With nearly 4,000 local affiliates as it celebrates its centennial, Boys and Girls Clubs of America still is learning how to keep everyone funded, happy and on the same page.

By Nicole Rollender

So far, Aschermann says, BGCA’s use of opt-out e-mail hasn’t been very robust, but he recognizes its power to reach donors.

“We know that direct mail works, and that there’s a science behind it,” he says. “But we also know that a clear, specific, three-and-a-half line e-mail to a potential donor that says, ‘We need your help. We’ve lost every club in the Gulf. Nineteen Boys and Girls Clubs were wiped out by Hurricane Katrina. Can you help us?’ works. And is far more effective in my opinion. Simplicity and clarity.”