Caring Caps: Sustainability of a Community of Healing

This case explores the unique challenges social entrepreneurs face in balancing social impact and growing their market reach. Jane Bloom, founder of Caring Caps, is passionate about this social cause and built a culture of giving back into the mission and vision of the organization. But operating a non-profit with the goal of growing can create significant strain on a founder and volunteers. The organization in this case provides knitted caps for cancer patients and fully embraces the inclusion of social mission, purpose, and vision into its everyday operations to create a significant social impact of individuals battling cancer.<br><br>Caring Caps has had minimal awareness since its inception in 2013 and is looking to evolve into something beyond a community within a synagogue and to provide its “comfy” caps to more hospitals and cancer centers to reach those in need. One of the biggest challenges is to identify a growth model for Caring Caps to stay sustainable. What should Bloom do to position Caring Caps for future growth? What marketing should she consider?

This case is suitable for undergraduate-level classes in marketing and social impact. It is focused on social and environmental impact in a non-profit, with the goal of creating a win-win for volunteers and those who benefit from their work. After completing this case and answering the assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:<br><br><ul><li>Identify the core competence of a business and understand the value of differentiation in a non-profit.</li><li>Identify the stakeholders of an organization’s ecosystem.</li><li>Balance social impact and social responsibility in an organization based entirely on volunteers.</li><li>Apply marketing concepts to create and grow awareness and engagement.</li></ul>

• social impact
• marketing
• market growth
• stakeholders
• nonprofit
• social entrepreneurship
• chemotherapy