Coupons with heart

Everyone adores coupons, right? That's what I figured as I rummaged through the junk closet today to find enough artsy material to create a craft for Lindy's preschool Valentine's Day party. (It is so easy to sign up for these things at Back to School Night in August when the parties are months away--good sales tactic!) So I cut a few dozen rectangles out of pink and red construction paper, wrote "1 hug," "3 kisses," "2 hugs," and so forth on each rectangle, grabbed some heart stickers, and called it a craft. I figured the kids could decorate the coupons by sticking on as many hearts as each coupon was worth in hugs or kisses and then present them to their families as a Valentine's Day gift. Turns out four-year-olds are savvier negotiators than I had anticipated. "This isn't good," one sweet little boy told me. "I always give my mom a MILLION kisses." Alas, the Coupon Bank of Laura was not flush with quite that many stickers.

Meanwhile, back at the Community Foundation, my colleagues were busy handing out a different sort of coupon. This coupon is good for $50 off the regular price of a DonorEdge 360 Report. Our Nonprofit Specialists will offer this coupon to the first 25 organizations to earn a 2008 "Check Marked" DonorEdge profile in the first quarter. The 360 is regularly priced at $199, which defrays a small fraction of our Nonprofit Specialists' time but more importantly ensures that both the Foundation and the organization take the process seriously. The 360 is such a vital part of kicking off an organization's successful year . . . . organizations and their boards love to take advantage of the 360 in the first quarter. Smitten? If you think a 360 might be a perfect match for an organization you love, click here to contact our Nonprofit Outreach Team to get the ball rolling. And receive your coupon, of course!