City Harvest

The Robin Hood Foundation annual gala in May showed that aggressive fundraising could trump the recession, as the poverty-fighting nonprofit raised more than $88 million at a dinner attended by 3,400 people at the Javits Center. This year’s galas have seen the return of filet of beef and lobster on menus after those pricey items were virtually banned by many nonprofits in 2009. Deep-pocket bidders also are returning to silent and live auctions after a dearth of bids of over $50,000 for celebrity experiences and luxury items.

Matthew Bregman
director of development
El Museo del Barrio

Since Matt Bregman's arrival at El Museo del Barrio in spring 2006, private giving has soared from $2 million in FY02-05 to more than $6 million last year. But as impressive as those numbers are, it's not always just about numbers. According to Julián Zugazagoitia, director and CEO of El Museo del Barrio, Matt's leadership made it possible to reopen the museum to the public after a $35 million renovation.

Learn how Covenant House captured the Package of the Year and the top award for a mid-level renewal package. Also, learn the specifics about the City Harvest package that won the award for the best renewal campaign and how Helen Keller International captured the most votes for the best acquisition package. In addition to highlighting the key success factors for these great direct mail packages, we will also walk through the strategy behind our e-mail campaign award winner, PetSmart Charities.

We caught up with some of the speakers at the DMA Nonprofit Federation 2009 New York Conference last week, and they were kind enough to share some of their best tip on camera.

We caught up with some of the speakers at the DMA Nonprofit Federation 2009 New York Conference last week, and they were kind enough to share some of their best tip on camera.

The economy has wreaked havoc on organizations large and small, local and national. But the economy isn't the only thing that can mean turbulence for organizations. Natural disasters, heated election cycles and a shift in public perception of a cause, among other things, all can rock the boat. No matter what the cause, there are things fundraisers can do to get through tough times.

Ellen Cobb Church, principal and CEO of Craver, Mathews, Smith & Co., Marjorie Spitz-Nagrotsky, director of development for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Heather Wallace, director of marketing for City Harvest, share quick tips for nonprofits on how to survive and thrive in turbulent times, which they presented a session on at the DMANF's 2009 New York Nonprofit Conference.

NEW YORK, June 8, 2009 — The Fund for New York City Hunger Relief today announced that it will receive a $1 million grant from the Starr International Foundation, in response to a significant increase in the number of people seeking help feeding their families at food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the city. The need for emergency food has increased 30% nationally in the past year, according to Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization.

RIDGWAY, CO, April 7, 2009 — One in eight Americans is struggling with hunger and more than 36 million are at risk of hunger. Given the troubled economy, consumers across the country are facing the difficulty of providing for their families, and many have turned to relief agencies to put meals on the table. The non-profit Grain Foods Foundation and Food Network host Ted Allen have teamed up with Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief organization, to provide up to one million pounds of food for those in need.

Nonprofits already face the prospect of fewer donations amid turmoil at Wall Street firms and other companies. Now, they could face another donation deterrent: Washington's plans to curb executive pay.