We've all been there. As marketers, we work hard on a given campaign or fundraising event with focus and dedication. And then suddenly, it seems, the job is done. For the past two years I have served as a volunteer race director for the North Shore Cancer Run, a local 5K race that raises funds to benefit cancer patients. The planning starts a year in advance, goes by quickly, and then it's race day and everything comes together-the hard work has paid off. But, as the last runner finishes there's a sense of, "now what do I do with myself?" …

Back-to-school is big business, and consumer surveys consistently put support of education high on the list of causes favored by the highly sought-after Mom demographic.

Some $8 billion a year is returned to American households each year in the form of rebates, estimates Parago, a rebate promotion provider in Lewisville, Texas. That dwarfs the $1.7 billion that IEG predicts companies will spend on cause marketing promotion in 2012.

There's something radical going on in the C-suite lately. Business leaders are acting in bold ways-showing increased impatience with the status quo and taking action against pressing societal issues. This is driving an increased focus on corporate cause and social impact programs, as companies commit more resources to drive positive change.

If you're a nonprofit, you more than likely have a Google Grant (if not, read up! It's a great program), and sometimes you may have an additional paid AdWords account. That's a lot to manage! I'm sure you would love to know ways to more efficiently manage your account and save valuable time and resources.

Causes are contagious. When friends and family get involved in causes and share their enthusiasm, it's tough to not jump on board, or find a cause of your own. Over the years, through athletic events, fundraising parties, pet walks and the like, causes have also become social. And raising money for a charity is a lot easier when you have fun doing it among peers.

Although the themes of some cause-related campaigns are based on gut decisions by marketing executives, most substantial and sophisticated initiatives are informed by qualitative and/or quantitative consumer research. Examining the causes selected offers a fascinating window into the concerns and issues of importance to consumers at any point in time.

Few topics are hotter in information technology right now than big data. In science big data holds the potential to unlock the secrets of the universe from the sub-atomic level to the entirety of the cosmos. In business big data promises "the end of theory," to use the phrase of Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson.

So, you're a nonprofit with limited marketing resources, and you want to know if mobile marketing is worth your time and effort? Mobile marketing may be the wave of the future, but statistics show that it's already got staying power.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I'd wager video is worth at least twice that. When I arrived at a former job in the performing arts I was shocked that the organization's website had no audio or video. Interesting. This is an orchestra with a web site that featured no music. I don't think I need to explain why web traffic was low and social media activity non-existent. And it's not surprising that when we invested time and money in re-creating the website and including video and audio, traffic - and ticket sales - improved dramatically.