St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Editor’s Note: Direct-response television isn’t for every nonprofit organization, but with the proper planning and execution, it can be a solid source of income. Here, three professionals talk about their experiences with both long- and short-form DRTV.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Ray Romano, Robin Williams, Antonio Banderas — celebs so diverse you might be hard pressed to find a common link.

But add the name Marlo Thomas, and most people would immediately recall that all of these stars and a host of others have been high-profile spokespeople for the nonprofit institution that her famous father founded some 50 years ago — ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

List hygiene might not be at the top of your list of key focus areas when it comes to building a successful direct-marketing program, but it should be. I think of list hygiene like a car’s engine. It’s not the flashy part of the car, and it’s not something that you might think of every day; but if neglected, it could significantly reduce your car’s performance. To ensure you’re building a solid, clean donor list, use business rules to determine what constitutes a valid donor record. For example, do you need to have a full name and complete address? Or is it

CTip Feb. 21, 2006 By Abny Santicola Conference sessions can provide attendees a wealth of information and motivation to take back to the office and apply to their organizations. But so can the ensuing Q-&-A period after each session. The Q-&-A period during one of the first sessions of the conference -- "How to Beat a Long-Standing Control" -- yielded some helpful tips. Most notably, one attendee asked for advice on her organization's dilemma of what to do about its aging celebrity endorser, who is featured prominently in the organization's direct mail. The organization knew that it would eventually need to transition

One of the truly inspiring stories of the past century is that of a Lebanese boy named Muzyad Yahkoob. Born in 1914 in Detroit, he grew up to become legendary comedian and television star Danny Thomas, as well as the founder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.