CULTURE CASH

via www.seattlepi.com

on nom nom bento boxes

Michael Johansson

Holy sweet lord of Mid-Century

dentsu: paint sound sculptures
Images constructed by placing a thin film over a speaker and splashing printer ink into the air, then captured in high speed. Canon has been on the ball with its advertising lately.

8% Fee Hike @ UC's "Could" Be Approved Today

The UC Board of Regents will DEFINITELY approve an 8% fee hike. Maybe higher. Gotta keep those administrators paid…

• Billy Graham: All through the Old Testament, God was teaching Israel that there was one God. Only one that we're to serve and to worship.
• Woody Allen: And that doesn't seem to you as.. um... as an ego-maniacal position?
• Graham: On God's part? Oh no, God is perfect.
• Allen: Yeah... You know, it's funny... When I look in the mirror in the morning it's hard for me to believe that.

Ansel Adams: $45 Garage Sale Buy Of Photographic Negatives Said To Be Worth $200 Million - Los Angeles News - The Informer

Keep your eyes on the prize, folks.
KA-KA-KA-CHING KA-CHING!

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In our most recent direct mail follow-up, we received 7-10 letters back as a result of changed addresses. Because our donor base tends to have a lot of octogenarians in it, this does not come as a surprise and often it is a result of a death or moving into an attended care facility.

One returned letter was from a donor who had last given in May of 2007 to the tune of $180 presented an opportunity to re-establish a giving schedule. This is how it happened:

An irregular giver (2000, 2002, 2007), he had given in increasing increments ($36, $100, $180, respectively). A little bit of web research and I discovered the donor runs an art gallery here in town with a listed business e-mail address. On May 20th, I composed a quick e-mail to him which read:

Mr. (Donor),

In 2007, you donated $108 to Yiddishkayt’s annual fundraising campaign, you have been influential in our growth into the largest Yiddish culture organization this side of the Hudson river. Surely, you must have foresight and an eye on tradition to have supported us through the years. For that, Yiddishkayt is incredibly grateful.

In totaling your previous giving, you might be interested in knowing that you have given $316 to Yiddishkayt in the last decade! a sheynem dank - thank you - for being a part of our fifteen year history in LA.

A little bit of brass tax, however: this year, we tried to send you an opportunity to renew your membership with us by matching or increasing your previous giving. Unfortunately, our records contain an insufficient address (Old Address) and I received the letter back in the mail. Would you consider sending me an updated address so that you might be included in our future mailings?

P.S., The best way to keep in touch with us is by signing up for Yidbits, our monthly newsletter about all things Yiddish and beyond in Los Angeles.

He replied that day with a new address and I resent the original solicitation. On May 23rd, a check for $180 arrived in the mail. Our donors are amazing.

The moral of the story is to never let a donor simply “expire” and especially to not let an opportunity to connect with your donor base pass you by. I have a feeling that this donor will give for many years in the future because of a 5-minute web search and a 10-minute e-mail.