DMA RELEASES TELEPHONE FUNDRAISING FLOW CHART FOR NONPROFIT SECTOR
NEW YORK, May 30, 2003 – The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) today released a new flowchart entitled "Fundraising for Nonprofits Under The FTC’s New Telemarketing Sales Rule & DMA Guidelines." The easy-to-use graphical guide summarizes the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) new rules as they affect fundraising for nonprofits. It also assists nonprofits in complying with established DMA guidelines.
"Following the flow chart will help to ensure compliance with the new law and DMA guidelines," said H. Robert Wientzen, president & CEO, The DMA. "It is a valuable and practical tool that many will keep on hand as they conduct effective nonprofit campaigns."
Prepared by The DMA’s Department of Ethics & Consumer Affairs, the multi-colored flow chart is keyed to distinguish between FTC requirements for third parties calling on behalf of nonprofits, and those requirements that correspond with DMA guidelines. It addresses practical issues such as:
- How to meet the new predictive dialer regulations;
- How to handle novel payment methods;
- What must be done in the case of pre-acquired account information; and
- How long to keep records of consumers’ transactions.
"This flow chart was designed specifically for those who employ telemarketing on behalf of nonprofit organizations" said Senny Boone, executive director, DMA Nonprofit Federation. "Taking into account this group’s special status, the flow chart will be extremely useful in helping to assure legal and DMA guideline compliance."
The "Fundraising for Nonprofits Under The FTC’s New Telemarketing Sales Rule & DMA Guidelines" flow chart is available for download from The DMA's Web site at www.the-dma.org/guidelines/tsr_nonprofit.pdf.
The flow chart represents the FTC rule as it exists today. There are pending legal challenges and an ongoing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) review that may change the look of this chart over time. The DMA will continue to update the industry about any changes.
The DMA is the leading trade association for businesses interested in interactive and database marketing, with nearly 4,700 member companies from the United States and 53 other nations. Founded in 1917, its members include direct marketers from every business segment as well as the nonprofit and electronic marketing sectors. Included are catalogers, Internet retailers and service providers, financial services providers, book and magazine publishers, book and music clubs, retail stores, industrial manufacturers and a host of other vertical segments, including the service industries that support them. According to a DMA-commissioned study, direct and interactive marketing sales in the United States are projected to have surpassed $2 trillion in 2002, including $126 billion in catalog sales and $34 billion in sales generated by the Internet. The DMA's Web site is
www.the-dma.org, and its consumer Web site is www.shopthenet.org.
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