| Learn a lesson in direct mail fundraising from Cindy | | | | There you have it, your challenge in raising funds |
| Sheehan. | | | | andraising awareness for your cause through the mail. |
| The bereaved mother who became a figurehead | | | | Many donors care more about American Idol than |
| forthe US anti-war movement abandoned her fight in | | | | theydo about your mission. Your challenge as a |
| May | | | | directmail fundraiser is to craft fundraising letters that |
| 2007 after growing disenchanted with thecampaign. | | | | areso creative, so dramatic, and so compelling, that |
| Here is an advocate and fundraiser who literally | | | | yourdonors give you their undivided attention (and |
| gaveall that she had for her cause. After her son, | | | | theirundesignated donations). |
| Casey,was killed in the war in Iraq, she set up a | | | | Your donor has never been more busy and |
| protestcamp outside the president's ranch in | | | | moredistracted than she is today. Five-hundred |
| Crawford, | | | | channelson the TV remote. One-hundred million |
| Texas. All the money from the survivor's benefits | | | | videos viewedon YouTube each day. Around |
| paidfor her son's death, and everything she earned | | | | three-thousandmarketing messages a day. |
| fromspeaking and book fees, she spent on her | | | | Advertisers are working hard to get your |
| cause. "Ihave been called every despicable name that | | | | donor'sattention. So are the TV networks. Which |
| smallminds can think of and have had my life | | | | means youneed to stand out and be different from |
| threatenedmany times." | | | | more than justthe other charities in your sector. Your |
| Cindy became the "postergirl" for the US | | | | largestcompetitor is American Idol. |
| anti-warmovement. But now she has quit. And | | | | I have no sympathy for the families of American |
| here'swhy. | | | | Idolcontestants who lost. Sorry, but the show is |
| "Casey died for a country which cares more about | | | | vulgar andvain. But I have great sympathy for |
| whowill be the next American Idol than how many | | | | thefamilies of soldiers who died in Iraq in a |
| peoplewill be killed in the next few months while | | | | senselesswar, since all wars are senseless. And I |
| Democratsand Republicans play politics with human | | | | have greatsympathy for Cindy Sheehan. She lost her |
| lives," shesaid. | | | | battle,and her war. |