Special Note: The Heritage Advantage is intended to be a clearinghouse to share fundraising and marketing success stories from the nonprofit programs that The Heritage Company presently has the privilege and honor to represent. Please submit any feature stories or development programs that might help your colleagues generate more success for their programs across the nation to our editor.

Be one of the first ten people to answer this month’s question to be entered in the drawing for the Brownie Prize Package!

Question: What state gives the most money to charity, based on income?

Know the answer?

Heritage continues to celebrate our 50th Anniversary this year! One way we are celebrating is by putting together some memories we have built since 1958. One of those is how we used to have locations near state lines in several states. In those days, long distance cost more when the call crossed from one state to another. To take advantage of those rules, we had teams that would move from one call center to another one just across the state line to call for different campaigns. We certainly have come a long way!

The IRS is changing the Form 990 that nonprofits must file annually. The proposed new form will be longer and require additional information. The new version will include a 10-page “core form” that includes an initial summary page. Since the form is now in the public comment phase, nonprofits may share their feedback on it with the IRS. Get the document for a full explanation of changes.

For a recent direct mail campaign for the Empty Stocking Fund, Heritage was recognized by Fundraising Success as the first runner-up in the 50,000-pieces-and-under category. We are proud of our direct mail team, and have our sights set on the top spot next year!

Several Heritage team members recently attended the 2007 Bridge Conference, where one of the featured speakers was Mal Warwick. Among his guidance for fundraisers:

• Use the word “you” often—fundraising works best when it is one person talking to one person
• Use emotion, but choose the emotion carefully
• Do not use emergency appeals unless there really is one
• Ask for money, not “support”

These tips apply to campaigns by phone, web, mail, email, and in person. Heritage campaigns use them frequently, as well, with a lot of success.

California and New York are the nation’s top states for wealth and gross donations to charities, but how do the states rank when it comes to giving compared to incomes? A New Tithing study found that it was the people of Utah, Oklahoma, and Nebraska—all states in the lower half of income rankings—who gave the highest portion of their income to charities. The top ten is listed below.

As this space has mentioned previously, celebrity endorsements and appearances can be a mixed blessing for a nonprofit. However, there are a number of pro athletes who have established charitable foundations that have served many good causes well in recent years. This trend is a counter-current to the tales of ill-behaved sports stars. Given their natural inclination to connect with great causes, these foundations may be sources of financial support for your organization. Some of the biggest include:

• Tiger Woods Foundation
• Lance Armstrong Foundation
• Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation
• Peyton Manning’s Peyback Foundation
• Brett Favre Fourward Foundation

Another Bridge Conference session addressed the role of board members in fundraising and marketing. The presenter held that board members should be active contributors to the organization, in terms of both efforts and money. Organizations can set fundraising goals for their board members, both for donation and fundraising purposes. The giving of board members can be important to certain grant-makers, as well. Remember, people serve on boards for many reasons, but you need them to be there serving your cause.

EMD Serono, a Merck affiliate, has launched a campaign to help people with multiple sclerosis buy affordable supplies of a vital treatment. The program is MS Lifelines® Access Made Simple, and it provides access to Rebif at an initial co-payment of just $50 for eligible patients. What a powerful example of the business community doing what is needed to help those needing this treatment.

Charitable giving in the US reached a new high of $295 billion in 2006, according to Giving USA. Roughly three-fifths of nonprofit organizations received increased donations from 2005, while a third saw their gifts decline. Giving from individuals continued to make up the lion’s share of this giving, rising 4.4 percent to $223 billion.

All of us have received a “robocall” at one time or another—automated messages promoting a political candidate. The overuse of such campaigns in recent years has driven a number of states to consider banning them. However, the use of a recorded message from a nonprofit’s leader—or a spokesperson—or a constituent—can still be powerful, when combined with a representative’s live call. Heritage has used this Live/Message tool effectively in driving specific messages for some partners. Interested? Contact your Account Executive!