W hen I was growing up, I remember shopping with my family each year around Christmas time and seeing volunteers outside the stores, dressed up in Santa suits and ringing bells. “Happy Holidays and

Merry Christmas,” they chimed. “And don’t forget to spare some change for those in need during this holiday season.” Back then, the Salvation Army and other charitable organizations knew that the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were the time when almost ev-eryone made their donations, whether it was spare change dropped in a cup after a holiday shopping spree, or a check in the mail as people pulled together their year-end finances in time for the end of tax season. And for the post office, this meant that the volume of mail delivered during this period ballooned as catalog-ers and charities all clamored to gain a greater share of each person’s wallet. For the typical charity, marketing was a relatively easy task back in the day: spend the better part of the year preparing your materials and honing your ap-peal; then be sure to have your ducks in order for the critical few weeks when everything counts. Organizations lived and died by their efforts during these crucial months.

Volume 10: Issue 4 | December 2007

Also in this Issue

3 Letter from the Executive Director 5 Open to Innovation 9 New York Conference Photos 11 Outsourcing Your Donations Processing 17 What You Should Know About 21st Century Copywriting – But Don’t 19 Social Networking Grows Up …and MORE

cont. on page 14

It’s Not Your Daddy’s Nonprofit Anymore Bill Kaplan, CEO, FreshAddress, Inc.

“Organizations lived and died by

their efforts during the weeks between Thanksgiving and

Christmas.”

3

ChAIrMs. Jo SullivanASPCA

VICe ChAIrMr. Kevin WhortonWhorton Marketing & Research

MeMbersMs. Mary ArnoldChristian Children’s Fund

Mr. Vinay BhagatConvio

Ms. Jennifer BielatEaster Seals

Mr. Phil ClaiborneElks Magazine

Mr. Brian CowartALSAC - St. Jude

Ms. Diana EstremeraMay Development Services

Mr. Barry GiaquintoWomen’s Sports Foundation

Ms. Jeanne HarrisSCA Direct

Ms. Beth IsikoffTarget Software

Ms. Susan LothDisabled American Veterans

Mr. Joel MacCollamWorld Emergency Relief

Mr. Steve MaggioDaVinci Direct

Ms. Kristin McCurryMINDset Direct

Mr. Matthew PanosFood for the Hungry

Mr. Chris ParadyszParadyszMatera

Mr. Geoffrey PetersCreative Direct Response, Inc.

Ms. Chris RagusaEstee Marketing Group, Inc.

Ms. Jean SimmonsCatholic Relief Services

Mr. David StraussNational Wildlife Federation

Ms. Kathryn L. WardAmerican Institute for Cancer

Research

Ms. Joan WheatleySpecial Olympics, Inc.

sTAFFSenny Boone, Esq.Executive Director

Helen LeeDirector, Member Programs and Education

Jill MurphySenior Manager, Member Services

Alicia OsgoodCoordinator, Member Programs

2007-2008 LeadershipFollowing are the members of the DMA Nonprofit Federation’s Advisory Council with leadership responsibilities:

www.nonprofitIntegrator.org

2

new BLOG!The Power of Direct. Integrated and Blogged.

3

We are hopeful that the giving season is treating your organization well, and that you are having great success in reaching your donors. I wanted to give you a few updates to keep on your radar screen for this coming year.

UPCOMING 2008 eVeNTs

This is a good time of year to take a look at your calendars and “save the date” for some of our special events. These include: The Washington Nonprofit Conference, January 24-25, at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC

-- themed appropriately, “Stand and Deliver: Fundraising in a Changing World.” This event will give you the broadest range of fundraising tactics and success strategies to reach your donors -- and learn what others have been doing. Next, we will host Critical Issues Facing Nonprofits, April 9, in Washington, DC. This one-day event will update you on key changes to laws and regulations in fundraising, as well as bring in decision-makers and leaders to provide you with advice on upcoming challenges and changes. How much will postal rates increase this year? What local regulations will my organization need to follow? Come to this one-day event and get the fullest scope on the issues and solutions. Then, we are planning a senior-level nonprofit event, our fourth annual Leadership Summit, June 5-6, in Palm Beach, Florida. This event is uniquely suited for senior-level fundraisers, CEOs, and executive directors, and the brainchild of some our top leadership. If you are looking for an interactive event that gives you the chance to engage and discuss the toughest challenges in a relaxed and collegial environment, this is a “must-attend.” We will also have our dynamic New York Nonprofit Conference, August 14-15 at the Waldorf=Astoria, featuring seminars and other learning opportunities developed by top leaders, and many of you! We

have the unique reward here of having a devoted, professional volunteering community of leaders that helps progress the cause of successful direct response marketing and communications. If you have not yet volunteered to share your expertise, please let me know.

COMMITMeNT TO CONsUMer ChOICe

Another update for your radar screen is the Direct Marketing Association’s Commitment to Consumer Choice (CCC) that was launched in October. This program adds new ethics requirements for all DMA members, including nonprofit organizations and those that work on their behalf. The new guidelines were developed and then approved by the DMA Board of Directors to address the new state-based threats to mailers. There have been dozens of state bills introduced that would establish do not contact/do not mail lists. If such legislation passes, mailers would need to remove names of individuals from their lists or face fines and other penalties. Most of these bills exempt 501c(3) charities, but there are some that do not explicitly carve out an exemption. If such legislation passes, mail volume will be drastically impacted, leading to an increase in postal rates for all mailers that remain in the system to pay for the USPS’s costs. States have been driven to introduce this legislation by both for-profit and nonprofit organizations (StopTheJunkMail.com, Greendimes.com, 41Pounds.org, Earth911.org, JunkMailFreeze.com,) that believe reduction of mail overall will improve the environment and reduce waste. There is also a strong consumer (and donor) sentiment measured in surveys that show consumer annoyance, and a desire for choice in their mailings, as well as fears about identity theft in the mail stream. The threats are mutating for the mailing community

Letter from the Executive Director Senny Boone, Executive Director, Nonprofit Federation

Dear Members & Colleagues,

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and nonprofit organizations that rely on the mail stream. Therefore, DMA has been working for several months to provide a new set of choices for consumers/donors -- a multi-faceted communications program

-- and is marshalling an effective advocacy program at the state and federal levels to combat bills that would destroy the mail. A large part of this effort is to ensure that DMA members are actively self-regulating through its new Commitment to Consumer Choice. This upgrade of the former Privacy Promise is intended to stave off the threat of a national do not mail list registry, or a smattering of multiple state do not mail registries. The new guidelines will require a major change for many nonprofits that have not provided donor choice before. Members are being asked to provide their prospective customers or donors with an option to have their names removed from future mailings as is done today with email unsubscribes. To help members of the Federation adopt these practices, we offer, at the end of this issue, a precise interpretation of the CCC requirements for nonprofit organizations -- from DMA’s Director, Corporate Compliance, Marsha Goldberger. Please make copies of this guide, and distribute it to your staff.

Briefly, the new program requires several steps by members that should be simple to follow:

• Members will be required to view a videopresentation on the CCC, and then have a representative of the organization take and pass a brief test on the CCC.

• Allmemberswillneedtoconfirmtheircompliancewith the new CCC by designating a staff member as their compliance officer.

With regards to the new ethical guidelines in the CCC, here are the key parts of the new rule:

• Youwillneedtoprovideexistingandprospectivedonors with notice of an opportunity to modify future mail solicitations from your organization in every mail solicitation. The notice should:

• Appearineverymarketingoffer• Beeasyfortheconsumertofind,read,understand,

and act upon

Note: The notice requirement will not be in effect until October 2008.

In addition:• ListsmustbescrubbedagainstDMA’sMPSonce

per month. • You must honor donor/member requests within

30 days, and for a period of 3 years.

So, what does this mean for nonprofits that raise funds and must count on new donors? Importantly, the new notice requirement needs to be on mail pieces whose “primary purpose” is to solicit a donation. That does not include acknowledgements, monthly giving programs, child sponsorship packages, and the like. Rather, the requirement applies only to acquisition pieces, since they primarily seek a donation, and other mail that primarily seeks a donation. The actual content and location of the notice is up to the individual organization, so it will not matter whether you place it on the front or the back -- or on the outer envelope, for that matter. Some nonprofits are choosing to list a Web site link, and then offer the various choices at the site to the donor, and include a complete opt-out of future mail as one of the selections. Another way to do this is to provide a check-off box, and address where the individual may write to be taken off of your lists. There are many members and agencies that will find the new rules daunting, and worry about the impact on acquisition during these days of shrinking donor pools. We are working with members through our committees to ensure the new rules are applicable to the important work that you are performing each day. This self-regulatory stance is intended to stave off some very large threats, but at the same time, there is no intention to harm the community that many count on. Please contact me should you need assistance or have any questions about the CCC, at: 202. 861.2498.

In the meantime, we hope to see you at one of our upcoming educational events, and we are standing by to help you with your questions and concerns.

Sincerely,

Xenia “Senny” Boone

4 5

how many constituent communications are you managing at any one time to engage your organization’s supporters? If you’re like most nonprofit professionals, your answer is most likely -- “lots”:-- such as:

• Adirectmaildroptopromoteyourupcomingphonecampaign• AtargetedemaildrivingconstituentstoadonationpageonyourWebsite• AnewMySpacepageforyourhigh-profileadvocacycampaign,withalinktoyourorganization’sfirst

YouTube video• Anewwidgetforpeer-to-peerfundraisingtosupportyourannualwalk-a-thon• Aphotofromthewalk-a-thonpostedtoyourWebsitewithalinktoFlickr,wheresupportershaveadded

their own photos from the event

MORE CHANNELS = MOre ChALLeNGesThis dizzying array of new options to reach and engage current and prospective activists and donors presents enormous opportunities for nonprofit marketers and fundraisers. But as the number of channels increases, so do the challenges:

• Tracking the results. With some data in your legacy database and offline fundraising system, and another set of data in your online constituent relationship management (eCRM) solution, what’s a nonprofit direct marketer to do? While it’s common to manually transfer the data from one system to the other by entering one transaction at a time, it’s also incredibly painful and time-consuming. The demand for tighter integration between systems is urgent.

• Incorporating Web 2.0 applications. With evolving technology and applications, nonprofits need to extend their software solutions to better leverage custom Web applications and rapidly growing social media. It’s no longer a question of “if” you should leverage Web 2.0 applications, it’s “how” you should do it.

Open to Innovation Meg Murphy, Director, Products & Solutions Marketing, Convio, Inc.

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Whether it’s you, or the self-described techie-guru down the hall, or your strategy consultant, who takes charge of your organization’s communications, all these moving pieces need to fit together; your systems and solutions need to “talk” with each other.Closed, proprietary systems that don’t easily con-nect with online tools present a disadvantage to your organization, and leave you wasting valuable resources, such as manually transferring data between systems

-- resources that should be used to compete for a sup-porter’s time, attention, and dollars.

NO SILVER BULLET, but There Is A sILVer LINING

Not long ago, nonprofits looked for a software solution that could do it all, ideally one that was provided by a

“one-stop-shop.” Today, with the increasing availability of new technology applications, nonprofits are looking for more choice. Realizing that no single vendor can build all the tools required to meet their online com-munication needs, organizations are seeking a better, easier way to exchange information between solutions.

While there is no silver bullet, there is an expanding universe of “openness” -- between people, technology, and services -- that paves the path for innovation.

To tap the power of the new “open” Web, organiza-tions need new tools for social media, rich Web appli-cations for a more compelling constituent experience, and new integration options to more effectively man-age constituent data.

For example, using open APIs, organizations can inte-grate data between various Web services, and between offline and online solutions. They can also leverage third-party platforms, such as Google, Facebook, and Linkedin, to reach out to constituents in new ways, without creating additional silos of data.

But where to Start? – To fully benefit from this evolv-ing array of “open” options for engaging constituents, take the following six steps to maximize your success.

SIx STEpS TO ‘OPeN’ UP TO MULTIChANNeL INNOVATION

1. Consider the goals you want to achieve using various

communication channels, including the Internet.2. Make a list of the various tactics, tools, and

databases you are currently using for constituent outreach.

3. Identify gaps in your current communications toolkit, and develop a strategy to close these gaps.

4. Determine where your current constituents ‘live’ online -- and meet them there.

5. Decide where your future constituents ‘live’ online -- and start to build a presence in that location.

6. Establish metrics to measure traction in the various channels, then use the results to allocate budget and resources toward the channels with the highest returns on investment.

WHAT DOES OpENNESS MEAN TO YOU?

Openness means different things to different people in the world of nonprofit marketing and fundraising. So where do you fit in? Match yourself to the following descriptions, and learn what your next step should be to open up to innovation.

The Techie – You have a solid understanding of APIs, and are eager to implement them. You under-stand the value of allowing two Web sites to talk to each other and share information.

What’s next for you? Figure out new and innovative ways to use APIs to customize and improve the constituent ex-perience while using existing applications. Your imagina-tion is the only constraint in the “open” world.

The Strategic Consultant – You serve the nonprofit community and recognize that openness presents a huge opportunity for both you and your clients.

What’s next for you? Help your clients further their missions by exploring creative ways to use open tools, such as mashups that connect an advocacy petition with a Google map. It’s time to stake your claim in the newest Internet revolution.

The Nonprofit Executive – You’re faced with ongoing pressure to recruit more supporters

6 7

without increasing your budget or resources. You also understand the need for efficiency when it comes to managing several databases -- and the value of using the Internet to build engaged communities of volunteers, donors, advocates, and constituents.

What’s next for you? Empower your staff to embrace open tools to better access information and con-

ApIApplication Programming Interface (API) is the code in any software application that allows independent applications to “read” and “write” access. Most APIs are built for use with Web applications, allowing two Web sites to talk to each other and share information. Addition-ally, APIs allow an application to interface with other systems for the customization and migration of in-formation in and out of an organiza-tion’s data storage system. Common examples of APIs include importing and exporting data in and out of donor databases, and merging data from multiple sources via the Web. Other potential uses include custom subscription, custom profile man-agement, and microsite campaigns to drive list recruitment and partici-pation actions.

OpEN ApIAn Open API provides thorough online documentation and code ex-amples to enable developers to build custom applications based on the originating Web services. The speci-fication and rights to implement the API are freely available to anyone without signing non-disclosure agreements or paying royalties.

SOCIAL NETWORkINg SITESSocial networking sites are Web-based communities of people who share interests and activities. Sites like Care2, MySpace, and Facebook have the ability to create groups that share common interests or affiliations, upload videos, and hold discussions in forums. Social networking sites can help nonprofits network, get donations, share infor-mation on the Web, connect with

like-minded organizations and potential supporters, and provide a medium for spreading their mes-sages beyond the immediate com-munity.

SOCIAL MEDIAThe online technologies and practic-es that people use to share content, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives, and media themselves. Social media can take many differ-ent forms, including text, images, audio, and video. The social media sites typically use tools like forums, podcasts, bookmarks, communities, wikis, weblogs, etc.

INTEROpERABILITyThe capability of different systems and software applications to work together easily, exchange data, and “talk” to each other. Interoper-ability allows nonprofits to increase effectiveness by making it easier to get, use, and manipulate data to support their needs and objectives.

MASHUpSMashups are custom Web applica-tions that combine online data from two or more sources using APIs to create a new, hybrid service giving visitors a more powerful, interac-tive experience. Common mashups include mapping applications with geographic data like real estate list-ings.

WEB 2.0The second generation of Web-based communities and Web services, such as social networking sites that aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users, promoting interactiv-ity and data portability.

glossary of Terms

8 9

nect with your constituents without breaking the bank.

The Fundraising professional – You’ve heard openness is a hot topic and are determined to figure out how to best leverage it to improve constituent outreach. You recognize the explosive and exponential nature of social media, and realize that you have to tap into this new channel.

What’s next for you? Continue to explore new and excit-ing ways for your organization to engage supporters by launching into the social Web as never before.

The Technology Vendor – Your nonprofit clients have been after you for quite some time, beg-ging for a simple way to integrate data between systems. You understand their needs, but all of your integration efforts to date have been “one-offs” -- customized solu-tions for individual clients.

What’s next for you? Embrace openness and connect with the partners that want to ensure your solution integrates with other systems; now is your opportunity to shine!

LOOKING FORWARD

Whatever role you play in helping nonprofits improve their outreach, you’re sure to benefit from solution providers and software systems that are “open.”

Managing all the options today -- and in the future -- means having more choice to be innovative. It means integrating your solutions and leveraging the current and next generation of Web 2.0. It means making the most of your technology investments to drive efficiency and effectiveness.

So embrace openness, and use your imagination and creativity -- because the sky’s the limit!

Meg Murphy is director, products & solutions marketing, for Convio, Inc. Reach her at 512.652.7895 or mmur-phy@convio.com.

McPherson Associates, Inc.IDEAS , STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION

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8 9

DMA’s 2007 New York Conference

10 11

10 11

C ost savings and lower capital expenditures have historically driven the trend of outsourcing donations processing. But the realities of fierce competition and higher donor-service expectations has many nonprofit organizations

taking a fresh look at outsourcing -- in order to improve donor stewardship, as well as achieve a more predictable expense base. What these organizations are discovering is that the business case for outsourcing donations processing is better than ever. Here are six reasons why.

Six Reasons for Outsourcing Donations Processing1. Reduced Capital Costs.

Outsourcing donations processing offers two types of savings: capital expenditures, and operations expenses. Nonprofit organizations can save nearly all of their intended capital expenditure (facilities, hardware, software, etc.) by working with an outsourcing provider. If the nonprofit’s donations volume increases because of a reinvigorated development campaign, having an outsourced service avoids the need to invest in additional capital or ramp-up capacity. Similarly, the nonprofit may find that the service bureau’s capacity offers a long-term strategic advantage. And if the nonprofit already has donations processing facilities, they can be sold, or used for other core purposes. In terms of ongoing unit costs, outsourcing can save nonprofits over 30 percent, plus the operational and administrative headaches of running the operation.

2. Converting fixed expenses to variable expenses. To the delight of CFOs, service bureaus work on a ‘per unit of work’ basis, meaning a nonprofit can eliminate a fixed expense that is a constant drain on the finances of the organization. Fixed expenses can have a major impact on the bottom line, particularly during off-peak times, or during a recession, when donation levels are down. By outsourcing, you pay based on your volumes.

Outsourcing Your Donations Processing Six Reasons Why It Makes More Sense Now Than Ever Before

Nancy Gessmann, Vice President, Operations and Customer Service, CDS Global

3. Easy access to skilled labor. Resources are tight at any nonprofit. Chances are, your employees would much rather be on the front lines helping your organization achieve its mission, than in the back office handling donations processing. Partnering with an outsourcer allows you to augment the skills of your staff with donations-processing experts -- and lets your employees focus on the things they really care about.

4. Cost-effective solutions

to seasonal or one-time work. Whether it’s a special fundraising campaign, disaster relief, or seasonal fluctuations in donations, most nonprofit organizations often experience extreme peaks in volumes. By

working with an outsourcer, nonprofits don’t have to create capacities to handle peak loads, and then support that capacity (and burn through precious capital) the rest of the year. An outsourcer’s ready capacity also ensures that your donor-service levels stay high.

5. Disaster recovery. In our increasingly uncertain world, an outsourced solutions provider can offer nonprofits more protection in the event of a catastrophe, providing geographically dispersed sites that can ensure seamless or nearly seamless processing in extreme events.

6. More data, faster. Today’s outsourced donations

processors do more than just process checks. Some can provide complex data capture for virtually any document that comes into your lockbox, delivering nonprofits more donor information, faster. This added value means you can acknowledge donors faster, and save yourself onerous back-end data-entry work.

The combination of fierce competition for donations, rising internal cost pressures, and the increasing focus on stewarding donors will fuel continued growth in outsourced donations processing over the next several years. As Sun Tzu noted in the The Art of War, “If you don’t seek out allies and help-ers, then you will be isolated and weak.”

12

Why People Give to Nonprofit Organizations

CompassionMost people care about others, and when they’re asked, will do whatever they can to help prevent another person – or animal – from suffering and misfortune.

Compassion is one reason why people give to nonprofit organizations.

LW Robbins Associates is another reason.

There are many reasons why people are so charitable. We’re one ofthem. See for yourself. Contact Lynn Edmonds at 1-800-229-5972or ledmonds@lwra.com. And ask her how we turn the charitablenature of people into such strong results for our clients.

REASON 8IN A SERIES

Strategic Fundraising Specialists

800.229.5972 • www.lwra.com

Nancy Gessmann is vice presi-dent of operations and customer ser-vice at Des Moines, IA-based CDS Global, a subsidiary of The Hearst Corporation, and a full-service provider of outsourced donations processing solutions to nonprofit or-ganizations. Nancy can be reached at ngessmann@cds-global.com

13

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TIMes hAVe ChANGeD

Today, the business of giving has become more complicated. Non-profits can no longer get away with restricting their marketing efforts to two months per year, nor can they afford the steep costs associated with sending a constant stream of mail to potential donors. And people aren’t getting any more generous, either. According to the Statistics of Income Bulletin published by the IRS each year, total annual giving in the United States has been rela-tively flat for a number of years, only increasing from $182 billion in 2001 to $187 billion in 2004. Meanwhile, the number of charitable organiza-tions and needy causes has skyrock-eted due to ever-increasing terrorist activities, genocides, and natural disasters. Consequently, for the individual looking to help out, the choice of which charities to support is nearly impossible to make. With modern technology such as the Internet, 24-hour cable news shows, and cell phones, international problems and causes people otherwise would not have been aware of are brought closer to home each day. When donors are deciding which causes to support, they are now looking far past the four walls of their local shelters, state organizations, or US-based needs. Should I help out people whose homes were destroyed by Katrina, or help the children in “You Name It” who are dying of disease and starva-tion every day? This is why there is now more

competition than ever among chari-table organizations for their share of their donors’ wallets. Accordingly, nonprofits need to change with the times. Nonprofits need to stay top-of-mind with their donors and prospects 365 days a year. Other-wise, when the holiday season comes along, their donors will have already exhausted their resources, having given to other worthwhile causes throughout the year. Unfortunately, the traditional channel of communicating with one’s donors and prospects is be-

coming cost prohibitive. With the new postal rate increase, some non-profits will find their mailing costs increasing by 25% or more. More-over, even without the rate increase, nonprofits can’t afford to send direct mail pieces on a regular basis. The ROI just isn’t there. While each individual charity’s Web site helps keep program information available, there needs to be more outreach and connection.

GOOD NeWs FOr hArD TIMes: eMAIL

What’s the solution? Capitalize

on today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world by converting your of-fline donors to multichannel donors through the use of a targeted email program. Email will allow you to cost-effectively reach your members on a regular basis.

Through email communications, you can:• Provideongoinginformationon

your organization’s successes (eg, numbers of people fed, clothed, housed, or treated)

• Articulatenewprogramsyouhave begun to institute

• Thankthemfortheircontinuedsupport

• Elicitsuggestionsfornewundertakings

• Offerlocalopportunitiesfordonating their time

…all without the expenses associ-ated with snail mail.

Convio, Inc. and StrategicOne re-cently completed a study titled “In-tegrating Online Marketing CRM with Direct Mail Fundraising.” The primary objective of this study was to quantify the influence of eCRM – “online constituent relationship management” on donor relation-ships.

The findings of the study are sig-nificant:• “Donorsengagedthrough

multiple communication channels have higher long-term value, retention, and lifetime value.”

• “Dual-channeldonorsgaveasmuch through offline sources as offline-only donors, indicating that the online channel does not cannibalize revenue from direct mail.”

Not Your Daddy’s Nonprofit Anymorecontinued from cover

there is now more

competition than ever among

charitable organizations

for their share of their donors’

wallets.

14 15

• Dual-channeldonors“receivingeCRM outperform those who only receive offline communication – giving twice as much or more over their lifetimes, primarily driven by a lift in giving frequency.”

• “Theincreasedvalueofadding an online donation and solicitation channel for donors acquired offline is $44.71 (a 39% increase) per donor over 12 months.”

MAKe eMAIL A TOP PrIOrITY!

“I’m convinced,” you say. “But the problem is, I only have email ad-dresses for a small percentage of my donors. How can I quickly build my email address database in an ethical and cost-effective manner?” You can begin leveraging your email communications to boost re-sponse by taking a few crucial steps.

1. First, make building your email address database a top priority. There’s little else you can do in the next 12 months that will have as dramatic an effect on your fundraising efforts. Moreover, your return on this investment in time and energy will have significant long-term benefits, as well as equip your organization to keep pace in the 21st century.

2. Ask for an email address at every touch point with your donors and prospects. Your Web site, direct mail pieces and solicitations, and call centers should all be focused on obtaining email addresses whenever possible.

3. Understand that your members may be hesitant to hand out their email addresses. Give people

multiple reasons to do so -- donation confirmations, access to special research, updates on relevant legislation or local initiatives. Let them know that the cost-savings of email will enable your organization to use your funds to help those in need rather than spending them on postal costs.

4. Engage a reputable company to provide email appending services for you on a regular basis. When performed in a professional and conscientious manner, email appending (ie, the process of adding opt-in email addresses to your donor database) can help you jumpstart your email marketing initiatives and nearly double the size of your email database in approximately one month.

PUT ThOse sANTA sUITs AWAY!

Volunteers dressed in Santa outfits ringing bells were an effective and inexpensive marketing solution back when the Beatles were just get-ting started and television screens were in black and white. Unfortu-nately (or fortunately, depending on your music tastes), the times have changed. The world now moves at a faster pace, and more and more worthwhile causes are clamoring for donors’ wallets, which are already being squeezed by real escalations in living, health, and educational expenses. The nonprofits that will survive and go on to thrive in this environ-ment are those that embrace change, and leverage email marketing and technology to help them build deeper, longer-lasting relationships

with their donors. The time to do this is today -- not next quarter, not next month, not tomorrow, but TODAY! Start building your email database before the day is over -- and make your Daddy proud.

Bill Kaplan is CEO of FreshAd-dress. You can reach him at bill@freshaddress.com.

It’s About Making a Difference.For over 40 years, non-profits haverelied on H&J’s value and experience todeliver direct mail fundraising results.

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There’s something wrong with your copy. And you know it. Not only does it fail to perform as well as it has in the past, but it’s be-coming staler quicker. Your words – the ones you thought were emotive and touching – just aren’t affecting donors as you’d hoped. It’s per-plexing, really. You spent, like, two hours writing that letter, and it’s barely registering a response. You wonder why. Not to rain on your self-pity pa-rade or anything, but I know why: Your copy is boring. Plain and sim-ple. Before you start calling me names like smug and arrogant, hear me out. I won’t take back what I said – I stand by my assessment – but I will say that you’re not alone. As a copywriter myself, I fall prey to the pitfalls of direct mail fundraising, which are often determined by an indiscriminate deadline. As a result, not every one-page petition for funds can be award-winning. Nor can it be expected to generate a 20-percent response rate. But, what it should strive to ac-complish – at all times – is to stand out among the many pleas that the populace at large receives each day. Because, well, that’s our job.

TRUE EMPATHY Here’s a question for you: When was the last time you cried? To be more specific, when was the last time you cried about something that didn’t directly affect you? Not a divorce or a death in the family, but rather an event or incident that moved you to tears. Something like the Kennedy assassination. Or the Challenger explosion. Or when Baby Jessica fell down the well. (Trust me, I’m going somewhere with this.) While the exact date is some-what blurred in my memory, the first time I cried over something other than myself was on or about Sept. 13, 2001. Two days prior, I watched in horror as two passenger jets slammed into the World Trade Center, followed an hour later by the fall of a combined 220 stories of steel and national safety. Having never experienced any-thing even close to that catastrophe up to that point, I didn’t know how to handle it. Over and over I asked myself what I should do. Run for the hills? March over to the nearest mil-itary recruiting office? Hide under my covers wishing that it would all go away? Choosing none of those options, I simply sat inside my ramshackle Volvo, saturated with scenes of de-struction and death, listening to the radio. Then it happened. For the first time in nearly 10 years, I heard Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the

USA,” and subsequently wept my hazel eyes out. Yes, you can argue that it was mostly the timing of the song – con-sidering the circumstances – that made its music and lyrics so patri-otically powerful back then, but it doesn’t demean the fact that at that moment, Greenwood’s 20-year-old words were as motivating as any I had ever heard. They said precisely what I was longing for. They provided solace in a truly ominous situation. They made me get up off of my ass to ask, what can I do to help? And that’s what good copy is capa-ble of – inspiring its audience to act. So, why doesn’t yours?

LOSING YOURSELF It’s probably because you’re not losing yourself in the situation about which you’re writing. To engage your donors enough to respond, it’s imperative to write from the per-spective of the person or group in need. You have to feel what they feel. You must convey the supreme criti-cality of the dilemma at hand. To get there, you have to become nothing less than a person dying of cancer or a soldier whose limbs have been sev-ered by a roadside bomb.

…AND MEANING IT There’s also another obstacle

21st Century Copywriting – but Don’t

What You should Know About

Michael A. Knipp, Chief Copywriter and Editor, Creative Direct Response

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to overcome – competing with the desensitization that has stricken our society. Because we’re flooded with 24-hour images of everything that’s wrong in the world, it’s harder and harder for us to feel for others’ plights. But it’s understandable. When you’ve seen fellow citizens taking their final plunge from 90 floors above the heart of New York’s financial district, or lying in waste in the middle of Bourbon Street – all on daytime TV – you’re not easily im-pacted by half-hearted appeals that usually come across as more about making money than a real differ-ence. Consequently, we’re poles apart from where we were at the turn of the century. We’ve become hard-ened, skeptical, full of cynicism. We’ve erected walls to protect our-selves. We’re scared. We know when someone is trying to shake us for a

few bucks to line their own pockets, and we can determine when the need is relevant. On the flip side, we’re stronger in spirit and more likely to give than ever before. You just have to know how to ask. And mean it.

A TOUGH BUT DOABLE TASK While it’s not an easy task writing to today’s donors – and persuading them to loosen their purse strings – it can be done. When I write fund-raising copy, I revisit the embrace of the September sun six years ago and hark back to what Greenwood’s American classic evoked: desola-tion, desperation, and hope. We all know those feelings well, and they’re ones that speak to the needs of just about every charity out there. Your

goal is to give those feelings a name, face, and story – the kind that makes us cry inside. The kind that reminds us how good we have it, and how fast it can be taken away.

Michael A. Knipp is chief copy-writer and editor at Creative Direct Response – a member of CDR Fund-raising Group (www.cdrfg.com) – located in Bowie, Md. A newcomer to nonprofit fundraising, Knipp writes a bimonthly column called Up-and-Comers for Marketing Ad-Vents, a publication of the Direct Marketing Association of Washing-ton. Earlier this year, he was named a Rising Star in the agency category of Fundraising Success magazine’s 2007 Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards.

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It surfaced as a quirky way for high school and college students to meet friends, date, and stay in touch -- using then little-known applications like MyS-pace and Facebook. Social networking then evolved into a means for profes-sionals to network, recruit, and connect with former co-workers using sites like LinkedIn. But what savvy nonprofits, higher education institutions, and membership organizations are learning is that social networking and other next-generation technology are a great way to keep supporters, alumni, and members engaged with the organization and each other. Organizations can learn of new ways to engage members from the leadership and success of other institutions in developing and implementing best practices.

NeXT-GeNerATION ALUMNI eXPerIeNCe

For example, the University of Notre Dame recently started delivering a next-generation alumni experience – including sophisticated social networking and engagement capabilities, to approximately 120,000 graduates active in more than 300 alumni clubs, classes, and affinity groups worldwide, using Kintera’s technology platform. As one of the top alumni associations in the country, Notre Dame has always been a thought leader in engaging alumni. But with Kintera, Notre Dame has expanded beyond a traditional alumni directory to provide alumni with advanced social networking at http://alumni.nd.edu. Graduates can create, update, and link to personal Web pages to stay connected with friends and the university. In addition, alumni can access advanced career and professional networking re-sources, such as personalized online job searches, custom job boards, and men-torship opportunities. By offering advanced social networking directly from its alumni Web site, Notre Dame is increasing the ‘stickiness’ of its site, giving alumni a reason to continuously return. In addition, social networking encourages members to not only spend more time on the site, but dig deeper to find old classmates and career connections, potentially exposing them to the University’s messages for longer periods of time. Notre Dame has also enhanced the online alumni experience by offering grad-uates email forwarding, a Notre Dame football ticket consignment service, and the ability for donors to view their recent giving. By regularly using value-added services, such as the ticket consignment service and email forwarding, alumni can deepen their affinity to and pride for their institution.

social Networking Grows UpEngaging Alumni and Members Online With Next-Generation Technology

Darryl Gordon, Vice President of Marketing, Kintera

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DATA ACCess, TOO

The University is also using Kin-tera’s virtual account technology to provide customizable data access rights and privileges for the 2,000 data segments in its database. For ex-ample, the president of a geographi-cally based Notre Dame club can access and manage alumni data for that specific club, as well as manage communications and the local club Web site. This means that members of the San Diego alumni club can re-ceive content, information, and invi-tations to events that are specific to their location, and develop relation-ships with fellow alumni located in their same city. Used by Notre Dame, the Kintera Alumni Engagement Center pro-vides easy-to-use and cost-effective content management, communica-tions, and online directory tools that drive lifetime alumni engagement, foster online social networking and relationship development, and cre-ate compelling and convenient op-portunities for communication with and among alumni. Kintera’s inte-grated CRM features ensure the in-stitution’s message is relevant, time-ly, and personalized.

VITAL sITes bOOsT reTUrN VIsITs

Developing and offering social networking capabilities to member-ship via an organization’s own Web site, such as Notre Dame’s alumni networking site, provides even great-er value, resources, and connections to members. This offering provides an ongoing reason for members to regularly return to the site, contrib-ute their own content and value to the site, and deepen their affinity for the organization and other members

through these unique opportunities to connect.

INCOrPOrATING sOCIAL NeTWOrKING INTO YOUr Web sTrATeGY

In addition to offering social net-working opportunities via their own Web site, nonprofits can increase awareness, grow supporters, and further their cause by effectively in-corporating external social network-ing into their Web strategy. Social networking has become a vital ele-ment in any fundraising and com-munication initiative. For example, Life Rolls On – a San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to raising mon-ey for spinal cord injury research – found 14,000 “friends” using social networking site MySpace as a com-munication tool. No matter the avenue, the con-cept of online communities and so-cial networking sites is continuing to grow. In fact, it’s no longer just an-other way to reach a younger genera-tion; it is also becoming a primary way to reach donors. A recent study by ComScore Net-works found that 68 percent of MyS-pace users are 25 or over. “Support Breast Cancer Research,” the lead-ing cause on Facebook, had nearly 1.7 million members near the end of September.

Social networking is becoming popular in the nonprofit sector for two main reasons:

1. It’s free. Nonprofits can create and/or expand their presence on-line without any charge.

2. It’s creative. Some content man-agement systems (CMS) now of-fer gadgets, such as a fundraising

thermometer or honor roll track-ing tool, that are easily incorpo-rated into social networking sites to enable constituents to become true advocates of the cause – and raise more money.

Recently ranked the number one nonprofit on MySpace, Life Rolls On, along with Kintera, offers the follow-ing five tips to help nonprofits lever-age social networking in their fund-raising and engagement efforts.

FIVe TIPs FOr LeVerAGING sOCIAL NeTWOrKING FOr NONPrOFIT CAUses

1. Develop a presence. Set up a group page and individual profile to develop a presence on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook -- by creating a site and profile dedicated specifically to the nonprofit.

An important point to remember: group pages and profiles should link to each other and link back to the nonprofit’s Web site. This will help ensure that nonprofits en-gage potential supporters during the same Web experience. Con-stituents will be more likely to en-gage with the nonprofit, donate, or volunteer, when they are given the opportunity to act while their interest is peaked. This will also decrease the chances that poten-tial supporters will get distracted while surfing the Internet.

2. Use gadgets. Gadgets, such as a fundraising thermometer, or the honor roll tracking tool, create a visual representation of how well an individual supporter is reach-ing his/her goal, and how well the organization is meeting its goal. Nonprofits can leverage a

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supporter’s individual social net-working pages by soliciting them to post gadgets that encourage giving and thereby increase fund-raising results.

3. Post bulletins. Many organiza-tions post bulletins on their social networking page to announce new tools that have become available for constituents to use on person-al Web pages. These tools can be anything from promotional ban-ners to news clippings. Like gad-gets, bulletins should link back to the nonprofit’s Web page, where visitors can explore more about the organization and its mission.

4. Recruit volunteers. Social net-working can also be used to recruit volunteers to be “social network-ing ambassadors.” Nonprofits of-ten rely on volunteers to support fundraising initiatives and the organization’s mission. Why not use volunteers to support social networking initiatives? Volun-teers can serve as an extension of the nonprofit’s group page. Social networking ambassadors act as an additional hand reaching out to more people -- and enabling those people to reach out to even more potential supporters.

5. Promote yourself. One of the most basic things nonprofits can do on group pages is to promote, promote, promote. You can use social networking pages as anoth-er medium to communicate and promote the organization, events, campaigns, etc. Additionally, con-stituents should also be able to promote events, campaigns, etc., on their individual pages.

“By leveraging the power of social networking, Life Rolls On has been

able to inspire and motivate both the able-bodied and disabled with the message of achievement in the face of extreme adversity at a much faster rate than traditional methods,” said Josh Billauer, board president of Life Rolls On. “MySpace has enabled us to reach out, connect, inspire, and motivate more people. As a result, more people are mobilizing to get involved – and get others involved -- with Life Rolls On.”

KeY TO sUCCessFUL NeTWOrKING: CONsIsTeNCY

The important thing for non-profits to remember is to present a consistent face throughout all on-line interactions. Nonprofits need to ensure that their social networking site, gadgets, bulletins, promotions, and even online “ambassadors” pres-ent the same images and messages as the nonprofit’s Web site, newsletter, and all other communication. Leveraging the success and pop-ularity of leading social networking applications such as MySpace and Facebook is a cost-effective and rela-tively simple way to engage mem-bers and supporters online, and rally them behind your cause. It also deepens constituents’ relationships with each other, offering them a new way to connect in which they control the interaction. The way an organization engages its members using social network-ing depends on the size, type, style, and resources of that organization. Social networking exists in a variety of forms, and given its online nature, levels the playing field for nonprofits to use the technology to further en-gage members and fulfill their mis-sion.

Darryl Gordon is vice presi-dent of marketing at Kintera. He is responsible for the continued stra-tegic development and execution of Kintera’s marketing strategy. An accomplished marketing executive with nearly 20 years of experience, he has served in senior roles at com-panies including Memec, Websense, and Mail Boxes Etc. You can contact him at darryl.gordon@kintera.com.

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DMA’s ethics: DMA’s ‘Commitment to Consumer Choice’What All Nonprofit Members Need to KnowMarsha Goldberger, Director Corporate Responsibility, DMA

In May 2007, DMA’s Board of Directors took an important step toward securing the future of direct marketers’ ability to communicate with consumers. The step taken, passage of the new Commitment to Consumer Choice (CCC), addresses the prefer-ences and concerns of consumers and policymakers. Most importantly, the Com-mitment to Consumer Choice also provides a proactive approach to environmental and privacy issues.

bACKGrOUND/IMPOrTANCe OF The CCC TO NONPrOFITsDMA believes the new Commitment to Consumer Choice is one of the best ways for the Association and its members – including nonprofits – to address the very real threat to mail exhibited today. This threat is three-pronged: 1. State governments calling for legislation that would require Do Not Mail

registries, much like the national Do Not Call registry.2. Organizations, both for-profit and nonprofit, promoting the end of commercial

mail.3. Consumers who have expressed several concerns. Specifically, consumers are

concerned about the volume and relevance of the mail they receive, ID theft and privacy, and the environmental impact of producing and disposing of unwanted direct mail.

The Commitment to Consumer Choice reflects the strong belief that the evolving needs of consumers must be met in order to be successful in today’s market, and that effective self-regulatory actions will directly respond to the advocates and regula-tors who otherwise would respond with their own initiatives.

sTePs reQUIreD OF NONPrOFITs TO MeeT The reQUIreMeNTs OF The CCCIn Summary: 1. The CCC requires DMA members to provide existing and prospective donors

with notice of an opportunity to modify future mail solicitations from their organization in every commercial solicitation. The notice should contain access to an option to eliminate future mailings in which the primary purpose is to ask for donations, and may also offer additional modification options.

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2. The CCC also requires nonprofits to tell consumers (upon request) where they got their names, and to use DMA’s Mail Preference Service name-removal file every month.

3. DMA members are required to view an instructional Web-based training video on the details of the CCC, and certify completion of the training by taking a simple online test.

4. A nonprofit organization should establish internal policies and practices in support of the CCC. DMA will offer an optional year-round monitoring program for its members.

DeTAILs OF The FOUr COMMITMeNTs COMPrIsING The CCC:

CoMMItMENt NUMbER oNE – EffECtIvEly HoNoRINg CoNSUMER REqUEStS foR MoDIfyINg oR ElIMINatINg MaIl • a marketer should provide existing and

prospective customers and donors with notice of an opportunity to modify future mail solicitations from their organization.

• Thenoticeshould:- Contain access to an option to eliminate

future commercial mailings; it may also offer additional modification options

- Appear in every marketing offer - Be easy for the consumer to find, read,

understand, and act upon

• Aconsumer’srequestforeliminationoffuturemailings should be honored: - Within 30 days - For a period of at least three years from the date

of receipt of request

• Anin-housesuppressionrequestfromaconsumeralso indicates that the consumer wants to eliminate the transfer or rental of his or her personal

information to other marketers. • Whereaffiliates,divisions,orsubsidiariesmarket

under different company or brand names, and are perceived as separate by the consumer, each corporate entity or brand should honor its own received requests.

Commentary: As you know, existing DMA guidelines already require nonprofit organizations to honor in-house sup-pression requests – that is, requests not to receive mail anymore from your organization. They also require that you provide notice of rental, sale, or exchange of donor information to third-party organizations soon after a prospect becomes a donor and at least annually thereafter. The CCC builds on this requirement by requiring nonprofits to give notice of the availability of an in-house suppression function, which could also include options for modifying the consumer’s receipt of mail. The notice on the mailing piece can offer modifica-tion options – for instance, receipt of mail on a less fre-quent basis, or receipt of mail just from one division of your organization – but should also either offer a way to eliminate further mailings, or refer consumers to another access point (Web site, phone number, mail-ing address) where they can easily exercise the option to eliminate future mailings, if they wish. The notice does not have to be in a specific place on the mailing piece or the envelope, or be of a certain font or size. Your organization’s notice should, how-ever, be easy for consumers to find, read, understand, and act on!

Note: It’s important to note that the notice needs to be only in mailings where the primary purpose of the mailing is to ask consumers to make a donation. Again, the notice can refer consumers to the location of your Web site where they can easily affect their choices to modify or eliminate mailings from your organization.

You are Not required to place notices of in-house suppression in:• Billingstatements• Thank-youletters• Orderfulfillmentpackages• Volunteerrecruitmentpieces• Customerservicecommunications

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A consumer’s name should be placed on your in-house suppression list within 30 days of the consum-er’s request. Of course, consumers may receive mail-ings that were already in process, and this is generally understood. You may want to let consumers know to expect a piece or two of mail before the request takes effect, and when mailings will cease. An in-house suppression request from a consumer should be interpreted as meaning that the consumer also wants to opt out of the transfer of his or her name to other organizations. In effect, the consumer is ask-ing both not to hear from your organization anymore, and not to share his or her name with others. However, a consumer’s request to simply modify mailings – for instance, to receive two donation requests a year instead of four – would not trigger an opt-out request for information transfers.

Sample language: You can find many examples of notice language in the Commitment to Consumer Choice Member Com-pliance Guide at www.DMACCC.org. A few are offered below for your review.

We have appreciated your donations to our im-portant mission. If you wish to modify the receipt of future requests from us, go to our Web site at: www.yourwebsite.org.

We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable organizations whose mission may interest you. If you prefer that we not exchange your name with others, or if you wish to modify future requests from us, please call xxx.xxx.xxxx or go to www.yourwebsite.org/memberservice.

We believe in environmental stewardship, and understand environmental issues are important to you, too. To see our environmental practices or to modify or eliminate the amount of mail you receive from us, go to www.yourorganization.org/environment.

CoMMItMENt NUMbER two – DISCloSINg tHE SoURCE of tHE CoNSUMER’S NaME

• Uponrequestbyaconsumer,anorganizationshould disclose the source from which it obtained personally identifiable data about that consumer.

Informing consumers who are trying to reduce the amount of mail they receive that you don’t know where you got their names is not a good way to build consumer trust. If consumers request information as to the source of their names on your prospecting list, you should be able to tell them. If, because of unusual circumstances, you cannot be specific as to the source, at least tell consumers the kinds of sources you use. If your organization rented the consumer’s name through a cooperative database or other multi-list provider, it is sufficient to tell the consumer the name of that entity. DMA does not specify the method for providing source information to consumers, as that is up to each organization. At some organizations, the customer service representative is able to locate the source of the mailing and provide it right away to the consumer. At others, requests for source information are routed to other personnel and consumers are subsequently provided the requested information. Because of this CCC requirement, your organiza-tion should not enter into agreements with list sources that would prohibit disclosing the source of informa-tion to consumers. Also, you should make sure that your own lists are not rented or sold with this non-disclosure of source provision.

CoMMItMENt NUMbER tHREE – USE of tHE DMa MaIl PREfERENCE SERvICE

• Amembershouldusethemostrecentmonthlyrelease of the MPS file before contacting prospects.

As you know, the Mail Preference Service (MPS) is DMA’s file of consumers who do not wish to receive solicitations from organizations they don’t already contribute to. Individuals register their names and ad-

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dresses with MPS via DMA’s online registration page. Using MPS every month instead of on a quarterly ba-sis, as now required by the CCC, will greatly increase the speed in which consumer choices are honored. Your organization or its service bureaus can get more information about and access MPS by going to http:preference.the-dma.org/products.

CoMMItMENt NUMbER foUR – EStablISHINg SyStEMatIC PRaCtICES

• Anonprofitorganizationshouldestablishinternal policies and practices in support of the CCC.

DMA has designed several steps along the way in promoting the CCC program to its members. These steps educate members as to the requirements of the CCC, and should help get you started in terms of es-tablishing your own internal practices.

• First,allDMAnonprofitmembershavebeenasked to designate a senior-level person in their organization who has responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the CCC.

• Next,DMAhasprovidedaninstructionalWeb-based training video on the details of the CCC, and a simple online test that your organization must pass. We are asking current members to take this short test within three months of their DMA membership renewal date, and every five years after that.

• Yourorganizationneedstohaveinternalsystemsinplace in order to adhere to the CCC -- specifically, mechanisms to honor requests from consumers to suppress mailings, not transfer consumer information to third parties, and/or to modify mailings. A senior-level executive should be responsible for making sure that your organization implements its policies and practices, and reviews and updates them as necessary. Both new and existing staff members need ongoing training as to your policies and how to implement them properly. In addition, your organization should promote its policies to its donors and prospects clearly and accurately.

• Finally,theDMAwillbeofferingitsmemberstheoption to participate in a fee-based program that will consist of year-round audits of adherence to the CCC. It will enable your organization to use a special program logo to demonstrate your commitment to self-regulation and doing the right thing. More details to come regarding that option!

eFFeCTIVe DATe AND TrANsITIONAL PerIOD FOr CCC reQUIreMeNTsThe effective date of the Commitment to Consumer Choice is October 2007 (with its announcement at DMA07).

Note: There is a 12-month transition period to imple-ment the Consumer Notice requirement. Therefore, members should be implementing the Consumer Notice requirement of the CCC by October 2008. Dur-ing this transitional time, your organization can test various notices and procedures for their practicality and effectiveness.

The other requirements of the CCC, however, should be implemented immediately. Suppliers and other businesses that provide services to nonprofits should also understand the new require-ments, so they can implement them on behalf of their clients.

Resources:Examples of the In-House Suppress Notice, a discus-sion of the role of suppliers in meeting the CCC’s requirements, and other information is contained in the Commitment to Consumer Choice Compliance Manual. The manual, DMA’s training video and the simple CCC test, and FAQs, are all available at: www.DMACCC.org. You can also contact DMA’s Depart-ment of Corporate Responsibility at: CCC@the-dma.org with any specific questions you may have.

Marsha Goldberger is director, corporate responsibil-ity, at the Direct Marketing Association. You can con-tact her at 202.861.2409 or mgoldberger@the-dma.org.

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