Staples

I strongly encourage every person in our profession to volunteer and give back to help to others. Giving is what makes our profession special and unique. In truth, all of us are volunteer consultants in the sense we have acquired skills and experiences that are transferable to others. Even if you feel you have given back for many years, take a deep breath and volunteer again. To those who are just entering the field, work and volunteer at the same time. Who knows, you might eventually work for the cause that is currently your focus for volunteer service.

The Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) announced it is welcoming nominations for its prestigious 2013 Rising Stars and Corporate Commitment Awards. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 15. Winners will be announced in early March and honored at DMEF’s Rising Stars Awards Dinner June 11 in New York. Individual and corporate award recipients will be honored for their commitment to excellence in the field of direct/interactive marketing education, specifically highlighting service that nurtures and supports the next generation of talent in this field.

For 50 years, the Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center in Harvard Square has been a mainstay of New England’s arts community, fostering performers and audiences alike. Passim is a Cambridge, Mass.-based nonprofit devoted to the preservation and cultivation of folk music — and the spreading of the folk gospel to people and communities everywhere. Passim executes its mission through unique programming — Club Passim, the Passim School of Music, Archive Project and Culture for Kids. We spoke with Jim Ricciuti, director of development at Passim, about his organization’s fundraising highs and lows, and how he envisions its fundraising future. FundRaising Success: Can

Can a dozen dogs find shelter in a leather briefcase? They can if the briefcase was purchased through Benevolink.

No, the Atlanta-based company isn’t in the business of selling amazing expandable briefcases. Rather, it allows consumers to direct corporate dollars to the causes of their choice just by shopping online at more than 200 retailers such as Gap, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Harry and David, and Staples.