Danny Thomas’ ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Has a Hollywood/Fundraising Connection That Still Shines 50 Years Later

By Abny Santicola

Another key component of the direct-marketing program is online giving. O’Brien says a lot of parents discover St. Jude for the first time on the Web because their child has been diagnosed with cancer and they’re searching to learn more about it.

“I think all nonprofits are struggling with how we can take mail donors and ask them to become Internet donors,” O’Brien says. “The problem is that we want them to do it probably ahead of the curve of when those donors are comfortable with that because of their age. So we’re getting ready to test that with our sustaining group of donors, our Partners In Hope, offering them an online cultivation experience,” she adds.