31Jan 2005 by Bob Cargill

Running the Boston Marathon for Charity: A Personal Fundraising Initiative (Part Three)

Boston Marathon, Direct Marketing, Fundraising
After running for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team in 1996, it wasn't until 2002 that I legged out the 26 miles and 385 yards between Hopkinton and Boston again for charity, only this time it was for a different charitable organization, The Home for Little Wanderers. Founded in 1799, The Home is a nationally renowned, private, non-profit child and family service agency providing services to more than 10,000 children and families each year. Compared to some of the larger nonprofits taking part in the Boston Marathon Charity Program (such as the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), The Home Team was a relatively small team – but our individual fundraising goals were comparable. In exchange for the opportunity to run Boston officially, we were required to raise a minimum of $2,500 each, a…
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24Jan 2005 by Bob Cargill

Running the Boston Marathon for Charity: A Personal Fundraising Initiative (Part Two)

Boston Marathon, Direct Marketing, Fundraising
I may have clocked my best time ever for this race the first time I ran it – as a “bandit” – in 1981 (3:34:24), but the best experiences I have had in Boston have been when I have run the marathon for charity.Indeed, for those who are running it for a charitable organization, this historic marathon is not just an enormous challenge, it’s also an opportunity to make a difference in other people’s lives, a good way to feel like a champion come race day even though you may be pulling up the rear.The Boston Athletic Association’s Boston Marathon Charity Program is the quintessential pledge-based fundraising event for the average runner who otherwise might never have the chance to officially take part in such an elite competition.It’s a classic…
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18Jan 2005 by Bob Cargill

Running the Boston Marathon for Charity: A Personal Fundraising Initiative (Part One)

Boston Marathon, Direct Marketing, Fundraising
Everyone has heard of the Boston Marathon. It's the mother of all road races, the most celebrated of them all. Held each year on Patriot's Day, a holiday recognized only in Massachusetts and Maine, its legendary course stretches a long, laborious 26 miles and 385 yards, country point to city point, from the sleepy, little town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to the heart of the state’s capital.I get tired just thinking about it.But seriously, for a runner like me, any agony experienced along the way is worth the ecstasy at the end. It doesn’t get any better than crossing the finish line of what is arguably the most prestigious road race in the world.Meeting the eligibility requirements to run the Boston Marathon isn’t easy, though. For me, it would be next…
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12Jan 2005 by Bob Cargill

Terry Gets Lax

Advertising
In today's Boston Herald, the Inside Track reports that Terry Francona, manager of the World Champion Boston Red Sox, has signed on as a spokesman for Metamucil. According to the article, written by Track gals Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa, the Sox skipper has “been downing the fiber laxative daily for a decade.” H-m-m-m, maybe that explains why Procter & Gamble ran such a prominent Sox "congratulatory" ad for its popular fiber supplement so soon after the conclusion of the latest – and perhaps most remarkable – postseason chapter in Major League Baseball history. The company was behind Terry every step of the way. If you recall, following the Sox’s World Series victory, I wrote an article here – in A Fine Kettle of Fish – in which I ranked…
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10Jan 2005 by Bob Cargill

A Dip in Donations to Non-Tsunami Relief Nonprofits?

Fundraising
Americans have risen to the occasion and already given millions of dollars to support tsunami relief efforts, but according to the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), "it is quite probable that charities working on issues unrelated to tsunami relief will see a decrease in their fundraising in the short-term.” Consistent with charitable giving patterns following 9/11 and other major tragedies, “most charities will not see any long-term impact” as a result of the tsunami disaster, AFP recently told its members. “AFP believes that people recognize that the tsunami relief effort represents a special gift, over and above what individuals and organizations would normally give,” reported the association. “Your local women’s shelter; universities offering bursaries and scholarships; AIDS prevention programs at home and abroad; ongoing hurricane recovery in the Caribbean; food…
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04Jan 2005 by Bob Cargill

In the Wake of the Tsunami, Blogs Show ROI (and More)

Blogging, Fundraising
A couple of weeks ago, Paul Chaney of the Radiant Marketing Group blog, asked me for my "take on Bob Bly's argument that there is no ROI potential in blogging, at least none that he sees." He wanted to know how I, as a direct marketer, saw blogs fitting the mold. My reply to him (verbatim) was this: “With a blog, you may not get an immediate and demonstrable ROI, but like a good PR initiative, blogging certainly can lead to new business. “As I wrote in my own blog recently, if you use press releases, newsletters and bylined articles to promote your products and people, a blog is the next better thing – now. “As a veteran direct marketing copywriter and creative director, I’m not here to tell you…
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