A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization. Fundraisers often benefit charitable, non-profit, religious, or non-governmental organizations, though there are also fundraisers that benefit for-profit companies and individuals.
An “Ad Book” is a fundraising tool or fundraiser used by charities, and non-profit organizations such as associations, teams, community organizations or groups to raise money and recognize sponsorship in a book-form or event program. A charity Ad Book can be a stand-alone fundraising tool but is often part of a fundraising event such as a dinner, tribute, outing, auction, gathering or a fundraising campaign. Donor recognition is a primary method of fundraising relationship building, thus, though called an “ad-book” most ad book “ads” are not advertisements, but are laudable statements, sponsorships, support or congratulations to the group or honoree or member for the group’s cause. Ad books are a valuable way for groups to make / raise money and can serve many complex or layered purposes for both the donor and the group. Alternatives that are acceptable ways of spelling “Ad Book” are “AdBook” and “Ad-Book”
Though there are hundreds variations of not-for-profit group that use Ad Books for a fundraiser, the most common are the general categories. The most common group types are: School, Sports, Association, Church, Health, Synagogue/Jewish, Health, Arts, First Responders / Fire / Police
The typical book containing 100 to 200 pages of ads or statements of support will differ in how much it can raise due to the size of the ads – full page or smaller ads. And at an average of over $300 per page for various size ads, a 100 to 200-page book can raise $30,000 to $60,000 for the group. Organizations can raise more money if the cover pages on the Ad Book go for a large premium. The cost of an ad book generally falls in to three main categories; labor, pre-print production (or layout) and printing. Distribution is typically nominal and limited to the group and/or event. Labor can also be nominal owing to the fact that ad books as fundraisers are most often created by volunteers or members of the group. It is often a committee of the group and the “Ad Book Chair Person” who organizes or leads the effort. Ad Books take a significant effort and are thus not created more often than once a year. Pre-print production or layout can be done by a group member, volunteer or a 3rd party. Most small neighborhood commercial printers can print ad books. Due to the small custom work of ad books, small local printers work with ad books most often. After accounting for costs of production, the ad book can often represent a greater source of funds to the group than the events they may accompany, such as a dinner or golf outing.
Though group sizes and charity donations vary widely for recognition in an ad book, the typical book can contain 100 pages of ads or statements of support. And at an average of over $300 per page for various size ads, a 100 page book can raise $30,000.00 for the group. In fact, the ad book can often represent a greater source of funds to the group than, the dinner or golf-outing which it may accompany. The “business model” for a charity ad book is quite simple, though the actual work is more complex than a dinner, where much of the work is done by professional event facilities people, staff, servers, food-service providers, down to the table-napkins. By contrast, many groups prepare their own pre-print production for their local printer, and then the printer takes an ad book that last mile – with the inevitable last minute issues. But months of ad-sales can be more difficult than just obtaining an RSVP to a dinner. Each “ad” or message needs to be laid out for print. And an ad book page-order can be just as complicated as a seating chart for a dinner. Few groups are professional publishers, and fewer wish to be. It is often said that the “Ad Book Chairman’s first job is to find next year’s ad book chairman.” And most swear off doing it again, let alone year after year. Nevertheless, the simple math example is as follows: Front & back cover (special sponsors): $ 2,000 + Ad Sales / Average Price per page: $ 250 x Average number of ad-pages: x 200 = $52,000
Typical number of NON-ad pages (content): 25 Total number of pages (“ads” + content): 225
Hard Costs: Pre-print production/layout costs / page: $ 10.00 + Printing cost / page: $ 10.00 = Total cost / page: $ 20.00 Total cost: $ 4,500 ====== Net raised for group or cause: $47,500
Ad book pricing follows easy and obvious amounts – relative to the group and the economics of its members, as opposed to commercial advertising concerns such as circulation or general demographics. Prices vary widely, but tend to group in round numbers and follow full-page, half-page, quarter-page, business card size, and listings or messages of support. For example, it is common to find ad book pricing of $250.00 for full page, $150.00 for half page, $75.00 for quarter page. Etc. With so many different types of groups, the pricing model of an average across diverse groups is less revealing than a more grouped or clustered evaluation. The full page ad is the standard measure, although there is pricing for the various sizes. The following is a pricing distribution for full page ads showing that there is pricing from low to high: % Under $100 / Full Page: 5% % From $100 to $149 / Full Page: 24% % From $150 to $199 / Full Page: 11% % From $200 to $249 / Full Page: 7% % From $250 to $299 / Full Page: 8% % From $250 to $299 / Full Page: 9% % From $300 to $399 / Full Page: 3% % From $400 to $499 / Full Page: 17% % From $500 to $999 / Full Page: 15% % Over $1,000 / Full Page: 1%
Averages of groups for all kinds of causes in very different locations can be a less appropriate measure. The simple averages (over a sample of many hundreds of groups) are as follows. Note that often full page ads are also priced over colors, signifying even higher support, such as white, gold, silver, platinum, diamond, etc... For full page ads, the standard page and the average highest full page is shown, though not all groups have a high-low. Average Full Page Ad Book ad $ 490 - High Average: $1,883 Average ½ Page Ad Book ad $ 282 Average ¼ Page Ad Book ad $ 147 Average Biz Card Ad size ad $ 70 Average Line-Item Mention $ 31
The price for an inside cover or rear cover of an ad-book is often priced at a high premium signifying special support. Ad book covers are often key sponsors and can run in the hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars.
Ad Books are a charity fundraising tool that often accompanies charity events, outings, dinners, and other fundraisers. The Ad Books serve as or are contained in program books for events such as dinners, outings or playbills for charity theatre. By way of example, Ad Books are to charity events what a “Playbill” is for a theatre event, except that the Ad Book is not simply a means to an end, but is a fundraising vehicle in and of itself. Its charity “ads” often run into the hundreds of pages while the book’s content may be minimal by comparison to the volume of advertisements or statements of support. With an unlimited number of ad book pages, and high-profile support for donors of all sizes, ad books can and frequently do exceed the fundraising efforts of the events to which they are occasioned. The occasions come in many names. Of the many dozens of events, the most frequently are called: Conference / Convention Tournament Auction Celebration / Festival Anniversary Honoring Award Concert / Show / pageant Banquet / Gala For the sports category, most common are golf, outing or run.
An Ad Book is generally not a book of just advertisements and is not a coupon book, though it may include both. Ad Books include statements of affinity or laudable statements for their local charity, good-works, event or honoree. Ad Books can contain nearly all ad-messages, with virtually no other messages or content. The basic message or content of ad books is self-descriptive of the group that publishes the ad book itself. Ad Books often feature a message from the group president, director, board members, and key staff. Ad Books can tell the story of the group, its mission, history or future. Ad Books with an honoree or event act as an event program. However, the overriding purpose of the ad book is to recognize the support and donations to the group. Ad book ads are viewed as a form of charity, and thus do not follow commercial pricing models based on circulation. In fact, ad books are often printed in very small print-runs and do not represent a circulation to the general public as much as to the sponsoring group or event. The “Ads” of group-members, family and friends are not like ads for business in that they do not feature a commercial call for action or contact information.
Ad Book pages are typically organized in the ad book from front to back by “value” of the donation. Full pages often go in the front, followed by half, quarter, etc. Primary placement and recognition is given to larger payments or sponsorship, as further recognition of the importance of larger givers. This pagination is different than most other publications where ads are secondary to subject matter content and not placed in a “pecking order” or hierarchy. The curiosity is the ad-messages themselves and it is known that larger and more prominent ads indicate larger and more prominent giving.
Ad Book Size: A tally of dozens of ad books found the size of the typical book to be approximately 248 pages of ad-content. With a wide range of pages from only in the 20’s to over 600 pages of ads. The study of book-sizes showed a generally even distribution of numbers of pages for books ranging in number of pages in the 10’s, through hundreds up to nearly 700 pages for larger books. Thus it is not much more common to find a small book than a large or medium size, in terms of number of ad pages. And it is the number of pages that can matter in an ad-book success, more than its physical size, quality or production value or the number of copies that are distributed.
The Ad Book ‘’’Form’’’ or solicitation forms or contract is one key aspect of the process of soliciting donations along with messages or “ads” in exchange for ad-like recognition or genuine advertisements. The Ad Book Form generally consists of pledge or a commitment of a certain size ad; generally full page, ½ page, ¼ page, business card size or line reference. Often pages can also have color or other associated value such as diamond, gold, silver, bronze pages that make for higher price, priority and stature. The Ad Book Form also allows for the “Ad” or message to be hand written or the attachment of an ad or message or business card. The form also provides for payment information, deadlines, print rules, and can also reference any associated event or occasion. By contrast the contract for commercial publication for print advertising in magazine or periodical is referred to as the Card Rate and frequently includes commercially relevant information such as circulation or target market demographics. The ad book target and circulation is known to be the group or event itself, and is thus quite limited.
An Ad Book Chairperson is often the title used for the person in a group who is in charge of the ad book fundraiser. Group participation is important for a fundraising ad book, both to solicit donors/advertisers as well as to compile and publish the book – often in conjunction with an event. For the Ad Book it is important to get the ad book committee and members involved in community outreach. It is just as important to find many small gifts or ads for the major donors. Ad book sales are a good way to develop both community givers as well as those who find time to help raise funds and awareness for the group. Very often being seen in an ad book can be a true allegiance, even more than buying a seat at a table or a box of cookies. Ad Books often encourage 100% participation – at any price point and thus are seen as important opportunity for outreach.
Few people recognize the hard and complex work of creating a charity ad-book. Thus, it is often said, “no one wants to be the ad book committee chairman twice”. Unlike the charity dinner chairperson, who can work with catering staff or event planners, the Ad Book Chair-person from one-year to the next must often start from scratch or with a different printer or team. For the Ad Book it is important to get the ad book committee and members involved in community outreach. It’s just as important to find many small gifts or ads as well as the major donors. In fact ad book sales are a good way to develop both community givers as well as those who find time to help raise funds and awareness for the group.
Entries into an ad book can be treated for tax-purposes as either a donation (for registered charities and tax exempt groups) or as an advertisement that is expensed as a normal business expense. Reporting ad-entries is considered a matter of the donor/advertiser’s intent. Commercial publications do not share this potential duel status.
Ad Book use is also clustered. The top states and cities for Ad-books are:
| Rank | By State | By city |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IL (by far) | Chicago, IL (by far) |
| 2 | NJ | Los Angeles, CA |
| 3 | PA | Philadelphia, PA |
| 4 | MA | Boston, MA |
| 5 | CA | St. Louis, MO |
| 6 | CT | Washington D.C. |
| 7 | FL | Cherry Hill, NJ |
| 8 | MD | Baltimore, MD |
| 9 | NY | Dallas, TX |
| 10 | MI | Glenview, IL |
Outside of the USA, ad books are found Canada, and as far away as New Zealand and Taiwan.
It is believed that Ad Books were first made popular in Chicago, Illinois in the 1950s. This may account for the greater use in Illinois.
|
|||||||||||