• by Sarah Mahoney , April 8, 2009

Hoping to build on the online savvy of Gen X and Gen Y moms, the Grain Foods Foundation (GFF) and Kroger are partnering on a fund-raising effort called Bread Art Project.

Consumers log on to breadartproject.com, where they are invited to "Create a Masterpiece. Feed a family" and decorate a digital bread slice. For every slice of bread that's uploaded, the GFF -- a group that includes millers, bakers, and stores -- will donate $1 to Feeding America, the country's largest food relief organization.

"We wanted to create a digital food drive," explains Kristin Patterson, VP-account director at Mullen Advertising, Wenham, Mass. "And since we are targeting women 25 to 35, we know many of them are online all the time. We wanted to do something where they could upload a child's photo or a drawing and help feed their neighbors at the same time." Feeding America, formerly known at America's Second Harvest, says it is seeing a 30% increase nationwide at its member food banks, compared to a year ago.

In addition to small online buys to promote the fundraiser, Patterson says Kroger will provide point-of-purchase support in its bread aisles from mid-April through mid-May, as well as floor decals. In addition, the group is organizing appearances with Food Network host Ted Allen.

The GFF, formed in 2004 to defend carbs from the Atkins onslaught, also uses Facebook and Twitter in its marketing efforts.

With a catchy enough gimmick, online fundraisers have proven to generate awareness and involvement, says David Hessekiel, president of the Cause Marketing Forum. Freerice.com, for example, a partnership between the United Nations and Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society, awards grains of rice for correct answers in its multiple-choice vocabulary quizzes, and has donated nearly 63 billion grains of rice since its launch, using funds generated by advertisers.

And Hessekiel says his organization recently expanded its awards just to include cause-marketing efforts in social media. One of his favorites, for example, is a Pedigree, which had dog owners upload pictures of their pets into a mosaic as a fund-raising effort for dog adoptions.

The bread site "is very cool," he says, "and it's bold, in that it requires significant consumer engagement. Other programs would appeal to the lowest common denominator, and just say 'Click here.' I'd give this an A-plus for its virtual environment.

But if a program makes a mountain too high to climb, the $1 donation might not be enough, and you may lose people.

So far, GFF has had about 10,000 entries. The group says it will donate $50,000 to Feeding America, plus an additional $1 for every submission through the end of May, with a maximum donation of $100,000.