1. What benefits does iContact realize by dedicating a portion of their sales and business resources to charitable causes? 2. Select a local small business and work with a team of your classmates to brainstorm ideas for a social responsibility strategy that helps a charitable organization or social cause and produces benefits for the small company. What advice can you offer a small business that is considering supporting a nonprofit organization or social cause? Entrepreneurs have learned that one of the most effective ways to connect with their customers is to support a cause about which their customers care. According to the Cone Cause Evolution Study, 85 percent of consumers say that they have a more positive image of a company when it supports a cause that is important to them. By forging partnerships with nonprofit and social causes, small businesses not only can make a difference in the world but also can improve their visibility in the marketplace and increase sales.