The dental profession is in the enviable position of having as its goal the education of the public about exciting advancements in dental care. This is not to say this is an easy task. But compare it with, for example, oil companies, who must aggressively compete for every extra fraction of a percent of market share or, worse, the tobacco industry, which must attempt to convince the public not only to buy its product, but must constantly justify its very existence!

Daniel A. Bobrow, Executive Director, Dentists Climb For A Cause En route to the summit of Pico Orizaba, Mexico's Tallest Peak.

Do Well While Doing Good

One of the best ways we know to create awareness that you have a quality, caring practice is to identify a worthwhile cause about which the entire practice is passionate, then commit to supporting that cause. If your efforts entail more than volunteering your time (e.g., if your goal is to raise funds and increase awareness of the work being done by your beneficiary organization), part of your goal may be to ask others for help with your worthwhile efforts. In any case, volunteering can offer your practice a number of opportunities to communicate your philanthropic efforts to your community.

An ever-increasing number of Americans are devoting their time, money, ideas, and sweat to supporting a variety of worthwhile causes. This may reflect an effort by individuals and organizations to respond to the widening gap between the wealthiest and poorest Americans. Whatever the reason, it is at least one positive development taking place in our society today. A survey conducted by Dental Products Report, among a random sampling of pediatric dentists, revealed that nearly ninety-five percent of respondents had provided dental services at no charge in the previous twelve months. Volunteerism is contagious, and we're in the midst of an epidemic!

Why do people volunteer? The most common motivation is one's belief in the worthwhile nature of the cause. Other reasons (both stated and unstated) include: the sense of satisfaction one gets in seeing the results of some act of charity or volunteerism; the feeling of satisfaction in knowing one has "given back" to the community; and an opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals.

Sometimes, people and organizations consider their involvement in a cause as a form of "social engineering," i.e., the belief that the cause helps direct a political, moral, or religious debate. For example, Green Peace, Operation Rescue, Peace Corps, etc., are all examples of this. You may not agree with or support a given cause, but they are all not-for-profit groups which derive some or all of their funding from private contributions of time, money, material, and expertise.

Other reasons that may be more in the realm of "enlightened self-interest" are tax benefits, donating items to clear the clutter from one's house, and communication of involvement in a cause with a goal of establishing or enhancing a firm's image in the community. As long as the benefits for the cause are generated legally and ethically, the cause is only concerned with your rate of success. The more the better!

Where To Begin

The first step is to meet with your staff to learn their interests and abilities with respect to volunteering. Similar to development of your positioning and mission statements, your goal at this meeting should be to complete an exercise in which all staff members' views are heard. A decision should be reached, based on consensus of the group, regarding what sort of cause you wish to support. Commitment from all staff members should be secured during this meeting that while the office is likewise committed to supporting the cause, only a reasonable amount of time should be spent supporting the cause during office hours.

A good source for learning about charitable groups and others in need is your local Yellow Pages (look under Social Service Organizations). You can similarly check the Internet. Your local radio and television stations run frequent public service announcements (PSAs) for which you should be on the lookout. Or, you can contact your local church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious group. For dental-related causes, try contacting your state or local dental society.

Before associating your name and reputation (and that of your practice) to a given cause, a certain amount of due diligence is indicated. Request and closely review literature provided by the cause. Among the questions that should be answered: How long has the cause existed? What is its mission? What are its funding sources? Is it associated with any religious group or is it non-denominational? What, if anything, does it have as its political agenda? What is its efficiency of operation, i.e., what percent of each dollar raised actually goes to the cause, and what percent goes to things like salary, overhead and other expenses? What is the degree of professionalism, competence and commitment of the staff?

The next step should be a follow-up meeting during which literature on prospective beneficiary organizations is reviewed. Discuss among yourselves which cause is most exciting -- the one about which you all feel passionate.

Give What You Can

For many, it's more practical to contribute time than money. As healthcare professionals, you might consider volunteering at a local social service agency that offers dental services to indigent or homebound people.

I've personally looked for organizations that assist individuals about whom I would like to learn more. For example, I have mentored children living in a Chicago housing project. I've also offered an interviewing skills workshop to young people of Hispanic origin, organized a road race to benefit Russian immigrants, and mediated and arbitrated cases involving domestic violence, employment discrimination, and landlord/tenant disputes. The sense of fulfillment I derive, and an improved ability to understand the perspective and situation of others, make it well worth the effort.

More recently, I have combined my commitment to community service with my love of mountaineering, and desire to help my clients. The result is Dentists Climb For A CauseSM, a not-for-profit entity I created to raise funds and increase awareness of a wonderful group called Operation Smile.

Corporations may have an entire department, usually called Corporate Communications or Community Outreach, which has as its goal demonstrating the company's commitment as a "corporate citizen" by "giving back" to the community. That there are tangible benefits the company realizes from such efforts cannot be denied. But that does not matter to the recipient organization. As stated earlier, the more they receive, the better!

The benefits to your practice from agreeing to support a given cause are:

• An increased sense of pride
• Team building -Bonding with your patients
• An opportunity to improve the perception of the dental profession
• Interest in your practice among prospective patients.

Action Plan
Explore ways to generate interest in and support of your cause. Press releases, direct mail to current and prospective patients, a celebration or send-off party (as in the case of Climb For A Cause participants), solicitation of in-kind support (prizes for a raffle or silent auction, facilities, printing, etc.) are just some of the ways you can generate excitement and support for your involvement in the cause.

A Few Words About Ethics
As noted earlier, ethics and marketing are not mutually exclusive. The Dentistry Code of Ethics states, "...dentists are encouraged to be leaders in their community..." There is nothing at all wrong with a doctor helping out a worthwhile cause and, in the process, increasing awareness of his or her dental services and those of the profession in general. This is again consistent with the Code of Ethics, which further asserts, "...dentists... shall conduct themselves in such a manner as to maintain or elevate the esteem of the profession." Publicizing your practice's involvement in a worthwhile cause surely constitutes "elevating the esteem of the profession."

The "Payoff"