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Breaking News For Nonprofits: Congress Passes Bill to Forgive Student-Loan Debt for Some Charity Workers

Non Profit PR — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:28:47 +0000

September 10, 2007
By Suzanne Perry

Washington

Some charity workers would be able to get their student-loan debt forgiven under legislation that was adopted by both houses of Congress on Friday.

The provision — part of a package of measures to cut subsidies to student lenders and shift the money into student-aid programs — would allow borrowers to erase their loan balances after 10 years of payments if they have worked during that time in a “public service” job.

“Public service” is defined to include employees of nonprofit legal-advocacy groups and organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt charities. It also covers government employees, public-school teachers, law-enforcement officials, and public-health workers.

The bill (H.R. 2669), a compromise between the House and Senate versions, is a victory for nonprofit groups and associations that were lobbying Congress to include nonprofit workers in the loan-forgiveness program. The original House version of the bill included them, but the Senate version did not.

The Nonprofit Sector Workforce Coalition — composed of more than 50 nonprofit groups, foundations, associations, and academic centers — argued that the provision would help attract workers to relatively low-paid nonprofit careers.

The loan-forgiveness program would be available to former students who participate in specific repayment plans outlined in the bill that take income into account. It would apply only to loans made directly by the federal government, although borrowers could reconsolidate other loans into federal direct loans to qualify for the benefit. The plan would apply only to loan payments made after October 1, 2007.

The bill now goes to President Bush, who has said he will sign it.

(For more on the effect of student-loan debt on charity workers, see this Chronicle article.)

The Power Behind PowerLink

Non Profit PR — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:38:53 +0000

By: Regina Vitti-Lyons
from Pop City Media, Pittsburg, PA
www.PopCityMedia.com | September 12, 2007

Fourteen years ago Lee Ann Munger got an unexpected invitation. She was flattered and accepted, but could never have imagined where it would lead.

“I remember part of the wording, ‘You’ve been receiving excellent name promulgation recently,’” Munger recalls and then jokes, “I think Barb was using her ‘Word of the Day’ calendar.”

Barb is Barb Moore and at the time she owned Anderson Transfer, a very successful transportation company. She had also just co-founded a nonprofit called PowerLink. She needed business-savvy, committed volunteers to work with the women business owners PowerLink served.

“I knew Lee Ann was very smart, very creative, very organized and, most importantly, had very strong morals. I knew she would be creative in solving problems but very clear about following our mission exactly,” Moore says.

That mission is the same today as it was then – to help women-owned businesses grow profitably through the use of high-level business advisors.

Munger, who had just begun her own graphic arts business, started as a volunteer advisory panel coordinator. She managed the advisory panel process for the business owner, facilitating meetings and providing administrative support. She became a member of PowerLink’s board of directors, eventually serving as board president. A few years ago, she left her business to join PowerLink’s staff as an advisory panel manager and, later, the director of business development.

In July, PowerLink’s board handed the reins over to Munger naming her interim executive director. Now she has the opportunity to use everything she’s learned as a business owner, as an advocate for women, and– in her many positions with PowerLink –to help women business owners grow their businesses, connect with their peers, and learn best business practices.

The Changing Climate

Moore and Munger met as members of pretty much the only organization at the time that supported women business owners, the Women’s Business Network (WBN). PowerLink and WBN were two of the first, but as the number of women-owned businesses in Pittsburgh has grown, so have the organizations that provide support and service to them (and Munger is involved in and well known by most of them). The Center for Women’s Business Research reports that the number of women-owned (51% or more) businesses in Pittsburgh increased by 48% from 1997 to 2006. Women-owned businesses here generate $9.4 billion in sales and employ 64,304 people.

PowerLink has transformed itself to meet Pittsburgh’s changing business landscape and respond to the needs of Pittsburgh’s women business owners. “We had always positioned the organization to serve growth stage companies,” Munger explains. “Now we have programs to serve companies through every stage of growth – from the early stages through succession planning.”

In fact, continuing to respond to the needs of women-owned businesses throughout the cycle of the business is one of Munger’s top three goals in her new position. The other two are to strengthen strategic partnerships and collaborations and to diversify the nonprofit organization’s funding.

In addition to the increase in the number of women-owned business, now more than 51,000 in Pittsburgh, and the number of organizations that serve them, Munger says, “Today PowerLink sees women-owned businesses in a wider array of industries, especially those considered non-traditional for women. For example, in the past three years, we’ve worked with many more construction-related companies.”

Growing a small business

Scads of literature espouse the value of having formal business advisors, but rarely do small businesses have an advisory board. It’s not really surprising. Imagine trying to put together a team of experts, facilitate meetings with those experts, and open up about and report on your company to a bunch of strangers while at the same time running a successful business. It even sounds painful.

PowerLink alleviates much of that pain by doing most of the work for owners. They provide women business owners with high level advisors who are carefully chosen to meet the company’s specific need, and with staff support owners. The programs and experience are different for all stages of business.

“Business owners like the objective expertise of smart business people who understand. CEOs work in isolation and in addition to outside expertise, women tell us they appreciate the accountability. The work the advisors ask the owners to do is work they should be doing anyway, but they get so busy, they put it on the back burner,” explains Munger. PowerLink often calls it working in the business instead of on it. And a business can’t grow unless the owner works on it.

In her many capacities, Munger has worked directly with more than 40 businesses and indirectly with many more. When she started, PowerLink served six businesses a year. Now they serve around 20 to 24 a year. The owners have had many common issues.

“The women business owners we work with run and understand their financial reports. But they usually need help with how to best use those reports to make decisions and grow their businesses,” Munger says. “They also need help with strategic issues. Because they are running their businesses, it’s hard for them to set aside time to do the kind of analysis – marketing, financial, long and short-term planning – they need to do.”
She is also seeing a growing concern about succession which she thinks is very positive.

“Our clients often come to us as reactionary-type owners and transform into strategic, proactive owners,” Munger explains.

The Future

Co-founder Moore is “not surprised that Lee Ann ended up at the top this many years and this many PowerLink achievements later. She was the youngest person we asked to be involved in PowerLink’s leadership, but she had the clearest zeal for the mission,” says Moore.

“I’ve had dreams and visions for many years and my appointment allows me to act on them in a whole new way,” Munger says. “And being exposed to so many extremely talented business advisors and owners has given me the tools to be a more effective executive director. Running a nonprofit is no different than running a business. It’s important to stay in a strategic mode.”

In other words, to work on the business not in the business.

from Pop City Media, Pittsburg, PA
www.PopCityMedia.com

The Make A Wish Foundation attracts donors with first national campaign

Non Profit PR — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:31:51 +0000

By Chantal Todé

from DMNews.com | September 11th, 2007

The Make A Wish Foundation of America launched its first national fundraising campaign several months ago and the results were better than it could have hoped for.

There are more than 60 Make A Wish chapters across the country and each typically sponsors its own efforts to find volunteers, raise money and encourage people to donate needed resources, such as air miles. The organization uses more than three billion miles a year fulfilling the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

Big-name sponsors like Disney, Frito-Lay, 3M and Amtrak soon started lining up to help with those efforts once word started getting out that Make A Wish was conducting a national campaign.

“[After 27 years, the Make A Wish foundation] wanted to provide our chapters with a vehicle to unify their efforts and something that sponsors could get behind,” said Mike Pressendo, director of brand communications at Make A Wish Foundation, about the national campaign.

The central theme of the campaign, which launched in June, was that everyone, not just celebrities, has the power to grant a sick child’s wish. The Kaplan Thaler Group, known for its work with Aflac, donated all the creative.

Donated advertising space enabled the Make A Wish foundation, Phoenix, AZ, to put its message on the side of buses in several cities, on the televisions inside elevators in buildings around the country and even on Niagara Fall’s Maid of the Mist. As a result, the organization generated 1.3 billion media impressions in just 30 days. Last year, it took the Make A Wish foundation 12 months to generate over 1 billion media impressions.

However, even before Make A Wish launched the campaign, the organization made a similarly significant step by preparing its Web site for the anticipated increase in activity.

“We realized that before we start drumming up a lot of public interest in helping Make A Wish, we needed to think about what we can do to capture that interest,” Pressendo said.

With this in mind, the foundation and Digital Pulp Inc., its interactive agency, launched a new section on the Make A Wish Web site at www.wish.org. Called “Ways to Help,” it serves as a centralizing hub for people who are interested in helping out. Disney is the sponsor of the new section.

“Overall, Make A Wish is better leveraging the Web for communicating, finding volunteers and bringing in donations,” said Gene Lewis, partner and director of Web development at Digital Pulp Inc., New York.

Previously, the Make A Wish Web site directed people who wanted to volunteer to their local chapters. After putting the application for volunteering up on the site earlier this year, however, Make A Wish received more than 9,000 offers within the first 30 days. Its four-year goal for the national campaign is to sign up 20,000 volunteers.

The new section also makes it easier for individual chapters to post their needs — which might include a formal dress or prepaid calling cards. Now, people can type in their ZIP code and find out what the needs are of the chapter in their area.

In other areas, the Web site’s shopping element has been integrated into the section and shopping at participating retailers is better identified as one of the ways to help out. The section for donating frequent flyer miles is now showcased more prominently than before, as this is such an important need for the organization.

A new addition to the site, which appears in the Ways to Help Out section, is the Adopt-A-Wish program, which allows donors to fund a single wish experience in its entirety.

The next step for the Make-A-Wish foundation will be to continue to use the Web to better connect the chapters with the national office by giving each independent office the opportunity to leverage technology made available by the head office, and create a regional Web site that is more seamlessly integrated with the national one.

The chapters will be able to pick from a number of different templates that are brand-compliant for their own Web sites. They’ll also be able to include a link on their own Web sites to a promotion that a national donor is sponsoring.

Senior Editor Chantal Todé covers BTB marketing, nonprofit marketing, multichannel retail, print and production, catalog and retail news for DM News and DM News.com. Reach her at chantal.tode@dmnews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/subscribe.php

The Make A Wish Foundation attracts donors with first national campaign

Non Profit PR — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:31:29 +0000

By Chantal Todé

from DMNews.com | September 11th, 2007

The Make A Wish Foundation of America launched its first national fundraising campaign several months ago and the results were better than it could have hoped for.

Big-name sponsors like Disney, Frito-Lay, 3M and Amtrak soon started lining up to help with those efforts once word started getting out that Make A Wish was conducting a national campaign.

However, even before Make A Wish launched the campaign, the organization made a similarly significant step by preparing its Web site for the anticipated increase in activity.

“We realized that before we start drumming up a lot of public interest in helping Make A Wish, we needed to think about what we can do to capture that interest,” Pressendo said.

A new addition to the site, which appears in the Ways to Help Out section, is the Adopt-A-Wish program, which allows donors to fund a single wish experience in its entirety.

4th Annual Philly Awards Luncheon Celebrates Kansas City Area Nonprofit Communications Projects & Professionals

Non Profit PR — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:36:30 +0000

Kansas City Area nonprofits honored for excellence in communications
Shoestring Creative Group & NonprofitPR.com were proud to be among the sponsors of this event.

Twenty-nine awards honoring excellence in nonprofit communications were presented Friday, Dec. 8, 2006, at the 4th Annual Philly Awards celebration at the Westin Crown Center Hotel. Sponsoring organizations were the Nonprofit Communications Network and the Council on Philanthropy.

“Best of Show” went to Gift of Life for an invitation to a fund-raising event entitled “Go, See, Do.”

First-place awards in the “under $1 million” category (for nonprofits whose organizational budget is less than $1 million):

Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City (annual reports)
Rosedale Development Association (informational brochures)
Gift of Life (invitation/special event publications)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City (membership/fundraising appeals)
Midwest Center for Holocaust Education (newsletters)
Higher M-PACT (video presentations)
Gift of Life (Web sites)

First-place awards in the “more than $1 million” category:

American Jazz Museum (annual reports)
Kansas City Art Institute (informational brochures)
Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey (invitation/special-event publications)
Kansas City Free Health Clinic and No More Homeless Pets (membership/fundraising appeals)
Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics (newsletters)
Salvation Army (video presentations)
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Web sites).

Second-place awards in the “under $1 million” category:

Shawnee Mission Education Foundation (annual reports)
Arts in Prison, Inc. (informational brochures)
Child Abuse Prevention Association (invitation/special-event publications)
Animal Haven (membership/fundraising appeals)
Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City (newsletters)
Gift of Life (video prsentations)
JZckson County CASA (Web sites)

Second-place awards in the “more than $1 million” category:

Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics (annual reports)
WaterPartners International (informational brochures)
DeLaSalle Education Center (invitation/special-event publications)
Unity (membership/fundraising appeals)
PKD Foundation (newsletters)
People to People International (video presentations)
Harvesters-The Community Food Network (Web sites)

Presenting the awards were Susan Melton, president of the Council on Philanthropy, and Jody Ladd Craig, president of the Nonprofit Communications Network. Winning projects were selected from among 141 entries, up nearly 44 percent from last year’s event.

Keynote speaker for the event was Dave Helling of The Kansas City Star, who provided an overview of trends in the media.

Congratulations to all the winners!

NCNA publishes “Public Awareness” highlights from the first-ever Nonprofit Congress event

Non Profit PR — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:13:38 +0000

Most of you may already be aware that at the first-ever Nonprofit Congress event last October, 500 representatives from state nonprofit associations and individual nonprofit organizations, voted “Public Awareness and Support of the Nonprofit Sector” one of the top three priorities for the sector.

Shoestring Creative Group and NonprofitPR.com were proud to attend and help support this important event and pledge continued support to the initiative.

Below are notes/highlights from the “Public Awareness & Support of the Nonprofit Sector” priority discussion that took place at the first-ever Nonprofit Congress event in October 2006. These notes have been provided by the National Council of Nonprofit Associations. To view/download the complete publication from the event (PDF), click here.

Public Awareness and Support of the Nonprofit Sector (Highlights)

CONTEXT

Root causes of why current public awareness and support of the sector is not as prevalent or positive as it could be include:

Denial or lack of understanding of the importance of communications and PR
Diversity, the lack of unity
Apathy
Boards of directors do not embrace the role of community spokesperson and liaison
Lack of clear and concise facts and statistics about the nonprofit sector
Nonprofits are too focused on our own organizations
Nonprofits don’t listen to the marketplace
Lack of collaboration
Nonprofits lack a nonprofit consciousness
Nonprofits serve too many masters, we don’t know what we are selling or to whom we are selling
The sector is not organized enough to do this
The public image of the sector is driven by negative media
“Nonprofit” is a negative term
The public does not currently understand the role of the nonprofit sector
The culture of nonprofits reflects low self esteem and self deprecation
Lack of capacity and skills
American culture is based on individualism and self-centeredness
Lack of marketing on the part of nonprofits
Nonprofits discuss problems rather than successes
Lack of media savvy
Nonprofits have an apologetic mindset
Lack of a clear, shared message
Lack of investment in communication and PR
Lack a nonprofit sector leaders
Media paints nonprofits as a cute kid
Media does not want to understand the systemic issues behind current problems
Lack of a definition of the nonprofit sector: who are we?
Nonprofits don’t take advantage of publicity

Long-term implications of successfully addressing public awareness and support of the sector include:

Increased public understanding and support for nonprofits
Nonprofits will be better able to accomplish their missions, organizations can not do this without the
public
The sector will be widely recognized as a viable social and economic force
The public will understand that nonprofits are a good investment
Power
Individuals will increase their involvement in all levels within an organizations
More young professionals will enter the nonprofit sector; nonprofits will fill the generational gap in leadership
Respect
Viable careers with good salaries and benefits
More unity and less fragmentation within the nonprofit sector itself
Nonprofits will redefine ourselves in a positive light
Nonprofits will endure a greater risk of regulation from government and competition from business
The relevancy and perceived importance of nonprofits will grow
Nonprofits will be able to control our own reputation
The nonprofit sector will be able to sustain itself
The public will understand that nonprofits do much more than serve the poor
Nonprofits will be better able to match audiences and services, this will decrease the disconnect
between organizations and those in need
Nonprofits will be better able to achieve individuals missions and collective goals
This country will develop a stronger culture of volunteerism and social responsibility
The public will be able to differentiate between large and small nonprofits

STRATEGIES

Events

Hold a statewide Nonprofit Day
Hold a forum or town hall debate for federal Presidential candidates in each state, especially key primary states
Hold donor/funder conferences similar to public company investor conferences where nonprofits come together to present their organization to funders, media, and others
Establish a day where nonprofits all shut down
Establish a symbolic nonprofit week or nonprofit day

Public Education and Public Relations

Develop a public relations campaign – create a national steering committee to work on this; create a professional campaign (National PR firm/Ad Council); multilayered campaign to reach various target markets (i.e., youth seniors, corporate sector, politicians); use latest technology and multimedia approach

Launch a PR and ad campaign specifically to increase charitable giving; to document the benefits of the sector
Use technology such as blogs and webcasts to promote nonprofits, state associations, and Nonprofit
Congress
Change the name “nonprofit,” perhaps to PROS (Public Response Organizations)
Establish a nonprofit tagline
Utilize PSA’s to share the effectiveness of nonprofits (or what the world be like without nonprofits)
Influence TV/Hollywood to incorporate nonprofits into popular culture storylines
Leverage public speaking opportunities at events outside of the nonprofit sector
Educate and partner with youth to influence the next generation; focus on students; target messages to young adults
Establish spokespeople for the nonprofit sector
Recruit a celebrity spokesperson
Establish a mascot
Rebrand the nonprofit sector: each nonprofit should contribute $5 to hire ad/branding firm, come up with one way to get the word out, and put a “member of nonprofit sector” on their website/ads/spots/literature
Ensure that secondary schools and colleges educate on leadership in the nonprofit sector; utilize guidance counselors and curriculum specialists
Develop a service similar to 211 as a national reference resource
Develop a national campaign that promotes the idea that everyone belongs to the community of common social good. Reinforce concept on personal and local levels
Develop a quarterly newsletter for the public

Communication and Collaboration within the Nonprofit Sector

Develop common asset-based language
Show strong unity and collaboration within the sector
Develop a unified message based on Guiding Principles of Nonprofit Congress; develop a common
message from nonprofits to government officials and the public
Create a strategy to inform nonprofits and the public about the Nonprofit Congress
Decrease fragmentation through increased networking
Promote the greater good of the sector beyond the individual organization
Develop a grassroots campaign – local nonprofits use materials developed for national campaign on local area and develop local strategies
Develop a campaign to promote greater understanding among nonprofits about the sector as a whole and each other; use annual meetings of state nonprofit associations as a vehicle; foster the development of regional and local nonprofit associations – formal and informal
Develop/strengthen state associations in every state
Encourage the Nonprofit Congress to open itself to anyone who wants to be involved as a one-stop resource for information and involvement in the sector
Communicate key messages of the Nonprofit Congress and State Action Plans to the nonprofit community

Media Relations

Increase training on media relations
Increase involvement and strategic use of the media
Secure an ongoing nonprofit section in major daily newspapers
Promote stories of success, more than just feel-good stories
Increase proactive/positive communications to local/state outlets by coming up with our own ways to get the word out
Buy a newspaper column
Highlight the local hero aspect of nonprofit work
Meet with editorial boards to explain nonprofit sector

laceName>RelationshiplaceName> laceType>BuildinglaceType> and Cross-Sector Partnerships

Educate state, federal, and local elected officials on what the sector contributes to the state, including economic and social benefits
Hold joint meetings with counties and other local governments
Increase grassroots communication with local government
Partner with government to validate the essential nature of nonprofits
Network with funders of all scope and size to support and endorse rebranding our image

Research and Planning

Conduct a survey of internal and external market (environmental scan)
Conduct a brand audit and create a nationwide marketing/branding plan
Establish the true cost of services to promote the understanding of the importance of nonprofits, and our subsidy of service

These are notes/highlights from the “Public Awareness & Support of the Nonprofit Sector” priority discussion that took place at the first-ever Nonprofit Congress event in October 2006. These notes have been provided by the National Council of Nonprofit Associations. To view/download the complete publication from the event (PDF), click here.

Shoestring Creative Group and NonprofitPR.com were proud to attend and help support this important event and pledge continued support to the initiative.

WINNERS OF PR NEWS’ NONPROFIT PR AWARDS/2006

Non Profit PR — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:53:07 +0000

The awards, sponsored by NAPS, U.S. Newswire and Vocus, is judged by a panel of PR professionals from the educational, nonprofit and corporate sectors. The winners are profiled in the PR News Nonprofit PR issue published in Dec. 2006. Here is a list of the winners…

Advocacy Campaign and Lobbying Efforts
AAA of Northern California, Nevada, Utah – Utah Teen Driving Safety

Corporate Partnership/s
Xerox Corporation – Let’s Say Thanks To Our Troops

Crisis Management
The Humane Society of the United States – Crisis Management – Hurricane Katrina Response

Employee Communications
Peel District School Board – Picture the future: internal launch kit

Event PR & Tradeshow PR/Marketing
American Veterinary Medical Association – Marketing Hawaii
U.S. Postal Service – Baseball Sluggers Stamps Hit Grand Slam at Yankee Stadium

External Publication
University of Cincinnati – The Ivory Tower and the Smokestack

Fundraising and Membership Campaign
American College of Radiology Imaging Network – DMIST Trial

Interactive PR and Marketing
National Association of Home Builders – Building Homes of Our Own

Marketing Communications
Christiana Care Health System – 2005-2006 Celebrating Women’s Health Lecture Series

Media Relations Campaign
Massachusetts General Hospital – “Critical Care: The Making of an ICU Nurse”

Member Communications
National Association of Home Builders – NAHB Nation’s Building News Online

Press Releases
Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber – Blitz Jay Leno Day

PR on a Shoestring
Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General – Rural Transportation for Persons with Disabilities

Public Service Campaign
Marmillion + Company – America’s WETLAND: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana

Web Site
Dairy Management Inc. with Edelman – Growing the Mom’s Network on 3aday.org

Nonprofit PR Executive of the Year
Janet Moore, Director of Marketing, Mission Health & Hospitals

HONORABLE MENTIONS OF PR NEWS’ NONPROFIT PR AWARDS/2006:

Advocacy Campaign and Lobbying Efforts
AARP – AARP Tennessee Choices for Care
dawson/duncan Communications – Braille Textbook Transcriber Campaign for American Foundation for the Blind and Verizon Foundation
National Association of Children’s Hospitals – Family Advocacy Day
U.S. Postal Service – New Orleans Absentee Ballot Initiative

Corporate Partnership/s
Avnet – Avnet Tech Games
First Degree – The UPS Store & Mail Boxes Etc. Deliver Some Love: 2005 Toys for Tots Campaign
Honeywell International – Honeywell got 2B Safe Awards Program
Operation KIDS – “Tsunami Relief Project: Operation Kids & Xango – it Makes a Village”
United Way of America – Storm Corps

Crisis Management
Girl Scouts of the USA with CRT/tanaka – Girl Scouts of the USA Issues Management
Heart Rhythm Society – Heart Rhythm Society Takes Leadership Reins on ICD Crisis
Washington Hospital Center – “MedSTAR Transport Mayday!”

Employee Communications
Christiana Care Health System – Smoke-Free Campaign
Oregon State University – University Day Celebration

Event PR & Tradeshow PR/Marketing
American Association for the Advancement in Science – Evolution on the Front Line Event
Drisha Leggitt & Co. Communications – 33rd Annual ‘Eppie’s Great Race’
SAE International – SAE International Centennial Celebration
The Century Council- Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking

External Publication
Mainstay Life Services – Mainstay Life Services: Life Stories
National Audubon Society – Audubon Annual Report 2005
The Nation’s Food Bank Network – America’s Second Harvest

Fundraising and Membership Campaign
Herberger College of Fine Arts – “One Hand Clapping” Fulton Campaign
National Catholic Educational Association – Child to Child Campaign

Interactive PR and Marketing
American Society for Microbiology – MicrobeWorld Radio
Battelle, Pacific Northwest Division – Threat Alert 2006
WE MOVE with the Chandler Chicco Agency – Life in Motion Campaign
Rollins College – Rollins College Uses Online R-Journals to Aid Recruitment

Marketing Communications
Hirrons & Company – Indiana Unclaimed Public Relations Campaign
Homeownership Preservation Foundation – Hope for Homeowners- Helping to preserve the American Dream
ImMEDIAcy Public Relations, Inc., Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition, The Palm Beach Post – Read Together Palm Beach County – One Book, One Community
RDW Group, Inc. – Plastic Bag Recycling Campaign

Media Relations Campaign
WE MOVE with the Chandler Chicco Agency – Life in Motion Campaign
Colorado State University – CloudSat in the Media
U.S. Postal Service – Holiday Campaign
UJA-Federation of New York – Neediest Cases Campaign

Member Communications
American Veterinary Medical Association – AVMA News Bytes
CPCU Society – “After Katrina” – A Special Publication of the CPCU Society

Press Releases
Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. – Philadelphia: The Next Great Vintage Shopping Destination
ASU Herberger College of Fine Arts – Press Release-Super Heroics

PR on a Shoestring
MWW Group – Supporting Paralysis Research by Making Christopher Reeve Foundation Superman Tags the Hottest, “Must-Have” Item
Voce Communications – A Forum for Social Change
Weber Shandwick – STEP-UP – Providing Job Opportunities for Disadvantaged Youth

Public Service Campaign
Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Reads to Babies
WE MOVE with the Chandler Chicco Agency – Life in Motion Campaign
Metropolitan Transportation Authority – MTA Security Campaign: If You See Something, Say Something”
The Advertising Council – Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving Campaign Launch

Web Site
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants – CPA Student Recruitment Campaign
Louisville Regional Airport Authority – “A New Travel Web site – the First of its Kind in the US”
Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General Web Site

Nonprofit PR Executive of the Year
Neal Zipser, Vice President, Communications, MEMA

Efficacy of Breast-Cancer Promotions Challenged

Non Profit PR — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 01:21:05 +0000

from The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

All things pink fill the landscape come October, but some are questioning how much good comes from breast-cancer campaigns and merchandise supported by corporations, reports The Chicago Tribune.

Many companies create pink-colored products, but few reveal how much they donate to breast-cancer awareness or research. Some spend more on product marketing than they actually donate to breast-cancer charities. Case in point: 3M, the maker of Post-It notes, spent $500,000 promoting its effort to display a seven-story pink ribbon of notes in Times Square and gave $300,000 to charity.

Samantha King, a professor and author, points out that even though breast-cancer campaigns receive high visibility, over 40,000 Americans still die of the disease. Ms. King’s opinion article on the subject appears in The Chronicle of Philanthropy..

(Free registration is required to view the Chicago Tribune article, and a paid subscription is required to view the Chronicle article.)