Mothers Against Drunk Driving

In today's environment, a nonprofit organization must be more than just a multichannel marketer — it must operate as an omnichannel nonprofit.

Russ Reid, a marketer who determined that nonprofit organizations could benefit from a modern, professional approach to raising funds, died Saturday, Dec. 7, at his home in Sierra Madre, Calif. He was 82 years old.

There's a lot of money in the mail these days. Over a period of about six weeks, I racked up $4.65 in cash and checks from nine different nonprofits.

FundRaising Success published its first issue in November 2003, which makes this our 10-year anniversary year. To celebrate, we’ll be taking a look back at past issues throughout the year. Following are some words of wisdom culled from the June 2005 issue.

First Hawaiian Bank, which began its Kokua Mai employee-giving program in 2007 to give back to the community, is pledging to donate $2.5 million to Hawaii nonprofits in 2011, raising its total contribution to charities to more than $5 million over a two-year period.

The state's largest bank and its 2,200 employees gave more than $2.5 million to more than 400 local charities in 2010, with employees and retirees raising more than $560,000 of that amount for 38 designated charities during its Kokua Mai fund drive in October.

There's a lot of money in the mail these days. Over a period of about six weeks, I racked up $4.65 in cash and checks from nine different nonprofits. Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge sent a quarter, and Soldiers' Angels mailed a dollar bill. I also received a $1 Council of Indian Nations check, and the National Humane Education Society sent me a check for two bucks. Both nonprofits assured me in the first line of the letter that the check is indeed real … but they hope I won't cash it.

A growing number of charities across the USA are taking a nickel-and-dime approach to encourage donations by mail, despite some evidence that including coins in solicitations turns off potential donors.