American Institute for Cancer Research Selects Merkle for Donation Processing Services.

Business Editors

LANHAM, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 9, 2004

Merkle (www.merklenet.com), a leading information-based database marketing agency, has been selected by Washington, D.C.-based American Institute for Cancer Research, the nation's leading charity in the field of diet, nutrition and cancer, to provide a variety of direct mail donation processing services. The work will be performed by Merkle Response Services and is scheduled to begin this summer. Merkle expects to process more than 1.5 million transactions per year for the non-profit.

Merkle will be providing a full range of donation processing services, including caging, which is the opening and sorting of mail; cashiering and lockbox services, which include check encoding, electronic credit card processing, and delivery of bank deposits; data capture and daily activity reporting.

Kelly Browning, executive vice president, American Institute for Cancer Research, said, "We selected Merkle Response Services because they have both the advanced technology and experienced staff needed to quickly and efficiently process the large volume of donations that the American Institute for Cancer Research receives. Another factor in our decision is Merkle's strong reputation in supporting large non-profit organizations."

As one of the nation's largest direct mail response processors, Merkle's ISO-certified donation processing facilities in Maryland process an average of more than 2.5 million non-profit donations per month, with the capacity to handle more than 75 million donations each year. Merkle continues to invest in advanced processing technology, and recently added more than $1 million in imaging equipment to improve speed and accuracy in the processing of donations, which in turn helps improve cash flow for clients.

Bill Sayre, president of Merkle Response Services, said, "Merkle is excited to be supporting the American Institute for Cancer Research by providing new services, such as our high donor email and image viewer solutions, that will help reduce processing time. To be successful, non-profits need fast, accurate donation processing services, and our experience in working with many national non-profit organizations will help us to provide a high level of service to the American Institute for Cancer Research."

About AICR 

Since its founding in 1982, the American Institute for Cancer Research has grown into the nation's leading charity in the field of diet, nutrition and cancer. AICR supports research into the role of diet and nutrition in the prevention and treatment of cancer. It also offers a wide range of cancer prevention education programs. By adopting AICR's Diet and Health Guidelines for Cancer Prevention, people can reduce their risk of cancer by 30 to 40 percent.

About Merkle

Merkle is a database marketing agency offering innovative quantitative strategies to improve new customer acquisition and customer retention to maximize results. Merkle serves more than 300 clients spanning a variety of industries. Services and solutions include strategic marketing and consulting, business intelligence and analytics, development and maintenance of Marketing Knowledge Centers, data products, and direct mail production and processing services. Founded in 1971, the privately-held corporation has more than 700 employees and is based in Lanham, Maryland. For additional information, contact Merkle at 1-888-4-MERKLE (463-7553) or visit www.merklenet.com.