Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

I think there is a second benefit to the grocery stores - wouldn't any money they donate to fund the campaign be tax deductable?

You have two challenges that I see:
1) getting the money to run the campaign
2) creating the campaign

In regards to 1, I would see if you can find the community relations people at the grocery chains and then make a pitch to them (face to face). Push all of the benefits to them (tax writeoff, having their name connected with yours as a donor, more sales, etc.).

In regards to 2, you may want to see if you can find a marketing firm who would be willing to do the work pro-bono for you. Marketing professionals or firms are often willing to do pro-bono work for causes they believe in, particularly when work is slow (as it still is for many marketers right now).

You may want to start on 2 before 1. To have some samples of what the advertising campaign may look like or the themes eused might making getting funding easier.

Tifster, you wrote:

"We're trying to convince grocers to give us money to run a low-budget marketing campaign and increase program participation."

My first thought is, Why low budget?   You might be surprised at the interest and commitment you can arouse if you shoot for big bucks.

My second thought is, What's the money for?  No matter how much you're seeking, your funding candidates would take you more seriously if you can show exactly where their donated money is going.  Perhaps you could carve up your marketing budget into campaigns/expenditures that different grocers can opt for.  Let one sponsor the billboards, another the radio spots, another the community picnic, etc.  Or give them the Heavy Metal sponsorship buffet: $500K for the top-billing Platinum Sponsor, $100K for three Gold Sponsors, and so on.

Final thought is about the market that interests the grocers.  Gather your data about the size of the food-stamp population, and if possible, find out how much of that market share the big grocers have.  Share those numbers with them, and they'll undoubtedly want to attract more of that segment.  Also get your state to give you an estimate of the number of citizens who probably qualify for assistance but don't apply -- now there's a potential customer pool that grocers might be willing to put out marketing dollars to attract.

Hope this makes some sense!

- Shelley