Powerful Women Are Now Driving Nonprofit Direct Response Marketing.As director of direct response marketing for the American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association, or the ADA, is an American health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association conducts programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reaching hundreds of and a veteran fundraiser, Joanne DelGiorno hasn't battled alone to gain respect and acceptance from the historically male-driven arena of direct response marketing. With a little help from many female mentors throughout her career she has worked to forge a multi-million dollar fundraising program while becoming one of the most prominent nonprofit marketers of either gender. DelGiorno is quick to mention that she has been surrounded by a number of talented women during her career -- an occurrence none too common in the days of direct response prior to the 1990s. What she shares. is an unhesitating un·hes·i·tat·ing adj. 1. Prompt to act, move, or express oneself; ready: I gave my unhesitating approval. 2. Unfaltering; steadfast. willingness to describe the most significant change in women's authority from the perspective of someone who has influenced how women are perceived and what they can accomplish within the business. "I can run a $35 million campaign -- and do it out of my house," she explained over the sounds of her dog yapping at a FedEx delivery person in the background. "I've been around for 10 years -- which isn't the longest of the group -- but I've had a lot of great mentors who are women." The direct marketing business, particularly the fundraising portion of the industry, has always been more open to women than the for-profit world. Yet, it's only been during the past decade that women have taken control of the sector. Within that group, there are industry leaders who stand above the crowd. The editors of The NonProfit Times selected 12 women who are truly the industry's leaders. The women were chosen for a combination of reasons. While all are first-rate direct marketers, some have raised the bar of excellence, which others copy, others are constantly teaching and mentoring, and others were the first in their field and continue setting industry standards. The selected are: Aggie Alexander, senior vice president, national direct marketing, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1996, Peter Doherty, Ph.D., of St. ; Eilene M. (Dodee) Black, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , Atlantic List Company; Joanne DelGiorno, director, direct response marketing, American Diabetes Association; R. Rebecca Donatelli, chairman, Hockaday Donatelli Campaign Solutions; Lynn S. Edmonds, executive vice president, L.W. Robbins; Phyllis Freedman, senior vice president, managing director, Epsilon 1. (language) EPSILON - A macro language with high level features including strings and lists, developed by A.P. Ershov at Novosibirsk in 1967. EPSILON was used to implement ALGOL 68 on the M-220. ; Margaret Guellich, director, direct marketing, Catholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community. Founded in 1943 by the U.S. bishops, the agency provides assistance to 80 million people in 99 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the ; Lindy lin·dy or Lin·dy n. pl. lin·dies A lively swing dance for couples. Also called lindy hop. [From Lindynickname of Charles Augustus Lindbergh. Litrides, senior vice president, relationship marketing, Arthritis Foundation This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. ; Judith A. Maneval, president, Sanky Perlowin Associates/Sanky Net; Jillaine Smith, senior associate, Benton Foundation The Benton Foundation is a nonprofit organization set up by former U.S. Senator, William Benton and his wife, Helen Hemingway Benton. Its present chairman and CEO is their son, Charles Benton. ; Carol Sue Sword, vice president of direct response and gifts in kind, Christian Appalachian Project The Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) is an interdenominational, non-profit Christian organization committed to serving people in need in Appalachia by providing physical, spiritual and emotional support through a wide variety of programs and services. ; Joan Wheatley, senior director, donor development, Special Olympics Special Olympics International sports program for people with intellectual disability. It provides year-round training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type summer and winter sports for participants. . "When you look at the people The NonProfit Times has selected, and what they are doing in the marketing area, you can see right there the power of women," said Margaret Guellich, director, direct marketing, Catholic Relief Services. "And we can't say that for a lot of other industries." As you look at the accompanying biographies of these 12 women, you'll see their numerous accomplishments and learn how they have shaped the industry. While they are driving nonprofit direct response activity today, it's important to note that women holding such prominent positions in the world of direct response fundraising has not always been commonplace. A look to the past Max Hart, director of fundraising for Disabled American Veterans The Disabled American Veterans, or DAV, is an organization for disabled veterans that helps them and their families through various means. It currently has over 1.2 million members. The DAV was controversial during the 2006 election cycle. in Cincinnati, harkened back 30 years ago when he attended his first Direct Marketing Association conference. The annual event attracts upper management executives, and can be used as one benchmark for women's roles in the industry. Hart recollected that women accounted for about 25 percent of attendees. On the other hand, he pointed to what he calls an "entrepreneurial spirit" in fundraising, and notes that while the percentage of women was low, many of the females in the industry held positions of importance, and many owned their own businesses. "There probably was a glass ceiling at that time in the commercial world, but fundraising is somewhat of an entrepreneurial industry and females could start their own companies or could rise to levels of leadership within organizations. I don't think these organizations were very progressive in their thinking as far as what females could achieve and therefore allowed women to progress to the maximum limits of their abilities and didn't hold them back," said Hart. The number of women in direct response fundraising has increased right along with their prominence and stature, said Hart, who is a former chair of the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA (1) (Digital Media Adapter) See digital media hub. (2) (Document Management Alliance) A specification that provides a common interface for accessing and searching document databases. ) Nonprofit Council, now called the Nonprofit Federation. Today, females constitute half or more of DMA conference attendees. More importantly, many have moved from attendee status to the podiums as respected speakers who share their expertise with their colleagues, both male and female. Claude Grizzard Sr., chairman emeritus, Grizzard Agency in Atlanta, pointed to the recent DMA's 11th Annual Nonprofit Washington Conference Washington Conference: see naval conferences. Washington Conference officially International Conference on Naval Limitation Conference held in Washington, D.C. where 40 percent of speakers were women. Hart and Grizzard both stressed that women probably wouldn't have achieved such high levels of prominence in direct response fundraising if it weren't for some of the earlier female leaders. "If the women who preceded those being honored by The NonProfit Times and others who are doing great things today hadn't performed so well and achieved the levels of success that they had, maybe many opportunities would not have been presented to others, except maybe the entrepreneurs," said Hart. Yes, business in general, and even direct response fundraising, was primarily a "men's club" for quite some time. Things began to change in the 1970S with the feminist movement, and continued to evolve as more women paid their dues, and attained leadership positions, said Phyllis Freedman, senior vice president, Epsilon. "A whole culture changed as women were being seen as professionals in ways that they never had before." R. Rebecca Donatelli, chairman, Hockaday Donatelli Campaign Solutions, in Alexandria, Va., had a career outside of the direct marketing world at one time. She founded a successful real estate and management business, and a bank. Being an entrepreneur, Donatelli explained, has helped her to control and shape her destiny. While all of the women selected as leaders by The NonProfit Times work in very different areas of the direct response fundraising, they share common characteristics. Being female is a surprising advantage Many believe that women have an advantage in DM and, ironically, that is their gender. "Marketing generally, direct marketing specifically and fundraising particularly, is an art and a science," said Freedman. "But it's probably a little more of an art than a science and requires a strong intuitive component. I think that women are better at that than men. And because the general audience for nonprofits tend to be women, they might have a little bit of an edge in being able to relate to their donors." These women also seem to share a love of their professions, and retain a strong commitment to the core values of their organizations. To be successful, said Guellich, "you need to be passionate about the mission of the organization you work for. Not just because it's a job and you are making money, but because you care about the organization and what you are raising money for. You'll find not just a great deal of satisfaction, but you'll also wind up being extremely successful because [your passion] is going to come through all of your decisions." For most, like Jillaine Smith, senior associate, Benton Foundation, their work has become truly personal. "I can't imagine going to work for a corporate entity. [Working in the nonprofit sector] is too much a part of my life and who I am as a person. I am in it for the long haul Long distance. Long haul implies traversing a state or a country. Contrast with short haul. ." The other big force for advancement has been mentoring and networking. Many of these women clearly remember and appreciate people -- male and female alike -- who took the time to help them along their career path. And many of them continue mentoring others, whether it is in the workplace, on the academic level, or through organizations such as the Direct Marketing Education Foundation, or the DMA's Nonprofit Federation. "Mentoring, educating and being a resource for any marketer, male or female, doesn't matter, is something all leaders who have been successful in the marketing arena need to commit to," said Guellich. Mentoring is not just a means of "repaying" those who have helped these women, and cultivating new direct response fundraisers, it is also a way to gather fresh insight. "Young people today have more opportunities to study nonprofit management in both the undergraduate and graduate level, so individuals today with 10 to 15 years of experience are much younger than they ever were before," said Guellich. "Someone who is only 30 years old might have a wealth of experience versus older people who started working in fundraising later in their careers. You can't be deceived by youth." The real key to advancement in any industry, regardless of gender, is performance. Because success in direct marketing is often based on measurable actions, many women believe they have been able to progress to such high levels because they have demonstrated their abilities with concrete results for acquisition and retention programs, return on investment and the like. Aggie Alexander Senior Vice President, National Direct Marketing St.Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, Tenn. Education: B.A., University of Delaware [3] The student body at the University of Delaware is largely an undergraduate population. Delaware students have a great deal of access to work and internship opportunities. Mentor: Richard Shadyac, national executive director, St.Jude Children's Research Hospital Stongest DM Moment: "I was able to sever the relationship with our agency and had the freedom to develop all direct marketing programs in-house. This resulted in a dramatic increase in revenue and drastic reduction in expense." Reason For Inclusion: She is the $100 million woman, actually $107 million. That's how much St. Jude raised in the mail last year. Eilene M. (Dodee) Black President and Chief Operating Office Atlantic List Company Arlington, Va. Education: B.A., Hood College Hood College is a co-educational liberal arts college located in Frederick, Maryland. The college serves approximately 974 graduate students and another 1,274 undergraduate students [1]. Mentor: Stephen Winchell, founder and chairman of Atlantic List, Kathleeen Rothschild, public relations/political consultant Strongest DM Moment: "Every successful donor prospecting mailing becomes my newest and best "moment." One other proud moment was the day Atlantic started on the road to employee-ownership." Reason For Inclusion: Has been a leader in the nonprofit list business for many years, not just selling but giving advice and counsel to executives who often do not understand the data industry. Joanne DelGiorno Director, Direct Response Marketing American Diabetes Association Alexandria, Va. Education: B.S., Towson StateUniversity Mentor: Patty Ruch, Arthritis Foundation Stongest DM Moment: "Receiving our first online donation less than 20 minutes after going live." Reason For Inclusion: Ms. DelGiorno is one of the leaders of the young professionals in the industry. The program raises more than $35 million and she gets involved in bettering the discipline. Rebecca Donatelli Chairman Hockaday Donatelli Campaign Solutions Alexandria, Va. Education: University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission Mentor: Wallace Whitwortli, director of annual giving Annual giving is one of the most important areas in an organization’s fundraising efforts. Annual giving consists of many separate solicitation vehicles. When these vehicles are assembled together with skill, they can form the foundation of the institution’s , The Kennedy Center Stongest DM Moment: "The moment John McCain For McCain's grandfather and father, see John S. McCain, Sr. and John S. McCain, Jr., respectively John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936 in Panama Canal Zone) is an American politician, war veteran, and currently the Republican Senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. won the New Hampshire primary The New Hampshire primary is the first of a number of statewide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years, as part of the process of the Democratic and Republican parties choosing their candidate for the presidential elections on the subsequent and the money came cascading in. A single email raised nearly $1 million in a day." Reason For Inclusion: She understands, practices and preaches ethical political fundraising and has taken it to the Web. Lynn S. Edmonds Executive Vice President L.W Robbins Holliston, Ma. Education: Attended State University of New York (body) State University of New York - (SUNY) The public university system of New York State, USA, with campuses throughout the state. at Stony Brook Stony Brook may refer to: Massachusetts:
Mentor: Beth Smith Alice Elizabeth Smith, also known as Beth Smith, Beth Chapman, and Alice Barmore (born on October 29, 1967 in Denver, Colorado) is the fifth wife of bounty hunter Duane Chapman. , John Groman Strongest DM Moment: "Being involved as the strategic partner with Covenant House Covenant House is the largest privately-funded childcare agency in the United States providing shelter and service to homeless and runaway youth. Locations and Services from 1986 to 1998." Reason For Inclusion: She has been an industry leader for many years, first at Epsilon and now L.W Robbins. Her programs are consistant overachievers. Phyllis Freedman Senior Vice President Managing Director Epsilon Washington, D.C. Education: B.A., University of Texas at Austin “University of Texas” redirects here. For other system schools, see University of Texas System. The University of Texas at Austin (often referred to as The University of Texas, UT Austin, UT, or Texas Mentor: Many Stongest DM Moment: "They've all occurred as a result of my willingness to take risks (calculated), whether that risk was associated with organizational change or a direct marketing strategy or technique that had never been tried before?" Reason For Inclusion: Ms. Freedman is the consummate professional and industry insider who not only has run highly successful, premium and non-premium programs, but also adds to the sector's knowledge as a willing mentor. Margaret Guellich Director, Direct Maketing Catholic Relief Services Baltimore Education: MBA MBA abbr. Master of Business Administration Noun 1. MBA - a master's degree in business Master in Business, Master in Business Administration , Drexel University Drexel University, at Philadelphia, Pa.; coeducational; founded 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, opened 1892, chartered 1894 as Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry. It was renamed Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936 and gained university status in 1970. Mentor: Rev. Edwin Dill, St., Trinitarians. Strongest DM Moment: "Working with a talented DM team so CRS CRS Course CRS Certified Residential Specialist (real estate certification) CRS Central Reservation System CRS Can't Remember Stuff (polite form) CRS Cost Reduction Strategy CRS Consumer Relations Specialist was able to respond immediately to the Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Mitch was one of the deadliest and most powerful hurricanes on record in the Atlantic basin, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (290 km/h). The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic and Kosovo emergencies." Reason For Inclusion: Can you say efficiency? CRS's Kosvo appeal raised more than $7 million at a cost of less than 1 cent per $1 raised. Lindy Litrides Senior Vice President, Relationship Marketing Athritis Foundation Atlanta Education: BA., Franklin and Marshall College Franklin and Marshall College, at Lancaster, Pa.; United Church of Christ (Evangelical-Reformed); coeducational; est. 1787 as Franklin College, reorganized 1853 when it merged with Marshall College (chartered 1836). Mentor: John Groman, co-founder, Epsilon; Eric Hargis, Epilepsy Foundation Stongest DM Moment: "Developing and implementing a strategy that provided breakthrough response and income lifts -- generated from the responsible use of individual heath-related information in fundraising efforts." Reason For Inclusion: Along with being a very successful direct marketer, Ms. Litrides was leading the donor privacy fight long before it was an issue and has been undaunted despite what, at times, has been significant opposition. Judith A. Maneval President Sanky Perlowin Associates/Sanky Net New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , N.Y Education: B.A., Grinnell College Grinnell College, at Grinnell, Iowa; coeducational; incorporated 1847 as Iowa College, opened 1848 by Congregationalists at Davenport. The college moved to Grinnell in 1859, under the auspices of Josiah B. Grinnell. It was named Grinnell College in 1909. Mentor: Sanky Perlowin Strongest DM Moment: The realization that people actually write checks and put them in the mail convinced they can change the world. Reason For Inclusion: While mostly a regional player in the New York area, Sanky Perlowin, led by Maneval, is consistently winning awards for its response programs. Jillaine Smith Senior Associate Benton Foundation Washington, D.C. Education: B.A., University of California, San Diego UCSD is consistently ranked among the top ten public universities for undergraduate education in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.[3] It is a Public Ivy. [1] For graduate studies, most of UCSD's Ph.D. Mentor: Jane Geddes Jane Geddes (born February 5, 1960 in Huntington, New York) is an American professional golfer. She attended Florida State University and became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1983. She has won eleven events on the tour including two women's majors. , the MSO (1) (Multiple System Operator) Typically refers to a cable TV organization that owns more than one cable system, but it may refer to an operator of only one system. at University of California, San Diego. Stongest DM Moment: "Realizing the power of email to draw traffic" to nonprofit Web sites. Reason For Inclusion: Ms. Smith has been teaching communications tools to nonprofits long before email and the Internet became routine. Carol Sue Sword Vice President of Direct Response and Gifts In Kind Christian Appalachian Project Lancaster, Ky. Education: B.A., Morehead State University History Morehead State University was originally founded as a private teacher's college in 1887, The Morehead Normal School. It is said to have been comprised of 13 buildings with a layout in the shape of a crescent moon for some period prior to 1922. Mentor: Bill Begley, former vice president of development at Christian Appalachian Project Strongest DM Moment: "It was being allowed to take control of the Web site and Internet fundraising. In one month we raised more money than we had in the previous year." Reason For Inclusion: She has had a major hand in the program which was rated the best of the year by the Direct Marketing Association. She successfulfully combines media for top results. Joan Wheatley Senior Director, Donor Development Special Olympics Washington, D.C. Education: B.A., Purdue University Purdue University (pərdy  `, -d`), main campus at West Lafayette, Ind.
Mentor: Mary Beth McIntyre, formerly of Epsilon Strongest DM Moment: "The time one of the organization's most vocal 'skeptics' among U.S. programs regarding the centralized initiative, walked up to me at a meeting and let me know that he was ready to consider a propposal for participation. We had overcome the huge trust hurdle." Reason For Inclusion: The net revenue of the direct mail program at Special Olympics is up 400 during the last five years. She also spearheaded the drive for a centralized database marketing initiative between headquarters and 50 affiliates. |
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