Editor's Note: Happy Birthday to Us!
Growing up, I got to have an ice cream sundae for breakfast on my birthday every year. It wasn’t until I got much older that I started to think that birthdays are best left uncelebrated.
Oh, who am I trying to kid? I never felt that way; I still want someone to come and throw confetti on me every Feb. 5. And it’s in that spirit that FundRaising Success will mark its first birthday. Not with confetti and ice cream (although that’s not a bad idea), but with ... can we get a drum roll, please ... Major Announcements of Exciting Changes!
First, I’m thrilled to say that Associate Editor Paul Barbagallo has been promoted to senior editor. As such, he’ll be taking on lots more responsibility around here.
Not that he didn’t have plenty already. Paul, who has been with North American Publishing (which publishes FS and its sister publications, Target Marketing and Inside Direct Mail) since 2001, has been an exuberant member of the FS team nearly since the magazine was conceived. He was one of the first people to greet me at the DMA New York Nonprofit Conference, which I attended the day after I was hired, even before stepping foot in my office here in Philadelphia.
Because he was so much more in tune with what FS was all about, Paul very graciously helped me navigate myriad questions from conference attendees — and managed to do so without letting me make myself look too foolish. He’s been a highly competent voice and powerful presence for the magazine ever since.
The more the merrier
Part of the reason FS needs a senior editor is that we’re growing. We published six issues in 2004 and are increasing our frequency to nine times in 2005, with an eye to going monthly in 2006. This gives us even more opportunities to provide you with the kind of useful, straightforward information that I hope you’ve come to expect from FundRaising Success. We’ll also be adding some new regular features and three new columns. Next year’s issues will be January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October and November/December.
You’ve got mail
But you won’t have to wait a whole month to get a fresh taste of FS in 2005. Starting this month, we’ll be offering subscriptions to the FS Advisor, a free, twice-monthly e-mail strategy guide that’s full of tips, news and other valuable information for fundraising professionals.
And the winner is …
One last bit of news for 2005. Early next year, keep an eye out for information about FS’ first annual Package of the Year Award.
It’s still in the preliminary stages. (We don’t even have the official name yet. Any suggestions?) But deadlines most likely will be in the late spring, with the winners being announced in September. The awards will honor excellence and results in direct mail fundraising packages, and winners will be chosen by a panel of judges from among entries submitted by agencies, consultancies and nonprofit organizations themselves.
So, you see, we have lots to celebrate. Thanks for your readership and support in our inaugural year, and we look forward to working with you and for you in 2005. Maybe we can even share a sundae or two.
