http://www.commercialalert.org/
Commercial Alert is an organization on the rise. With a broad mission of keeping commercial culture within its proper sphere, they've had their hands full recently. Their work includes: ridding the nation's schools of corporate marketers; stopping the commercialization of federal, state and local governments; pointing out the decline of corporate philanthropy; reducing the incidence of marketing-related diseases-such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and smoking-related illnesses -- by promoting healthy messages and restricting the advertising of products such as tobacco, alcohol, junk food and soda pop, especially to children.
Their partnership with Groundspring.org for online fundraising is part of their recent success. "We're getting a lot of good press recently," says Commercial Alert Executive Director Gary Ruskin. "We're expanding and growing as a result of the exposure. We did our first targetted direct mail campaign in April and May, and encouraged people to support us. We redid our web site to improve the look and layout, and we figured out how to hook up the eGrants.org DonateNow! button. We're happy to be working with a nonprofit technology service."
Development Director Marnie Glickman added: "We mention that people can donate to us on the Web twice in the direct mail letter. We also give them the option to mail us a check, or to fill out the credit card section of the reply card." Their May online donations totalled $1,100 and June was $1,800. "The online gifts are only about 5% of our total gifts as a result of this direct mail campaign," says Glickman, "and we hear that's pretty normal. We figure that some donors visit our web site after they get the direct mail piece to learn more about us, and then give online because it's convenient. Our goal is to get the word out about our work, and make it easy for people to give in whatever way they're comfortable."
Learn more about Commercial Alert at http://www.commercialalert.org/, and be sure to subscribe to their excellent email newsletter which provides up-to-date information and breaking news stories relating to commercialism and the excesses of advertising and marketing.
