A new strategy helps Mothers Against Drunk Driving revive its stagnant fundraising, recommit to its missin and invigorate its staff and volunteers.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Additional observations from Bobby Heard, national director of programs and development, MADD:

“Complacency is what got us here; as long as the checks [are] coming in from direct marketing, who cared? One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you can’t be complacent. You have to constantly be looking at your strategy and approach, and thinking about how you’re going to raise the next dollar.”

“The trends are changing, the environment is changing, and you have to constantly be challenging your thinking. What really are the best practices and how do you apply those to your organization? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Sure, you need creative ideas and processes, but there still are a lot of people who have been there before us.”

“The competition in communities for dollars is so unbelievably tremendous. I’ve seen it especially with our walks. The amount of good causes out there asking for donations makes it tough. You have to work that much harder and sure, you’re asking that much more to get the support you need to be able to support your mission.”

Sitting squarely in the upper echelon of effective and highly respected nonprofit organizations, the Texas-based Mothers Against Drunk Driving celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. For the past decade, the nationally acclaimed drunken-driving education organization has held steady as a $47 million charity fueled in large part by direct-mail fundraising.

MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING

Mailing Address: 511 E. John Carpenter Freeway, #700, Irving, Texas 75062

Phone: 800.GET.MADD (800.438.6233)

Fax: 972.869.2206

On the Web: www.madd.org

THE FIGURES
Employees: 315 full-time
Annual Operating Budget: $53,280,000
Annual Contributed Income: $33,238,000

Financial Snapshot: MADD’s marketing and development department is responsible for raising funds to support its mission work and operations. In FY 2004, 62 percent of MADD’s funding was raised nationally and 38 percent by 600 affiliates across the country and in Guam. Of the national revenue, 52 percent came in through direct mail; 20 percent through telemarketing; 6 percent through corporate marketing; 6 percent through grants; and 16 percent through other sources.