Founder of CDR Fundraising Group Passes Away, Leaves Legacy of Service to Nonprofits

BOWIE, MD, April 14, 2009 — Geoffrey W. Peters, president and CEO, is saddened to announce that Raymond Grace, founder of CDR Fundraising Group, passed away from complications related to cancer early this morning, April 14, 2009.

Ray Grace was a lifelong advocate and volunteer for religious and nonprofit organizations. After serving in the United States military, Ray began his extraordinary career as a leader in the nonprofit fundraising sector. After working in direct response fundraising and managing a data processing service center, letter shop, creative agency and list brokerage operation, in 1982, he founded Creative Direct Response, (which later became CDR Fundraising Group, www.cdrfg.com). Ray managed the agency’s growth from 1982 to 2004, when he went into partial retirement. Unable to completely abandon the work to which he had dedicated himself, Ray continued working part-time on behalf of charitable organizations until last year.