07/06 Nonprofit Intro

When Pat Fisher took over Hartleigh Creations, Northridge, Calif., from her brother, she noticed that the business of working with non-profits was undervalued and some distributors were even afraid of working with them. A 30-year veteran of the non-profit sector, Fisher is making it her mission to unite distributors and suppliers with end-users using a non-profit philosophy. One of Fisher’s ideas is for distributors to focus on cause-related marketing, using a profit-making company’s name to underwrite the cost of a promotional item for a non-profit.
“The idea is really to break the barrier of being afraid of working with non-profits because non-profits need marketing material,” noted Fisher, who has been a director of development, board member and volunteer for many charities.
Fisher’s hard work appears to be paying off. At the recent Promotions East show in Atlantic City, N.J., she reported encountering more people interested in non-profits than at any other show she’s attended.
For more non-profit tips from Pat Fisher, visit the marketing and sales column on the last page of this issue.