We're looking forward to the 2012 Spotlight Gala at WaterTower Theatre tomorrow night, and one of the things we always enjoy is their silent auction which has hundreds of items.  There's something for everyone at every price point.

Fortunately for those who won't be attending, they're using a new software from Qtego that allows anyone to bid on the auction items from anywhere.  How cool is that?  So you can start bidding right now - from your class, from your couch or, well, you get it - just by following this link.  Have fun, and good luck to WaterTower on their gala fundraiser!

We've always had a particular enthusiasm for working with our non-profit clients, perhaps because it often takes just a bit more resourcefulness to create a successful campaign within the scope of a limited budget.  It’s like flexing our creative muscles.  But a lot of our “trade secrets” apply to for-profit organizations as well.  And who isn’t looking to stretch their marketing dollars these days?

This article is the first of three we'll be posting in the next couple of weeks illustrating how we enhanced the marketing impact for three of our non-profit clients. 

The first article lists 8 points we culled from Christian Community Action’s annual “Swing & Serve” golf and tennis tournament fundraiser. The same steps that made this year’s CCA event bigger and better than ever can also be applied to your next project.

Want to get more mileage out of your marketing dollar? Consider designing a marketing piece that's flexible enough to be used  for two different applications.

We recently applied that winning concept to a combination annual report/general marketing brochure for Christian Community Action.  The brochure features 8-panels with a fold used to enclose an insert. The colorful panels detail timely milestones achieved by this vital non-profit and includes success stories as well as a list of some of the many services they provide.  The financials are only printed on the insert which allows the user the choice of which function they want the piece to perform.  After distributing a limited number of panels with the financial insert, the “shell” can be used as a general marketing piece throughout the year. 

A great design that stretches your marketing dollars and saves on printing costs as well!