A Blast From the Past: S(p)ending Money to Make Money (August 2010)

FundRaising Success published its first issue in November 2003, which makes this our 10-year anniversary year. To celebrate, we'll be taking a look back at past issues throughout the year.

There's a lot of money in the mail these days. Over a period of about six weeks, I racked up $4.65 in cash and checks from nine different nonprofits. Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge sent a quarter, and Soldiers' Angels mailed a dollar bill. I also received a $1 Council of Indian Nations check, and the National Humane Education Society sent me a check for two bucks. Both nonprofits assured me in the first line of the letter that the check is indeed real … but they hope I won't cash it.

It's your nickel
The remaining 40 cents arrived mostly one nickel at a time. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) each sent me a nickel, attached to a sheet of address labels. They all phrase their messages slightly differently but use the coins to "make a point." The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society says the least about the nickel, but it's still central to its offer from the "How can 5¢ save a child's life?" envelope teaser to the "Let me tell you …" headline inside.

Read the rest of the article here.