Pacesetter Enterprises, Inc. announced today that their case study, detailing the exceptional work done for Rosemont College has been honored with the prestigious 2010 Best Practice Award Honorable Mention in the category of Direct Marketing.

These highly anticipated awards recognize outstanding examples of digital print and variable data strategies from around the world. The awards were presented at the 2010 PODi AppForum digital print conference in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel, January 25-27. Pacesetter’s winning case study will be added to PODi’s permanent collection of Digital Print Case Studies.

Pacesetter President, Tom Gross stated, “The entire organization is proud of the ground-breaking work we have done on Rosemont College’s Young Alumni program. This spirit of innovative thinking that everyone at Pacesetter takes in executing all of our programs allows us to maintain our position as a valuable partner to Rosemont College. The PODi award for an innovative solution and use of technology recognizes a wonderful achievement for our client and for our entire team.”

The Rosemont College Young Alumni Annual Fund program focused on strengthening the relationship with alumni while increasing the overall participation rate.  Pacesetter helped Rosemont College reach a 23% response rate from the targeted group while also increasing the online presence of the alumni Facebook page by 587%.

PODi’s Best Practice Awards are given annually to recognize the best of the best in digital printing. Submitted case studies are judged on a combination of innovation, execution and results.

All of the winning case studies will be added to PODi’s Digital Print Case Study Database, the only compilation of its kind for the digital print marketplace. Access to the case studies is free to PODi members. More information about PODi membership and benefits can be found at www.podi.org.

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About Pacesetter Enterprises, Inc.

Pacesetter Enterprises, Inc. has been leading the way in the communications, fulfillment and printing industries for more than two decades. Today, Pacesetter offers state-of-the-art solutions that integrate traditional print with cutting-edge web technology, for unprecedented results.

About PODi

PODi is a vendor neutral industry initiative with hundreds of member companies, including Executive Board members EFI, Pitney Bowes and Xerox. The organization’s goal is to drive demand for marketing applications powered by digital print & help members build successful digital print businesses. Membership in PODi is open to companies and organizations involved in digital printing.

Somehow, not only for Christmas,
But all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others,
Is the joy that comes back to you.
And the more you spend in blessing,
The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart’s possessing,
Returns to you glad.

-John Greenleaf Whittier

Please give a gift to help make someone else’s life better and bring joy and happiness to those who need it most. Happy Holidays from everyone at Pacesetter!

Since 2002 $7.2 billion has been raised in Pennsylvania for nonprofits and 53% of that covered fundraisers’ fees and costs, a percentage that is way above the maximum recommended by the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO). PANO recommends that charities and nonprofit organizations bring in at least three times the amount of money they spend on fundraising. Some examples from the article of inefficient work done by professional fundraising firms are as follows.

The East Stroudsburg University Foundation in East Stroudsburg, PA took a chance by hiring Ruffalocody, a well-known fundraising firm, to reach out to alumni who have not yet donated to the school. Instead of experiencing the success that Ruffalocody is known for, East Stroudsburg University lost $18,450 from the campaign because they could not raise enough money to cover the costs of the fundraising firm.

Another Pennsylvania school, DeSales University, used Ruffalocody as well for their fundraising in the past and lost over $1,000  in their campaign.

The American Breast Cancer Foundation has only been able to put 12 cents from each donor dollar towards their cause during the last five years of fundraising in Pennsylvania. The other 88% went to the companies that ran their campaigns. The Vice President of the foundation, Tammy Wagner,  has said that the fundraisers ”have not kept $0.88 on every dollar, rather, that is the cost of raising the funds necessary to provide these services.” And while that may be true there is something to be said about the fact that the American Breast Cancer Foundation spends far more money on fundraising activities than on providing breast cancer patients with wigs, prosthetics, cash grants, and direct aid (all part of their main mission).

The American Association of State Troopers located in Tallahassee, Florida used two Texas based fundraising firms to raise money. Since 2002 the firms, Statewide Calling Inc. and Statewide Appeal Inc., have raised $27 million for the nonprofit but have also cost them $22.4 million which means the American Association of State Troopers will never see 82% of those funds.

Lucille Freeman of the fundraising company Smith-Freeman Associates in Temple, PA says many nonprofits seem “perfectly happy” accepting a small percentage of funds raised by solicitors because they do not have the expertise or experience to do their own fundraising. This complacency is not okay since it is preventing nonprofits from reaching their full potential.

Some fundraisers even decide to keep a large fixed portion of donor dollars for themselves regardless of  costs. For example, Smith-Freeman Associates keeps 70% of the money raised. To quote the article, “Fundraising professional organizations in general frown on paying solicitors a pre-established percentage of donations, saying it could encourage high-pressure tactics.” One example of this would be The Association of Fundraising Consultants not being  in favor of commission-only deals because they tempt consultants and any other outside fundraising firms to go after the biggest and easiest contributions rather than what would best suit the long-term objectives of a nonprofit.

Not all professional fundraisers have to be so costly for a nonprofit organization. The Indiana University of Pennsylvania hired fundraiser Ellen Ruddock for a major capital campaign. She raised almost $31 million and was able to give the school $30.4 million since her costs equated to only 1.5% of the donated money.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand is great example of a nonprofit that does not use costly fundraising firms to raise money. They call on people everywhere to be volunteers and run lemonade stands to to raise both money and awareness for pediatric cancer. Last year, the foundation donated $4.2 million to hospitals and cancer research centers out of the $6 million that was received in donations

While the article does highlight many examples of ineffective use of funds by professional fundraisers, outside fundraisers do not have to be the enemy. We, here at Pacesetter Enterprises, offer the most cost effective and affordable options possible for nonprofit organizations. We take into consideration their long-term goals and objectives and create a strategy using direct mail, email, and social media that will help nonprofits to reach them. Our integrated campaigns reach people at personal and various levels and increase the likelihood of their giving and also work to increase their overall lifetime donor value.

Elliott brings to Pacesetter 4 years of experience where he was a sales representative for a local print and promotional service company. Prior to that, Tod worked for XODE Inc. for 25 years, as the Lehigh Valley representative selling pressure sensitive labels and 3M industrial products. Gross stated, “We are excited to have Tod Elliott join our team. His diverse and extensive experience in sales will be a valuable asset as we continue to grow the many services we offer.” Elliott is extremely well-versed in pressure sensitive labels, printing sales and service. These skills, complemented by his conscientious attitude and professionalism will be invaluable assets to Pacesetter Enterprises.

Pacesetter Enterprises, Inc. has been leading the way in the communications, fulfillment and printing industries for more than two decades. Today, Pacesetter offers state-of-the-art solutions that integrate traditional print with cutting-edge web technology, for unprecedented results.