Do You Know Brian Lacy?

Brian Lacy, Editor of this E-Magazine, is also owner of Brian Lacy and Associates (BLA).  His career path through phonathons, direct mail appeals, email marketing, and leadership and major gift acquisition as well as other solicitation strategies was the strongest possible background for the launching of his own annual giving consultancy and data enhancement and digital marketing services.  For more than twenty years Brian Lacy has assisted hundreds of non-profits to significantly raise their annual fund raising results.  He has tremendous skills and vast experience and employees this thoughtfully even for his smallest client.

What keeps Brian Lacy excited about development after almost 25 years in the field?

I really enjoy helping deserving organizations raise the support they need to serve others through their missions.  I believe non-profits hold a very special position in our communities and it is an honor to help them to their work.  Personally, I try to engage in new initiatives annually to stay fresh and challenged.  This year and into the future, I will be assisting a small religious college and a Haitian college.  That college is reaching out that same student.  As you can image, it is delightful to work with this college and the people associated with it.

What makes Brian Lacy and Associates unique among data enhancement companies?

First of all, Brian Lacy and Associates is not just a data services firm.  We offer annual giving consulting including audits and ongoing program management, as well as digital marketing and solicitation solutions including text messaging, automated phone messaging, email and e-magazine delivery.  When approached about a project, we ask just a few questions to make sure that the results we deliver to our clients will be of utmost utility to them.  With our extensive fundraising experience, we develop packages of services for the lowest possible pricing.

Could your team members become Jacks of All Trades but a Masters of none?

I don’t think so.  Everyone in the company and all of our partners only work in areas where they are extremely proficient.  I don’t do programming – out IT professionals do that.  They don’t do annual giving consulting – I do that.  Because we attend as many as 15 conferences and fundraising training programs each year and we have done this for almost 10 years, we are more exposed to the tools and services that can most benefit our clients.  We partner with and bring to our clients the companies we know have the best products and services.

You work with fundraisers.  Do you work with any other professionals?

My team and I work most often with development professionals associated with fundraising, but we certainly work with many alumni relations and communications professionals, and even others in for-profit fields that can benefit from better data and strong digital marketing tools.  Of course we have used almost every marketing tool ever used in fundraising and actively participated in almost every conceivable type of fundraiser – so we feel non-profits are our sweet spot.

Any tips for fundraisers in what continues to be a difficult economy?

Focus on your existing donors and friends.  This is not the best time to invest in donor acquisition efforts unless you have generous budgets or a uniquely compelling case.  Improve fundraising results from traditionally strong development techniques like direct mail, phonathons and face-to-face solicitations with new tools.  Lift direct mail response with complimentary phone, email or text messaging.  Boost the return on invest in your phonathons with data mining, data modeling, and data cleansing.  Close more leadership and major gifts with face-to-face solicitation by utilizing effective prospect identification and data enhancement.

Anything else you would like to share?

Keep up the good work!  Non-profits make a difference in the lives of everyone.  If you would like to talk about whether or not Brian Lacy and Associates might be able to assist you – call (860-478-9291) – it is always free to talk.  Drop an email (brian@brianlacy.com) if you would just like information.  Enjoy the summer with family and friends.