The American Diabetes Association has fundraising down to an art and a science

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

An example: A donor responds to a direct mail package by sending a $20 check and indicating in the return questionnaire that someone in her household has diabetes. Immediately, the staff sends that person information about the disease and its management, as well as about the ADA Web site.

If the donor then goes to the site and enters her ZIP code, she gets information about what the local chapter is doing in her community, as well as an opportunity to get involved. If she does volunteer, the more intense cultivation begins on the local level, with volunteers speaking with her about additional involvement and giving opportunities.