Tech Talk
When Hurricane Katrina hit, Mississippi-based Hope Haven found its entire complex submerged in 6 feet of water, leaving its buildings either water damaged or destroyed. Director Terry Latham says that while the organization, a 10-year-old shelter for abused and neglected...
Book Preview
“You don’t need a degree in journalism to publish a newsletter that will keep donors inspired (and generous). You just need a few skills and insights.”...
The "Up and Out" Fallacy
I’ve heard the explanation so many times now that I’m sick of it. It goes something like this: “When our direct-mail donors give more than $1,000 in a single year, we move them out of the regular mail program...
A Most Necessary Indulgence
Wars are being waged; natural disasters are wreaking havoc; people are living in poverty; and children continue to be abused. In these troubling times, international- and domestic-relief agencies and social-service nonprofits have their work cut out for them. The...
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
A professor stood before his class, picked up a large jar and filled it with golf balls. He asked his students if the jar was full. They agreed it was. Then he poured pebbles into the jar. The pebbles...
Grappling With Growth
You would think that after a hundred years, a nonprofit could kick back a bit and maybe even rest on its laurels. After all, it’s been there, done that — right? Not necessarily so, says Kurt Aschermann, senior vice...
Casting a Wide ‘Net’
For years, Washington, D.C.-based The Humane Society of the United States ignored the Internet’s full potential to reach donors and supporters. Here’s the situation we found ourselves in: HSUS’ Web site in April 2003 had been transferred to its...
Fundraising's New Synergy
For the most part, fundraisers no longer believe online marketing is competitive with offline marketing. Most understand that you need to incorporate both into your marketing strategy and that they should be coordinated in order to realize synergies. Many fundraisers,...
Yada, Yada, Yada
No other donor demographic is more over-discussed and overrated than age. As fundraisers, we’re obsessed with our donors’ average ages, even though there’s little we can do to push this figure up or down. ...
Going (Less) Wild
In fall 2002, the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, which each year sees 1.4 million visitors pass through its gates and mails close to a million direct-mail appeals, felt the need for a direct-mail face lift. The membership appeal...
An Alluring Proposition
Let’s face it. As direct-response fundraisers, we don’t spend enough time trying to renew lapsed donors. Most of our effort goes into acquisition and current-donor programs — and for good reason. Current-donor mailings generate the bulk of your income,...
Getting Your Wires Crossed
If your idea of multi-channel fundraising involves sitting at a desk with a telephone receiver balanced between your ear and shoulder with your finger poised to hit “send” for an e-mail appeal as you drop a direct-mail package in the...
Time Sure Flies
Has it really been a year since I wrote a column announcing the First Annual Gold Awards for Direct-Mail Excellence? Must be, since it appeared in the March 2005 issue. But I haven’t even filed all of the paperwork from...
