“I think there's success that I saw of Starbucks and the success I have seen of Compassion is that they are both organizations that haven't wavered from who they are and even though times change, products change, there are many dynamics around both the for profit and nonprofit entities that changed.”
 — Mike Lenda, Compassion International

What Starbucks has Learned about Participation with Mike Lenda

Session 164

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Mike Lenda had been going to Starbucks for years as a customer before eventually starting to work as a barista and moving up until he became a marketing manager for the beloved coffee brand. Now, he works as director of mobilization at Compassion International, but there are plenty of lessons he learned from Starbucks that can carry into the nonprofit world. The passions around which Starbucks has built its brand — such as education, clean water, ethical sourcing — helped him transition easily into the nonprofit arena. He shares some practices Starbucks has used successfully that nonprofits can use as well.

He and Beth discuss:

  • How Starbucks strived to be a “third place” for people where they feel recognized and valued outside of their home and work
  • How Starbucks inverted the typical attitude of profit first
  • Why success is not an entitlement
  • The key role of community
  • Why nonprofits shouldn’t be afraid to collaborate
  • What are the different ways your audience can more deeply engage with your organization?
Resources:

Download Full Transcript

Enjoy Driving Participation! If the program is helpful to you, please subscribe in iTunes to have sessions sent to you as they go live. And please consider leaving a review in iTunes as well. Reviews help other organizations find the show and learn from these terrific stories.