Dec. 26, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Click Rain Inc.

Two Sioux Falls-based marketing agencies are aiming to make a difference in the community with the launch of a philanthropic fund.

Click Rain and Lemonly have made contributions to several regional nonprofit organizations from their Difference-Makers Fund as part of the agencies’ year-end giving. Both agencies have a history of making year-end contributions to support causes their teams care about. The Difference-Makers Fund is a new joint philanthropic effort that will enable the companies’ community impact to go even further.

Focused on making a difference

The name of the Difference-Makers Fund stems from the vision statement of Click Rain and Lemonly’s parent company, Click Rain Inc., “to be difference-makers.”

“It’s our goal to use our time, talents and resources to make a positive difference for our clients and communities in all we do,” said Natalie Eisenberg, partner and CEO at Click Rain Inc.

“My hope is that our team members see the impact our work makes for our clients and communities and, in turn, that working here becomes even more attractive and meaningful.”

Click Rain and Lemonly each set aside 1 percent of their annual gross profit for year-end contributions to nonprofits making a difference in the community. Employees from both agencies submit nominations for nonprofits they care about or have a personal connection to, and Click Rain Inc. partners select the final recipients. A total of 25 nominations for year-end contributions were made by Click Rain and Lemonly team members in 2022.

This year, contributions from the Difference-Makers Fund totaling $70,000 were made to the following organizations:

• Sioux Empire United Way offers support and funding to a number of area nonprofits, helping direct resources toward organizations in need, particularly those serving marginalized populations.
• The Helpline Center provides suicide and crisis support, volunteer connections and other resources in addition to operating the 211 helpline.
• Horace Mann Elementary’s Book-A-Month Club helps ensure elementary students have new books to read each month throughout the school year.
• The LSS Center for New Americans provides resettlement and support services for refugees, displaced persons and immigrants who are resettling in or new to the U.S.
• Evermore Blooms strives to provide comfort and community for women who have experienced the loss of a baby before 20 weeks’ gestation.
• Rare by Design works to create awareness, inclusion and representation for people with rare diseases and disabilities through events and community engagement.
• The Furniture Mission offers lightly used furniture and housewares to people in need.
• The South Dakota State University Foundation supports SDSU students through scholarships and a number of university facilities and programs. Click Rain and Lemonly each will fund a scholarship for SDSU students.
• The Emily’s Hope Fund at the Avera Foundation helps offset the cost of treatment for people with substance use disorder.

Giving throughout the year

In addition to year-end donations, the Click Rain and Lemonly teams strive to give back throughout the year through in-kind work, volunteering and involvement on boards with a number of nonprofit organizations.

The agencies contributed $80,000 in in-kind marketing and design services to nonprofits in 2022. Twenty-one employees from both companies used company-sponsored volunteer time-off lending their time and talents to nonprofits, totaling 247 hours. Eleven team members also served on nonprofit boards or committees throughout the year.

“It’s incredibly meaningful to be able to make a difference for organizations that support our community and mean so much to our team members. I’m excited to see our impact continue to grow in 2023,” said Chris Prendergast, partner and chief operating officer at Click Rain Inc.

Click Rain and Lemonly are shutting down their operations during the last week of the year for a “holiday reset” to give team members time off to recharge heading into 2023.

“When we’re at our best, we’re better able to serve our clients, our communities and each other,” Eisenberg said.