Listening to Your Donors through Data Gathering and Analysis
October 29, 2009  |  2:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.  ET  |  Online

Speakers

Brian Cowart, Sr. Director, Mail Acquisition & Donor Retention, ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Lindsey Twombly, Human Rights Campaign
George Whelan, Consumer Reports Foundation

Moderator

Sara Nelson, Account Director, Target Analytics 

About the Presenters

Brian Cowart, Senior Director of Mail Acquisition and Donor Retention, ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital
Brian Cowart currently serves as the Senior Director of Mail Acquisition and Donor Retention for ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In his current role, Brian is focused on providing strategic direction and oversight of various acquisition and donor cultivation programs in order to maximize revenue generation and enhance the donors’ relationship with the organization. Prior to joining ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Brian served as Renewals Manager and then the Director of Direct Marketing at CARE. While at CARE, he helped strengthen the donor file, enhance segmentation strategies, and develop several new initiatives and programs to generate increased revenue. Brian is a graduate of the University of Virginia and enjoys working with his peers to help the direct marketing industry reach out and engage more people in the important work of charitable organizations. He currently serves as the chairman of the DMA Nonprofit Federation’s Awards and Recognition Committee. Other honors include being selected as one of Fundraising Success Magazine’s Fundraising Professionals of the Year and selected as one of The NonProfit Times World’s Best Fundraisers.

Lindsey Twombly, Online Fundraising & Advocacy Manager, Human Rights Campaign
Lindsey Twombly began her career in online fundraising and advocacy in 2003 as an online outreach program supervisor for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In 2008, Lindsey joined the Human Rights Campaign as their online fundraising and advocacy manger, working to integrate both national and local campaigns into their online, direct marketing, and telemarketing programs. Recently, Lindsey recently launched HRC’s first Web 2.0 venture, EndtheLies.org, a social media tool providing a one-stop shop for advocacy, fundraising, and also user-generated content. Lindsey holds a Bachelors degree in Sociology from Central Washington University.

George Whelan, Associate Director of Strategic Initiative and Special Membership Programs, Consumer Reports Foundation
George Whelan is currently the Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives and Special Membership Programs for the Consumer Reports Foundation, where he is responsible for developing and implementing new strategic fundraising initiatives for the organization as well as restructure existing programs.  His work with Consumer’s Mid-Level program has yielded close to a 200% increase in revenue raised from the donor giving level.  George has also dramatically increased Consumer’s Telemarketing and Online efforts and has developed a renewal strategy for the lower dollar donor file.

George was previously the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Carl Bloom Associates, Inc., where he provided both short-term and long-term direct marketing strategic guidance to a wide range of non-profit clients. 

Formerly the Deputy Director of Membership for Thirteen/WNET New York, George oversaw the station’s $16-million annual membership program.  Thirteen/WNET New York is the largest public television station in the country as well as the major public television station in the New York metropolitan area.

At Thirteen, George was responsible for the Mid-Level Membership program and WLIW21 New York’s direct marketing efforts.  He oversaw a Thirteen Mid-Level program that increased net revenue by over 30% in a five-year period and a WLIW21 program that increased net revenue by nearly 40% in a two-year period.  The recipient of six PBS Development awards over a five-year span, George is well-versed in integrated direct marketing approaches that maximize a non-profit’s revenue potential.