If billboards can be used to give out free samples of scarves, caps and gloves, why not a little sympvertising in the form of a branded dinghy? Which is just what Indian mobile provider Aircel recently did in Mumbai in the days leading up to this year's monsoons.

Aircel's billboard, erected by outdoor agency Primesite near Mumbai's Milan Subway, bore a large, inflated dinghy along with the line, "In case of emergency, cut rope." And on July 15, such an emergency did indeed arise when monsoon floods made the Milan Subway virtually impassable. The rope was cut on Aircel's billboard, the boat was released, and stranded pedestrians were ferried to safety. The result? Near constant local media attention for Aircel, even including the headline, "Aircel did what [government agency] BMC did not." Reportedly, Aircel now plans to implement something similar in Delhi and Kolkata as well, according to afaqs.

Beyond generating free publicity, of course—glowing as it was—Aircel's effort is also a prime example of the corporate generosity that's increasingly being expected by today's consumers—referred to by our sister site as Generation G. Whether it's helping wildfire victims find a bed for the night or generating support so financially strapped families can keep their homes, there are countless ways companies can show that they care. Help consumers, and you help yourself! ;-)

Website: www.aircel.com/Mumbai_sails_through_aircel/
Contact: www.aircel.com/ContactUs/contactus.asp

Spotted by: Murtaza Ali Patel

It's long been recognized that tangibility and a sense of personal connection are key factors in encouraging potential donors to help those in need, as we've already noted in our stories about SmallCanBeBig, Rosa Loves, DonorsChoose and Family-to-Family. Working on the premise that such connections are particularly important to young givers, however, Jolkona is a new organization that promises tangible proof of the impact of every donation made.

Targeting donors aged 15 to 35, Jolkona Foundation aims to use technology and social networks to make giving more immediate and compelling. Named for the Bengali word meaning "drop of water"—many of which of course can be combined for a big impact—Jolkona lets donors choose from a variety of projects based on criteria including price, location and focus area. The Facebook-connected microcharity partners with not-for-profit organizations around the world to profile deserving projects in five categories—public health, education, environment, empowerment and cultural identity—using a rigorous screening process to select those it believes would interest its audience and complement its mission. Once potential donors find a project they feel passionate about, they can then make donations as small as USD 5 easily and securely using Google Checkout. Perhaps most interesting of all, however, is that donors can not only monitor and track their giving activity, but they can receive tangible evidence of the impact of their donations. In addition to maps and charts on the site showing the aggregated impact of all donations made through Jolkona, each user's own "My Jolkona" page gets updated with tangible evidence of their own impact, using photos, stories and other means to show the effect on recipients. Based in Kirkland, Wash., Jolkona ensures that 100 percent of project-specific donations go directly to those projects; a separate fund finances its own operating costs.

Using technology to combine the immediacy, transparency and personal connections consumers increasingly demand, Jolkona may just have hit upon the model of giving for the future. One to watch! (Related: Kiva's peer-to-peer micro lending.)

Website: www.jolkona.org
Contact: contact@jolkona.org

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Hotel group Sage Hospitality has come up with a novel idea to promote both their hotels and volunteerism: it’s offering half-price rooms for those who have completed a day of charity work. A limited number of free nights are also available at the group’s hotels, which include Marriott, Starwood and Hilton locations.

At check-in, guests show a letter from a registered non-profit organisation that proves they’ve undertaken 8 hours of voluntary work. This entitles them to 50% off the published price of any night in the hotel. Sage's Give a Day, Get a Night promotion runs from July to December 2009, and the charity work needs to have been completed by December 18th.

With occupancy rates tumbling at hotels around the world, this promotion is a Generation G(enerosity) alternative to slashing room rates, and one that businesses in many industry can follow to build good-will (and foot-traffic) in tough times. (Related: Free karaoke for worthy workers.)

Website: www.sagehospitality.com/specials/giveadaygetanight.htm
Contact: www.sagehospitality.com/contact.htm

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

Creative agencies seem to have embraced corporate generosity with open arms, if a few recent initiatives are anything to go by. Much the way Bushfire Housing and SmallCanBeBig were donated by the Sputnik Agency and the Boathouse Group, respectively, so a new, guerrilla ad campaign for the Salvation Army was donated by an agency with the help of more than 50 local businesses.

Known as the "This Ad Cost Nothing" campaign, the three-week initiative was designed primarily to raise awareness for the Salvation Army's Northern New England division. It was conceived and created in Portland, Maine, by local agency VIA Group, which turned to area businesses for help carrying it out. Part of the campaign included broadcast time and print ad space donated by traditional media; the majority, however, employed less conventional tactics. Pizza boxes and coffee sleeves were transformed into ad space for displaying the Salvation Army's logo and URL, for example, as were bathroom mirrors at local restaurants—with the help of a little grease paint. VIA employees and willing friends parked their intentionally dusty cars in downtown Portland, with the logo and slogans written on their back windshields, while dozens of shops sported the logo on their own windows as well. Painted rocks, tarps and tennis court floors were also among the more than 5,000 "creative units" included in the campaign.

Besides getting the word out about the Salvation Army and no doubt updating its image, the "This Ad Cost Nothing" campaign is also yet another nice example of the types of efforts increasingly being expected of companies by Generation G. As the saying goes, 'tis better to give than to receive—and that's never been more true than it is today! ;-)

Website: www.salvationarmydonate.org
Contact: Craig_Evans@use.salvationarmy.org

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Turning shoppers into philanthropists, LavishGiving.com is an online gift retailer that donates 20% of all purchases of USD 100 or more to a charity of the buyer's choice. Which allows them to be generous twice: once when giving the gifts they purchased, and a second time when donating 20% of their value to a favourite charity.

Seven days after shopping, customers are mailed a Good Card worth 20% of their purchase. The seven day grace period is in place should anyone wish to return a purchase. Customers can then visit Network for Good's website to donate the entire amount to one charity, or distribute it between several of the 1.5 million charities that are affiliated with Network for Good, from local schools and animal shelters to international aid programs and medical research organizations.

It's a beneficial move for all involved: the site differentiates itself from swathes of other online gift stores, charities receive extra donations and customers can choose exactly which causes benefit from their spending. For more on adding a dose of generosity to your entrepreneurial pursuits, check out our sister site trendwatching.com's briefing on Generation G.

Website: www.lavishgiving.com
Contact: jane@lavishgiving.com

Spotted by: Alexander Lattin