Netflix

It seems "The Long Tail" has its own tail. Since Chris Anderson first coined the term in a Wired article back in 2004, the concept has been applied to practically every product and market imaginable. It may sound outdated, but there's still some knowledge to be mined there for fundraisers, especially as it relates to noncash giving.

I recently read a stat that 70 percent of U.S. disposable income is controlled by baby boomers. Taken together with the stat from Blackbaud’s “Next Generation of American Giving” report that boomers contribute 43 precent of all charitable giving, one thing is clear: Baby boomers should be at the top of every nonprofit professional’s mind.
 
But how do we reach them, and what’s the best offer? How do they compare to the older generation of people who are currently giving? And can we really just lump 70 million people into one segment?

The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service said Monday it is seeking to move quickly to close 252 mail processing centers and slow first-class delivery next spring, citing steadily declining mail volume. The cuts are part of $3 billion in reductions aimed at helping the agency avert bankruptcy next year. It would virtually eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day, a change in first-class delivery standards that have been in place since 1971.

Check out recent posts from the B2C and Get Fully Funded blogs.

May 26, 2009, Harvard Business Blog — This weekend the main sections of the New York Times and the Daily News contained big ads for Hummer, T-Mobile, AT&T, Macy's, Bloomingdales, and a host of electronics and furniture retailers. The home page of the Huffington Post right now is running an ad for Delta Airlines. On CNN.com it's Netflix. ABCNews.com — Choice Hotels. Oprah.com — Crystal Light beverages. No ads on any of these pages for Darfur, ending AIDS, or curing breast cancer — indeed no ads for any 501 (c) 3. This is not an anomalous day. Gigantic consumer brands advertise. Gigantic causes don't.