July 2008– Schultz & Williams recently landed a direct marketing client that’s "out of this world": The Planetary Society located in Pasadena, California, the world’s largest space-interest group, inspiring millions of people with the excitement of space exploration. Thanks to the Planetary Society, the Phoenix space mission carried a DVD containing 250,000 names of members and space enthusiasts, messages from space visionaries and a library to Mars in August 2007.

Schultz & Williams Direct is working with the Society to strengthen its brand, build public awareness and implement the most comprehensive and cost-effective fundraising program possible. After evaluating and discussing the Society’s past and current marketing and fundraising programs, S&W Direct is preparing a multi-channel, multi-level plan that is driven by very specific goals and objectives that include number of new members acquired and investment per donor.

The components of the plan are all inclusive, from developing an acquisition strategy to acquiring members in new and innovative ways to preparing a communications schedule that outlines all member/donor contacts—member acquisition, renewals (mail, telemarketing and e-mail), mail appeals, online communications and invitations. S&W Direct will create a segmentation strategy that will target diverse constituency groups with appropriate messages and will develop a full complement of direct mail tests that range from varying the signer, to changing the design, to testing upfront premiums to "offer" testing that involves unique price point breaks, discounts, benefits and back-end premiums. In addition, we will evaluate and fully brand the Society’s giving club categories, which comprise exclusive mid-level donor privileges and benefits, and which provide excellent upgrading opportunities designed to help identify major gift prospects.

"Schultz & Williams will leave no rock unturned to transform the Planetary Society’s membership and giving programs into one long-term strategic and results-oriented plan. This will entail a complete audit and review of the Society’s current member/donor base and careful analysis of each S&W initiative going forward to develop the most sound and successful program possible," Jessica Harrington, Vice President for S&W Direct, said.

Founded in 1987, Schultz & Williams is a national consulting firm headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Today S&W works with nonprofits throughout the United States and continues to exemplify its legacy as one of the first firms in the country to combine the principles of development, management and marketing into our consulting services—an approach that proves successful for nearly every client challenge.