Operation Smile finds that a holistic, fully integrated approach to fundraising makes it a little easier to take on the challenges inherent in funding a nonprofit mission.

By Melissa Busch

But big-business types aren’t the only ones who are moved by Operation Smile’s TV spots. Schultz tells of a 7-year-old boy who saw an Operation Smile television show and submitted an essay titled “Help a Child Have a Smile” to a PTA contest at his school. The essay not only was chosen as the winner, but it inspired the school to hold a yard sale, which raised $2,000 for the organization.

“It just shows how inspiring these stories are and how effective television can be,” Schultz says. “He wanted to help one child, and he ended up helping make a difference for more.”

Cause marketing also has proven to be very successful for Operation Smile, Shawyer says, adding that one of its most exciting marketing campaigns was with Microsoft.

For the Share a Smile campaign, which marked both Operation Smile’s 25th anniversary and the global launch of Microsoft’s Windows Live product suite, Microsoft sent e-mails to 400 million of its users, encouraging them to visit its Windows Live site and upload pictures of their smiles. Microsoft featured every uploaded smile on the Web site and also made a donation to Operation Smile for each one.

More than 750,000 photos were uploaded and shared, Shawyer says, and the campaign raised $500,000 for the organization.

“It was just an incredible campaign,” she says. “There were so many different elements … and so many people got involved. It raised awareness. It was a very exciting campaign.”

Operation Smile also recently partnered with Hollywood makeup artist and beauty maven Victoria Jackson. Victoria Jackson representatives participate in charitable events where the company’s cosmetics are sold, and, through November, 5 percent of sales go directly to Operation Smile’s global efforts.

It also had a long-standing campaign with cosmetics giant Sephora and toy company Hasbro.