Article: That familiar feeling: fundraising goes national by going regional.

When the American Lung Association (ALA) in New York City tried to streamline its fundraising efforts by eliminating local references in their mailings in favor of a generic nationwide message, it saw donations drop 12 percent from the previous year.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Quickly, the ALA reverted to the old ways, making sure that an appeal had something local in it, even if it was only a post office box for sending a check.

At the American Red Cross (ARC) in Washington, D.C., however, one size still fits all. A test in three major cities using locally-tailored appeals attempted to persuade donors to national relief funds for victims of the ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!