initiative not for tax deductible donation purposes or simply to help promote and market AGSA or SU but with the primary goal of bringing Seattle University students together to give back and help future young leaders succeed. Cause marketing isn't necessarily about marketing in its traditional sense but more about "doing the right thing," or corporate social responsibility. Some believe it is the responsibility of all organizations to use its power and influence to help better society. Marketing benefits to all three organizations include:
- Helps AGSA members exercise leadership, project management, fundraising, and organizational skills while helping future generations to become great leaders. It would involve graduate students leading and empowering younger students to succeed.
- Positively promotes Seattle Universities commitment to the greater community improving its public relations.
- May help recruit future students to Seattle University upon high school or undergraduate graduation.
- Brings Albers students closer together creating a greater sense of community, belonging and purpose.
- Promotes the Work It Out alternative school to Albers alumni, faculty and students that may not have been previously aware of the organization.
- May gain regional newsworthy recognition and awareness of Seattle University, the Albers School of Business and Economics and Work It Out Seattle.
- Improvements to the facilities, staff training and development of the Work It Out Seattle program.
- Generates positive word-of-mouth marketing for SU, Albers and Work It Out Seattle, it gives "the talkers" something interesting and positive to talk about.
- Promoting the partnership would be done primarily via WOM for example on Facebook, websites, email invitations, and included in newsletters and school publications. With any hope it might even be a topic covered on the local news or on local talk-show programs like KING5's "New Day Northwest."