Gurkoff claims the platform offers advantages over other types of cause marketing. "In most cause marketing arrangements, the company gives a bit to charity and spends 7 to 10 times [more effort] promoting it. The promotion is what drives the return on investment, not the charity," he says. "We are trying to reverse that ratio and generate the marketing R.O.I. that companies want from ordinary advertising. This enables them to repurpose their digital media budgets—money that never ever would have gone to charity—for social good." Charity Miles itself takes 50% cut of the money raised, with some of that going to a fund to cover the possibility that people will earn more for charities than is available from sponsors. "We cap our overall liability at 50% of our revenue, which works out because we generally have a 50% margin on our engagements," Gurkoff explains. - www.fastcoexist.com