What's Old is New Again

You know that stuff you learned about direct mail? Well, it works in digital too. A boomer, Steve Thomas and a millennial, Maytal Kowalski will tell you how you can use techniques new and old to jump start your fundraising. We’ll cover email, social, text and how these new media (not so new anymore) can be combined with older media like direct mail and print to create dynamic integrated campaigns that will raise lots of money and capture new donors both monthly and single.

Attendees will learn:

• How direct mail strategies can be applied to digital
• How innovation in direct mail can inform your digital strategy and vice versa
• How to fill the gaps in your digital with print and vice versa

This DMAW educational session is available for CFRE Continuing Education Points! Full participation in What's Old is New Again is applicable for 1 point – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or re-certification.

Steve Thomas, Executive Creative Director & Founder, Stephen Thomas

Steve Thomas has been described as both the ‘Guru' and the 'Godfather' of Canadian direct response fundraising. Though he started off life as a historical geographer and a teacher, he has been a fundraiser for well over 40 years. Steve's early career began with Oxfam Canada as Development Director, where he established their direct mail program as Canada's first modern and scientific use of the medium. In the 1970s Oxfam grew to become one of Canada's leading charities, mainly through the successful use of direct mail. In 1980, Steve founded Stephen Thomas Associates (now Stephen Thomas Limited), Canada's first direct response fundraising agency working exclusively in the not-for-profit sector. Over the years, Steve has worked with thousands of charitable and not-for-profit organizations in Canada, the U.S. and internationally. His contribution to the industry was recognized by the Canadian Marketing Association in 1998 when Steve was awarded the Directors' Choice Lifetime Achievement Award and by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Toronto Chapter in 2002 where he received the Outstanding Fundraising Executive Award. In 2006, Steve was honoured by Amnesty International for 25 years of service. A gifted speaker and presenter, Steve has lectured world-wide on the topics of marketing and fundraising and is frequently called upon by groups throughout North America and abroad. He has worked in Australia off and on since the mid eighties. One of the original founders and past Chair of the Canadian Fundraising Congress, Steve is past president of the AFP Greater Toronto Chapter. Steve is past Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Humber College Post Graduate Fundraising Program. Steve was Canadian Ambassador of the International Fundraising Conference (IFC) from 1993-2008. He was Chair of the IFC in 2004 and 2005. He served on the Board of its parent, the Resource Alliance, for eight years and left as Co-Chair in October 2010. In 2007/8 Steve was Fundraiser in Residence at York University. And in 2009-10 the chairman of the Amnesty International Human Rights House Campaign. In 2012 Steve published 30 Letters that Changed the World and in 2019 To Build a Better World, A Celebration of the IFC and the RA. In 2013 joined the Board of Canada’s

History Society. He is also on the board of Strategic Communications, the fundraising and polling firm and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. As a resident and former businessman in the Beaches of Toronto, Steve carries his belief of involvement and political activism to the community where he has coached high school basketball for twenty-eight years.

Maytal Kowalski, Director, Digital Strategy, Stephen Thomas

Starting in arts administration, Maytal began exploring the digital space as it relates to arts and non-profits early in her career. After going back to school for Strategic Marketing, she decided to focus solely on digital marketing within these sectors. It has always been her mission to do good work that helps the world. Prior to working at ST, Maytal worked as the Digital Marketing Strategist for The Second City, managing and executing on all digital campaigns and initiatives for all divisions of the company in Toronto, Chicago, and LA. Maytal carries the “Yes, and” improv adage into all her work and client discussions. Maytal approaches everything with passion and enthusiasm, from training as a professional dancer, to transferring those skills into circus arts, or volunteering as a dog foster-parent. The same is true when it comes to her professional life in digital marketing.