Gold Awards Deadline Extended

Far be it for us to deny the people what they are clamoring for! We've been getting lots of requests for some extra time to get in submissions for our eighth annual Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence.

So we're giving you just that. The new deadline is Friday, Sept. 7. But that's it! So get a move on and get those entries in!

This year's categories are

• Direct Mail
• E-mail
• Multichannel
• Telefundraising
• Special Events
• On the Edge

Each category is broken down by annual operating budget: $7.5 million and above, and less than $7.5 million. Gold, silver and bronze awards will be given for each in each category.

Entry fees are $125 for the first entry and $75 for each subsequent entry. Get your entry form and tracking sheet here, and send your submissions in today because we cannot extend the deadline any further.

Meanwhile, take a look at last year's first-place winner in the On the Edge category:

New York Public Library
"Don't Close the Book on Libraries"
Submitted by Convio

The Numbers
Recipients: 130,000 letters sent
Response rate: 2.6 million hits on YouTube
Income generated: $144,000

Let's face it, sticking with the traditional best practices is the safe — and often smart — bet. So it's a risky proposition for an organization to run a campaign that's "on the edge." Yet that's exactly what New York Public Library did with the help of Convio for its "Don't Close the Book on Libraries" campaign.

The City of New York announced a $37 million proposed city budget cut to the libraries last year, a proposal that threatened to cripple NYPL. So NYPL asked Improv Everywhere to video a prank at the library's iconic Rose Main Reading Room, which was featured in the movie "Ghostbusters." Improv Everywhere's "Who You Gonna Call?" YouTube video featured the Ghostbusters returning to the library 26 years later.