You are surely aware of how many companies utilize cause marketing as part of their overall marketing plan.

The reasons to do it should include:

1 - That you actually care about the cause
2 - The cause is a real and worthwhile one (watch out for scams)
3 - That you understand what you are trying to achieve.

Let's look at that third one. What are your expectations if you join with a specific cause and market it? Is it an event that you will have visibility at, such as a run or cycling event? Are you part of a mailer and thus getting targeted brand exposure? Maybe you are putting th cause on your website to generate goodwill and also because of point #1.

A place to perhaps investigate more is Bidding For Good. They represent various charity auctions and it is powered by cMarket. The month of October they are focusing on supporting breast cancer research.

For the past five months I've been vigorously training for a half marathon with Team in Training. They are a charity endurance training organization that supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A great organization and I've been involved with them before (running another half marathon and also a full - yes, all 26.2 miles). I believe in the cause and have personal experience with family members and friends who've lost the battle with Leukemia. My run is this Sunday (October 18) in Albuquerque and I'm very grateful for those who've supported me in my fundraising. I've been able to raise almost $2,000 (you can still give if you are so moved).

Think about adding a cause marketing aspect to your marketing approach. It is good for you and for others and it can also show your customers that you care about more than just your "bottom line".