MILPITAS, Calif., April 13, 2009 — Humane Society Silicon Valley's (HSSV's) Board of Directors has issued a $1.2 million challenge grant that will match dollar for dollar all gifts received through June 30, 2009 to complete the nonprofit's new Animal Community Center building campaign. HSSV has raised $20.7 million in public donations toward the $25 million project and has to raise approximately $4.3 million to close the campaign.
This April, the ASPCA(R) (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(R)) will once again commemorate Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month - an extremely important month for animals. From its beginnings three years ago as a small grassroots adoption event in New York City, the ASPCA's April celebrations have mushroomed into a nationwide celebration of the human-animal bond and the organization's victories on behalf of animals.
The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today unveiled ASPCAAmbassadors.org, an new online network which will give ASPCA supporters across the country the chance to become an “ASPCA Ambassador.”
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA. Its approach to getting people’s attention is bold, ballsy, bewitching — and often includes ads that feature celebrities in their birthday suits.
Best Friends Animal Society, located in the heart of southern Utah’s golden circle of National Parks, is home to as many as 1,500 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and other animals. For the past 10 years, the organization had been using the same acquisition package. Although it had done a great job, response rates were dropping, causing the donor file to remain flat.
The situation was dire: If a new package wasn’t created, the file actually would have started to decrease, which could have led to cuts in service.
Children are starving, but the show must go on. And if you're raising money to support a symphony, how do you convince donors that they should not only give to your cause — perhaps in lieu of helping hungry children — but also feel good about it?
If there were to be crowned a Richard Simmons of nonprofit fundraising in the United States, ASPCA Senior Vice President of Development and Communications Jo Sullivan just might fill those sequined short-shorts.
For years, Washington, D.C.-based The Humane Society of the United States ignored the Internet’s full potential to reach donors and supporters.
Here’s the situation we found ourselves in: HSUS’ Web site in April 2003 had been transferred to its third department in five years. While the site was graphically appealing and content rich, it ran on proprietary software developed by a company that no longer was in business.
In the last issue, we examined the masterful “thank-you” mailing from Disabled American Veterans that featured patriotism and guilt as the copy drivers. This time, let us look at a long-running control from the World Wildlife Fund that sticks five sharp knives in the reader’s gut — fear, guilt, anger, greed and salvation.
What’s more, this renewal effort (that also is used in acquisitions) is a model of simplicity. For all the razzle-dazzle, high-tech printing and production techniques available, it often is the simple printed letter that packs the biggest wallop and costs the least in the mail.
