America’s Second Harvest’s new direct-marketing approach yields ‘remarkable results’ and proves that donors are hungry for more intimate relationships with nonprofits.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

Mining for Gold

Here, in no specific order, are some recommendations from Terri Shoemaker, manager of direct marketing at America’s Second Harvest.

1. “The biggest thing to look out for is being too involved to see the forest for the trees. When you are in doubt about something (from the detail level to an overall program perspective), ask for an outside opinion.”

2. Be sure to test everything and anything.

3. Don’t be afraid to make wise investments in your program. “Be a tireless advocate for your expense budget. Investments do pay off, and data bears that out.”

4. Listen to your donors. “The $5 donor has as much of an opinion about how they are treated as a $5,000 donor.”

5. “The truth lies in the data 90 percent of the time. The rest of the time, it’s pure instinct that will see you through.”

It’s a development office’s dream: You’re a nice-sized nonprofit and you score some big corporate and foundation partners who start throwing money at you.

Sweet. Lots more cash in your coffers. Lots more people getting help.

But what about when those project grants time out? If you’ve put too many of your fundraising eggs into that big-ticket basket, you might find yourself a yolk or two short of an omelet somewhere down the line.

America’s Second Harvest

What: The largest domestic hunger-relief charity in the United States

Where: 35 E. Wacker Dr., #2000, Chicago, IL 60601

Phone: 312.263.2303

Fax: 312.263.5626

E-mail: bmalczewski@secondharvest.org

On the Web: http://www.secondharvest.org

The Mission: “We are a national network of over 200 affiliated food banks and food-rescue organizations that distribute donated food through 50,000 charitable agencies to Americans facing hunger. America’s Second Harvest distributes food to 23.3 million people in need each year.”

The Figures:
Employees: 90
Annual operating budget: $31 million
Total contributed revenue: $28.7 million (projected FY ending 2004)

What it Does: Feeds the hungry and disseminates information about hunger in the United States. Distributes almost 2 billion pounds of food and groceries each year.

How it Does it: The Chicago headquarters supports 217 affiliate food banks around the country. Food and, to a lesser extent, money go from the national headquarters to the affiliates, which in turn distribute groceries and foodstuffs to their member agencies, a network of 30,000 grassroots feeding agencies. Affiliates also solicit donations of food and money on their own, through food drives and other campaigns, as well as relationships with local food companies.

“In some cases, the national office directly cuts checks for an affiliate, but that’s mainly in the case of a corporate partnership where the company wants to have a direct local impact. But in a way, every dollar that comes to A2H supports the affiliates. The national office is responsible for half of the 2 billion pounds of food. It’s not directly cash, but it is all part of the community wealth.” — Dan Delany, vice president of philanthropy