In this issue... Front and Center By Jerry Thacker Centerboard: Term Limits By Tom Lothamer How to Give? Let's Count the Ways! By Ron Haas Following the Call of God By Mark Hiehle Understanding Emancipation of Minors By Anne O'Connor What I Learned from Askabirthmom By Terri Gake A New Year By Sherry Camelleri Adoption: A Part Of The Counseling Plan By Linda Hull Single Moms and Their Sons By Stephanie Davenport How to Impart the Love of Jesus Christ to Today's Post-Abortive Women By Sydna Massé At the Rural Center: Mission Creep By Dinah Monahan Marketing 101: Postcards By Jerry Thacker MARKETING 101 Postcards By Jerry Thacker After 9/11, the world came to understand that even a simple white envelope could be a source of deadly poison. We all remember the anthrax scare. It was after that time that the use of medium-sized to jumbo postcards took off. The benefits of using postcards are clear. For one thing, you don't have to open them. In many homes, people sort their mail over the trashcan. If something looks like it might be a fundraising appeal and cash is tight that month, it's more likely to wind up in the landfill than in the return mail. Furthermore, a postcard has the potential to stop the person by using color, a picture, and a larger headline. The goal of some postcards simply is to drive people to the organization's website instead of asking the person to send something back. Used for promotion of events such as a golf fundraiser, banquet, or walk-a-thon, postcards may get your message across to more people with less cost. Take a look at your own mail this week. Set aside the postcards and look at how they are being used. We have one client who will send out hundreds of thousands of them this year. Why? Because they work. Give them a try for your organization. For more information and to see some samples, visit www.custompostcards.com. A POSTCARD HAS THE POTENTIAL TO STOP THE PERSON BY USING COLOR, A PICTURE, AND A LARGER HEADLINE. Jerry Thacker is President of Right Ideas, Inc., and publisher of At the Center. He can be reached at contact@rightideas.us.