Russ Reid

During the deepest depths of the recession, fundraisers were looking for any and all ways possible to plug the leaks and ramp up fundraising. In our July 2009 issue, fundraising consultant Pamela Barden — then with Russ Reid — provided 50 ways to net more dollars, even in the worst economic times, in her article "There Must Be 50 Ways …"

Russ Reid CEO Tom Harrison, who will be presenting Operation Smile's case study session at Engage along with Operation Smile's Kyla Shawyer, has been a longtime member of the FundRaising Success Editorial Advisory Board, as well as a regular columnist for the magazine. Here is Tom's latest column from our January issue, "The Debate Over Fundraising Costs," where he explains how fundraisers must convey their practices clearly, authentically and honestly while emphasizing the impact over ratios and watchdog benchmarks.

In our October 2008 issue, Operation Smile's Kyla Shawyer, who is presenting Operation Smile's story and steps to becoming a fundraising pillar with Russ Reid CEO and FS Editorial Advisory Board member Tom Harrison at Engage, shared some tips for fundraising success she gleaned from her time at the organization.

A recent industry study in 2011 found that "too much" was only a problem if the messaging wasn't relevant. Hence, the questions we should be asking ourselves are what our donors expect, how they feel and what we're doing to drive a great communication experience with our brands.

If you do it right, DRTV can be the best source of your most valuable donors — monthly sustainers — who often become middle and even major donors. More than any other medium, TV can also enrich your brand and build awareness.

But DRTV doesn’t work for every nonprofit. And just like direct mail, it requires a commitment to ongoing testing to optimize your results. Here are the 7 essentials you need to succeed.

Listen in as some of fundraising's freshest thinkers take on some of the sector's toughest topics — the things that should be top of mind in the new year.

Fundraisers need to stop apologizing for spending money on more effective management and fundraising and, instead, educate people about the realities of how fundraising works.

Two weeks ago, we here at FundRaising Success hosted our third annual FS Virtual Conference & Expo. If you weren't able to attend, did attend but missed a few of the sessions, or would like to view and listen to any of the sessions again, you still can! The free virtual conference is available on-demand until Jan. 15. Simply register here and view at your convenience.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) presented its 2012 International ECHO Awards during the DMA2012 Conference & Exhibition. Nonprofit winners include GRAACC, Action Against Hunger (Spain), Arts Centre Melbourne, GivBlod, Operation Smile, Art Gallery Society NSW, Children's Medical Research Institute and Save the Children Australia.

The third annual FundRaising Success Virtual Conference & Expo takes place today. Check out the agenda and join us for a fundraising-filled day.