Fundraising Archives - Page 5 of 10

10Apr 2006 by Bob Cargill

A New Marketing Commentator Wins NEDMA Gold

Blogging, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing

I’ve been blogging for more than two years now, and I can’t say there haven’t been days when I’ve wondered if all the time and energy I put into A New Marketing Commentator is worth it. But last Thursday wasn’t one of them. That was when the 25th Annual New England Direct Marketing Association’s Awards for Creative Excellence were handed out, and this blog was honored with gold. Yes, this labor of love of mine was the first blog ever to win a NEDMA award, and that award just happened to be first place in one of the Interactive categories (Other Interactive, B-to-B: CD-ROMs, Videos, Interactive Kiosks, Blogs). How cool is that? Not to toot my own horn, but I was also fortunate to receive three awards for the direct…

06Apr 2006 by Bob Cargill

Please Sponsor Bob’s Boston Marathon Run for Children’s Hospital Boston

Boston Marathon, Cause-Related Marketing, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations

Less than two weeks from now (April 17), I’ll be running yet another Boston Marathon (it’ll be the eighth time I’ve made the same journey, the fifth time for charity), and I can’t tell you how much I'm looking forward to this very special day. I’ve enjoyed running since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, so for me, no matter how many times I’ve gone the distance, running Boston is still the thrill of a lifetime, a childhood dream come remarkably true. I’m lucky, though. Some children’s dreams are mercilessly dashed due to dread, debilitating diseases and disorders that you and I can’t even begin to imagine. Their challenge isn’t a marathon – it’s life itself, one difficult day at a time, courageously contending with poor health, waiting for a…

14Mar 2006 by Bob Cargill

Boston Marathon Runner Up for Bid on eBay for Children’s Hospital Boston

Advertising, Boston Marathon, Branding, Cause-Related Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations

If you've been reading A New Marketing Commentator over the course of the last few months, you know that in less than five weeks, I’ll be running the Boston Marathon once again for one of the best pediatric hospitals in the country, Children’s Hospital Boston. This year I have pledged to raise a minimum of $3,500 for Children’s, and I still have a little way to go. So if you would like to contribute to this cause, I certainly would appreciate it. To make a secure, online donation, simply click here or write a check – payable to Children’s Hospital Boston – and return it to my attention at 33 Oakwood Avenue, Sudbury, MA 01776. To be honest with you, I thought I was conducting a fairly ambitious fundraising campaign…

07Mar 2006 by Bob Cargill

Using Direct Mail to Land a New Job

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Cause-Related Marketing, Client Service, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations

If you’ve ever been between jobs, you know how much of a challenge it is to stand out in a crowd of those who are ambitiously jockeying for the same gig. After all, chances are you’re just one of dozens, if not hundreds, with relatively similar credentials in line for that one plum position. And unless you know someone in a corner office who can grant you the inside track, the odds of your resume getting past the gatekeepers and in the hands of the top dog are slim to none, never mind getting your foot in the door for an interview. With that said, in addition to going about my new job search in all the usual ways – posting my resume on online job boards such as Monster…

01Mar 2006 by Bob Cargill

David Baker: “Clients Care More About How the Work is Managed and Delivered Than the Work Itself”

Advertising, Branding, Client Service, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations

In an article published recently in his firm’s newsletter, David Baker, Principal of ReCourses, Inc., a management consulting firm that works exclusively with public relations, advertising, and design firms, makes the rather startling claim that “your clients care more about how the work is managed and delivered than the work itself.” At first, that notion may seem preposterous to many of us agency folks, especially those of us who toil away in the creative department day in and day out. After all, why would our clients care how we get it done, as long we get it done well? However, having had the opportunity to have met David before and to have been on the receiving end of his professional advice, I’m inclined to defer to his experience and expertise…

20Feb 2006 by Bob Cargill

A Career Imperative at the Crossroads of Change

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Cause-Related Marketing, Client Service, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations

If you know of an organization that’s looking for an experienced direct marketer and enthusiastic, entrepreneurial creative director, copywriter, blogger and public speaker, I know of someone who fits the bill. Moi. Yes, I’m here to tell you that even though my employment with one company has just recently come to an end, I have no intention whatsoever of letting even a few blades of grass grow like a contagion under my feet. Given such urgency and resolve, I have already touched base with my network of friends and colleagues in the terrestrial world, letting them know of my availability and desire to land a new full-time job – or contract assignment – as soon as possible. And, of course, I've been wading my way through Monster, Talent Zoo and…

15Feb 2006 by Bob Cargill

Deval Patrick’s Online Fundraising Campaign

Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing

Not unlike Howard Dean did with his phenomenally successful – and groundbreaking – Web-based campaign in 2004, Massachusetts democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick is leveraging today’s new online marketing tools to bring in more donations and, ultimately, votes. According to an article that appeared in The Boston Globe on December 31, 2005 (the article in its entirety can be found in the Globe archives, which are free to home delivery subscribers), Patrick’s “Internet donations have topped $240,000, or about 15 percent of the $1.6 million Patrick has raised from donors since he began running early in 2005.” “Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick is bringing the Internet age to Massachusetts politics as never seen before, setting up an online fund-raising system that has brought in nearly a quarter-million dollars in the…

30Jan 2006 by Bob Cargill

Running the Boston Marathon for Children’s Hospital Boston — Update

Boston Marathon, Cause-Related Marketing, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing

As I first wrote in this space about three months ago, on April 17, I’ll be pounding the pavement once again from Hopkinton to Boston, determinedly putting one foot in front of another for more than 26 long, arduous miles. It’ll be the 8th time I’ve taken the same exhausting journey. And I’ll be tired and sore most of the way. But it doesn’t get any better than crossing the finish line of what is arguably the most prestigious road race in the world, the Boston Marathon, especially when you’re running as a member of Children’s Hospital’s Miles for Miracles Team Boston, raising funds for one of the best pediatric hospitals in the country, located right here in my home state of Massachusetts. This time around, I have committed to…

04Jan 2006 by Bob Cargill

Newport’s John Pannell: “Ask for a Test Package, Not a Proposal”

Client Service, Direct Marketing, Fundraising

In the November/December 2005 issue of NEDMA News, John Pannell, Founder and President of Newport Creative Communications (which, in the spirit of full disclosure, is the agency for which I work), questions the traditional client-agency RFP process. John Pannell Founder and President of Newport Creative Communications “Personally, I don't think nonprofit organizations should be making any big decisions about the future of their fundraising programs based on proposals received from a short list of direct response fundraising agencies,” writes John. “Don't send out that RFP and trust that the best proposal necessarily represents the best agency for you. Don't fool yourself into thinking that your suitors' references aren't carefully selected to provide only the most flattering recommendations. Don't mistake charisma for capability or promises for results.” His suggestion? “Clearly, there…