DM101 Week

Description

DM101 is tailored to professionals with 5 years or less experience and for those who want a refresher on current industry trends and best practices.

A full week of topics covering Creative, Lists, Data Hygiene/Processing, Production, Database/Analytics, Digital Marketing, & Telefundraising/Text Marketing will be presented by professionals in each of these fields. Each one-hour session will be scheduled for 1 - 2 pm or 2 - 3 pm.

Check out the schedule below!

Monday, March 8 | 1 - 2 PM EST

Creative - Allison Porter, President, Avalon Consulting Group

Tuesday, March 9 | 1 - 1:40 PM EST

Lists - Tom Fleming, Senior Vice President, New Donor Acquisition, Adstra

Tuesday, March 9 | 1:40 - 2:20 PM EST 

Data Hygiene/Processing -– Marvin Dawson, Vice President Operations, MMi Direct

Wednesday, March 10 | 1 - 2 PM EST 

Production – Abbie Shlesinger, Senior Production Manager, PMG

Thursday, March 11 | 1 - 2 PM EST 

CRM & Analytics: Working Together for Success –– Jason Robbins, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development, ROI Solutions & Helen Flannery, Product Manager, ROI Solutions

Friday, March 12 | 1 - 1:40 PM EST 

Digital (Online) Marketing –– Barb Perell, Vice President of Marketing, Avalon Consulting Group

Friday, March 12 | 1:40 - 2:20 PM EST 

Telefundraising/Text Marketing – Caroline Mendez, Vice President, Client Services, SD&A Teleservices & Chrissy Hyre, Principal and Senior Vice President

Creative - Monday, March 8 | 1 - 2 PM EST

Direct marketing creative is more than a pretty package. Compelling copy, proven techniques, and the right audience are key to your creative resonating with donors. This session will look at creative techniques and lessons learned to ramp up your direct mail and digital campaigns.

Attendees will learn:

• The importance of compelling copy that speaks to your donors
• Critical components of a direct mail package
• Essential testing for a healthy, productive program
• How to develop a campaign strategy outline

Allison Porter, President, Avalon Consulting Group

Allison Porter is the co-founder and president of Avalon Consulting, a full-service agency dedicated to helping progressive nonprofit and political organizations maximize their fundraising results—in the mail, on the phone, and online.

Drawing on more than 26 years of direct marketing agency experience, and a background in university development and public relations, Allison has been instrumental in Avalon’s growth as an agency. Under her leadership, Avalon’s analytical, strategic, and creative capabilities set the standard for progressive marketing and fundraising.

Allison is passionate about the profession of fundraising and the role of women in that profession. She is a frequent speaker at industry events—recognized across both the nonprofit and fundraising industries for her strategic leadership and integrated, multi-channel approach to client programs.

List Strategy - Tuesday, March 9 | 1 - 1:40 PM EST

This session will provide unique insights and information surrounding both the organizations donor file, and the mailing list’s that make up new donor acquisition efforts. 

The discussion will include topics such as:

• The Donor File – Most Important Asset for an Organization
• Types of Lists – Markets and Targeting
• Sources of Information & Types of List Transactions
• Structure of Acquisition Plan & Strategy
• Education & Fundraising
• Attrition & Acquisition of Donors

Tom Fleming, Senior Vice President, New Donor Acquisition, Adstra

Tom brings 25+ years of direct marketing experience to his clients.  Tom started his career at Fingerhut, where he gained valuable experience in both customer acquisition and reactivation marketing.  From there, Tom moved into executive level positions at Novus Media, Paradysz, and ALC.  He has deep experience in circulation planning, list brokerage and database marketing across direct mail, print, and radio channels.  Tom has worked with nationally recognized brands such as Special Olympics, Easterseals, Alzheimer’s Disease Research, North Shore Animal League, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. Tom was a Co-Chair for the 2013 DMA Nonprofit Conference in NY, a frequent speaker at the DM101 training series, and serves on the Education committee for The Nonprofit Alliance.

Data Hygiene & Data Processing - Tuesday, March 9 | 1:40 - 2:20 PM EST

Direct mail data accuracy is vital, now more than ever. Find out how a quality data hygiene and data processing program can provide you with the accurate data you need to:

• Optimize your acquisition data/merge strategy and process
• Improve mail deliverability
• Get your mail delivered faster
• Reduce your postage rates
• Reduce mailing and printing costs
• Improve your campaign and program performance

Marvin Dawson, Vice President Operations, MMi Direct

Marvin is responsible for all operations within the Data Processing Services division of MMI Direct. Marvin has built and managed operations and customer service divisions within the data processing services industry for over 45 years. This includes tenures with Wiland & Associates, PSA Direct and Merkle. In his 20 years with MMI Direct, he has spearheaded and developed customer service teams involved in all facets of nonprofit fundraising efforts. His knowledge, experience and expertise bring immediate, and ongoing, benefits to MMI Direct’s partner base.

Production - Wednesday, March 10 | 1 - 2 PM EST

DM101 Production will give attendees a 10,000-foot view of direct mail print buying and project management processes. They will learn about the time, cost, and quality considerations that drive managing complex direct mail projects. As well as how to build key partnerships and quality control setups to minimize roadblocks and maximize fundraising success!

In this session you'll learn:

• Working knowledge of the production process and the elements of production
• A template to help you build an effective production schedule
• Tips to help reduce postage

Abbie Shlesinger, Senior Production Manager, The Production Management Group (PMG)

Abbie has 14 years of experience working in the ‌fast-paced,‌ ‌dynamic‌ ‌environment‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌direct‌ ‌mail‌ ‌fundraising‌ ‌industry.‌ She enjoys working with colleagues, supplier partners, and nonprofits to share knowledge, strengthen relationships, and implement ‌workflow‌ improvements to maximize fundraising success. When she’s not saving the world one proof approval at a time, Abbie can be found brewing another cup of coffee or driving her kids to sports practices.

CRM & Analytics: Working Together for Success - Thursday, March 11 | 1 - 2 PM EST

Attendees will learn:

• How to better manage your data in a systematic framework
• Choosing a CRM that meets your organization’s needs
• What data is important to my organization and what is just simply noise
• What are the foundational metrics that all organizations should use for longterm success
• How will AI and Machine Learning affect our operations?

Jason Robbins, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development, ROI Solutions

Jason Robbins is a 25-year veteran of the nonprofit direct marketing fundraising industry and heads up ROI Solutions’ marketing efforts. Jason began his career by joining his father’s firm, L.W. Robbins Associates, where he provided his nonprofit clients with direct mail counsel and strategy. From there he joined Manhattan College as Director of Development/Special Gifts managing both the direct marketing and annual/anniversary funds’ leadership giving programs. Prior to ROI Solutions, Jason worked as account director at Target Analytics helping a diverse portfolio of clients improve their bottom lines through the best use of analytics, reporting and data modeling.

Jason holds in B.A. in Classical Archaeology from Dartmouth College and in his free time enjoys golf, basketball, hiking, camping, and most of all spending time with his family in all types of New England weather. He also proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the Direct Marketing Fundraiser’s Association (DMFA) and chairs the Boston Programming Committee.

Helen Flannery, Product Manager, ROI Solutions

Helen has worked with fundraising databases in one capacity or another for more than 25 years, with a particular focus on the reporting and analytics capabilities that are closest to her heart.  Helen started her career as a database developer and manager for nonprofit organizations, including the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota and the Massachusetts Field Office of the Nature Conservancy. In 1998 she went to work for Target Analytics, where she spent the next twenty years managing the design and development of the donorCentrics product line—a set of interactive tools, analytic reports, and collaborative benchmarking services that analyze donor behavior for national and international nonprofits. There she also wrote white papers on charitable sector trends such as online giving, sustainer giving, and the macroeconomic factors affecting donor behavior.

Helen joined the ROI team in 2019. In her role as Product Manager, Helen is responsible for guiding the continued improvement of the reporting, direct marketing, and machine learning components of Revolution Online.

Helen also serves as an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies where she writes on the intersection of philanthropy and economic inequality, and works on reforming U.S. policy around charitable giving. In her spare time, she is never happier than when she is doing almost any kind of fiber-related craft, whether spinning, weaving, dyeing, or just meeting sheep. She also very much looks forward to the day when she will again be able to travel to new places around the country and around the world.

Digital (Online) Marketing - Friday, March 12 | 1 - 1:40 PM EST 

Digital revenue is growing, and so are the number of digital channels. This introductory session will focus on how to integrate your fundraising channels to maximize your program and avoid confusion while saving time.

Attendees will learn:

• The importance of integration across your marketing channels
• How to maximize leads and drive traffic to your online programs
• Crafting an appropriate message for your audience
• Examples of how to cultivate, engage, and educate to your supporters

Barb Perell, Vice President of Marketing, Avalon Consulting Group

Barb leads Avalon’s business development initiatives, brokering strategic partnerships for our clients and promoting Avalon’s best-in-class analytics, stunning creative, and truly integrated program strategies throughout the industry

Prior to leading Avalon’s marketing efforts, starting in 2006 Barb built and managed Avalon’s digital services division to bring a multi-channel approach to client fundraising programs.

Before joining Avalon, Barb developed her passion for digital fundraising through a number of management roles at EMILY’s List, where she oversaw all online communication, outreach, and fundraising efforts.

Telefundraising - Friday, March 12 | 1:40 - 2:20 PM EST 

The telephone is a vital avenue for fundraising. But, when and how should a nonprofit use it? Will calling  donors leave a wake of negative reactions, or can it possibly cultivate a deeper commitment to the organization’s mission? This session pulls the curtain back to reveal the inner workings of telefundraising. 

In this session, you’ll discover: 

• How to make the most positive impact with a telephone campaign
• What telefundraising firms don’t want you to know
• How to integrate telefundraising to produce the greatest synergy with your other fundraising channels
• The growth and effectiveness of text marketing for nonprofit’s today, and how to get your campaign started.

Caroline Mendez, Vice President, Client Services, SD&A Teleservices

As vice president of client services, Caroline works with the account team to reinforce SD&A’s customer service centric culture, building long lasting partnerships, while being innovative and creative in helping clients exceed their fundraising goals. She manages a book of business that includes many of the nation’s largest nonprofits, including Sierra Club, Democratic National Committee and Greenpeace, just to name a few. As a political science graduate of Arizona State University, Caroline has a natural passion for many of the causes she gets to serve on a daily basis.

In her tenure at SD&A, Caroline also served as a seasoned account executive, helping expand the National Call Center’s footprint in the political, social cause and advocacy arena. Her strengths in creating innovative strategies to boost the bottom line for SD&A’s clients, combined with her deep personal commitment to these causes, produced tremendous growth.  Just prior to assuming her current leadership role, she demonstrated her business savvy as our company's director of marketing, helping to increase the visibility of the SD&A brand through speaking engagements at industry conferences and events.

Before coming to work for SD&A, Caroline was an account executive and recruiter for Adecco, the global leader in human resources services, where she made long strides in a short period of time.  She was part of a two person team that started the accounting and finance branch from scratch – a project that generated significant new business for the company.  For two years in a row, she was one of Adecco’s top 15 account executives nationwide, based on quarterly gross margin dollars earned.  She also forged new partnerships with several companies that had never done business with Adecco throughout its 50 years in Los Angeles.

Chrissy Hyre, Principal and Senior Vice President, CCAH

Throughout her career, Chrissy has been obsessed with driving innovative, impactful ways to communicate with donors and supporters. She has a particular passion for developing multichannel strategies designed to increase new donor recruitment, build midlevel programs, expand SMS fundraising and engagement, and grow monthly giving programs. Her wide breadth of experience in fundraising across channels has helped her pioneer new strategies to grow her clients’ programs – and nothing thrills her more than testing something totally out of box and new… especially if it’s successful!

Since (re)joining CCAH in 2009, she’s been a key part of the team in both our Bay Area and DC offices. Her work has been instrumental in the fundraising success for many well-known Democratic political organizations and candidates and progressive advocacy organizations.

Chrissy graduated from Radford University and lives in Alexandria, VA (though a piece of her hillbilly heart will always be in West Virginia.)