A kinder, back-to-basics approach to donor relations amounted to a 30 percent increase in contributions for D.C.’s Heritage Foundation.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

Effectiveness, however, is another story. Members want to see results.

In that respect, the Heritage Foundation has an advantage over other nonprofits. Its issues are highly public, and it has established itself as a leader on those issues. You’ll often see staff members giving interviews or testifying before Congress. It’s an advantage the foundation recognizes and plays to the max.