What do FitPregnancy, Project Runway & Fertile Hope Have in Common?

Fit Pregnancy is hosting a live online auction of the maternity dress designed by Project Runway winner Christian Siriano to benefit Fertile Hope!

The gorgeous dress is featured on the current cover of FitPregnancy (pictured here). The exclusive design is a creation of Project Runway season four winner Christian Siriano, based on his new Fierce Mamas for Moody Mamas line. The dress will be custom-made for the highest bidder by the designers behind Moody Mamas, Marta Abrams and Elise Rosemarin.

Proceeds will benefit Fertile Hope - which means it is a guilt-free purchase! Start bidding now!

Tickets on Sale Now - SELF Workout in the Park

Fertile Hope is proud to be the beneficiary of SELF's Workout in the Park again in 2009. With special recession-friendly pricing - only $15 per person (which includes a 1 year subscription to SELF magazine if you buy online!) - knockout workouts, beauty treatments and free product samples, you've got to go! Not to mention, Fertile Hope is one of three ticket sales beneficiaries. We'll be handing out awesome product samples and coupons at our table. Stop by or volunteer. Here are the cities and dates:

• April 25 - San Diego
• May 9 - New York City
• May 16 - Chicago

Could there be a better way to support your favorite charity? Buy your tickets now!

Top 5 Ways to Support Your Favorite Charity in a Recession

1. Attend an Event
No matter the state of the economy, we are all still eating, drinking and socializing and fundraising events are a way to do all of this and give back all at the same time. Pick an event with a ticket price that matches what you’d normally spend on a night out. It is such a simple way to get out and give back.

2. Buy brands that give back
This is the easiest way to kill two birds with one stone. Buy something you need from a company that will donate a percent of your purchase to charity. Cause-related marketing – as this is called – is everywhere.

3. Make a few small donations
In economic times like these, many of us don’t have the means to contribute at the levels we used to, so we stop altogether. Instead of skipping the check, consider making a few small donations. If you can no longer give $1,000 – send $250. If you can no longer spare $100 – send $10. Believe me, every penny helps and nonprofits appreciate your support no matter how small or large.

4. Don’t wait until the end of the year
Most people wait to donate until the end of the year in the midst of holiday shopping, stress, and over-spending. Instead, try donating in April (when you are reminded how beneficial those tax write-offs are!), summer months (when you are spending more time engaged in free activities like lazy days at the beach) or any other time of the year when there may be a little more flexibility in your budget.

5. Share your talents pro bono
Yes, this is a fancy way to say volunteer. But, when you hear volunteer you think stuffing envelopes and other non-glamorous activities. Instead, offer your talents to your favorite charities pro bono. Accountant? Offer to do their books. Graphic designer? Design a brochure or event invitation. Musician? Play at an event. PR expert? Create a media plan or send a press release to help the organization get highlighted by the media. There is no end to how you can help and it can be much more fun and rewarding than stuffing envelopes.

Do you have any other ideas to share on how to support your favorite charity in a recession?

Looking for the Perfect Baby Gift?

We’ve got it! Serena and Lily - the makers of the most luxurious nursery bedding - donated gorgeous stroller blankets to Fertile Hope for our Baby Blanket Program. Donate a minimum of $50 and we’ll send a blanket to you – or anyone you know with a new baby on the way, adoption in the works, toddler running around or grandparents awaiting a visit of their grandchildren. This is such a great way to buy what you need and support us at the same time. Supplies are limited and the blankets are too beautiful to stick around for long – act fast!

p.s. They are available in Harper (pink), Jordan (green) and William (blue).

What Is In It For Me?

Ages ago I took a fundraising class and was told that the #1 message in any proposal we submit needs to be what is in it for the funder. What recognition and benefits do they get in return for their money? For a few years there seemed to be a backlash against this - mostly around the notion that pharma was influencing educational content and programs through grants. This fall we ran a test, accidentally.

Fertile Hope sent out a request to corporate donors asking them to support us just because – just because we are a great organization, we spend your donations wisely, the long-term benefit of your support will benefit your business, we’ve proven time and again that we are effectively meeting people’s needs and growing the market, etc, etc, etc. The return rate was dismal. Coincidentally, two months later, we sent out a request to the same companies asking them to support us in a way that also promotes them. The return rate was phenomenal - companies were literally fighting for limited placements and begging to be included! Lesson learned.

Now the key is to continue to come up with creative ways to meet the cancer community’s needs in ways that also have big benefits for our funders. Any ideas?

Nauseous from Chemo or Pregnancy? ShopNBC Wednesday for Relief!

Chemo was rough, but like most grim things in life the memory of it faded with time. That is, until I was pregnant with Paisley and morning sickness became a daily reminder. Fortunately, by the time I was pregnant with Walker, I didn’t have to experience this constant chemo reminder – a fantastic new product had been launched, Psi Bands. What, you ask, are Psi Bands? Here is an excerpt from their website:

“Psi Bands (pronounced "Sigh Bands") are acupressure wrist bands for the relief of nausea due to morning sickness (pregnancy), motion sickness/ travel, chemotherapy, and anesthesia. Unlike any product on the market, Psi Bands are: Drug-free, Adjustable, Comfortable, Fashionable, Waterproof, Reusable, and Affordable. FDA-cleared Psi Bands are a stylish alternative for those who suffer from nausea."

Fertile Hope received samples in advance of an introductory call we were scheduled to have with the founders, so we happened to have a few sets laying around the office one morning when I was green. I tried them on and, voila, they worked like magic! I was in love – and so is the media. They’ve been featured in FitPregnancy, SELF, O, The Oprah Magazine and more! Even better, $1/band from the sale of the Cherry Blossom band is donated to Fertile Hope. Watch ShopNBC tomorrow, Wednesday, February 11, at 2 AM, 7 AM, or 4 PM (CST) for a great deal – or buy them anytime at drugstore.com.

Ever tried them? Tell us what you think…

Take Our Poll - Should Nonprofit Organizations Sell Ad Space on their Websites?

Until recently, my answer to this question was a firm no. The Fertile Hope team knew not to broach the subject with me. I wouldn’t budge. Until last week, when we opened intake for our annual Cancer & Fertility Referral Guide and, gasp, we are selling online ads.

What changed? A lot. My job is to do what is best for our users. Patients and survivors keep telling us that they want more information, more customization, more, more, more. They want it easier, faster and all for free. We used to be able to meet these needs through big corporate grants, but the landscape of fundraising is changing and those grants are not as easy to come by. So, we had to get creative. Can we tie meeting a patient need with a diversified, sustainable revenue stream?

We checked out the market to see how others do it. What is WebMD’s revenue model? Ad sales. BabyCenter? Ad sales. What do you think? Take our poll. Does this take away from the credibility of the information we provide? Would you rather have no ads and no information or ads and the information and tools you need? Would you rather pay for the information yourself? While we wait to hear the verdict – please buy your ads!

Top 5 Reasons to Host a Hope Uncorked Wine Tasting

Are you looking for an inexpensive way to see your friends, drink great wine, donate to charity and keep up with your favorite magazines all at the same time? Fertile Hope has the answer: Hope Uncorked.

1. 1. A Free Wine Tasting Kit
   We send you a free wine tasting kit with everything you need to host the event including wine glasses, bottle openers, scorecards, wine sleeves, and more!

2. A Good Excuse to Get Together with Friends
You can host your event anywhere (home, office, art gallery, country club, etc.) at anytime by simply doing what you already do – drinking wine with your friends. For a $25 tasting fee, less than a typical night out, your guests have the perfect reason to get together.

3. Stress-Free Planning
From invitations to reminders to RSVPs, our online system does all of that work for you. All you have to do is pick up some wine (or ask your guests to bring their favorite bottle!) and host your party.

4. Receive Fantastic Gifts
Hosts and their guests receive fantastic guest goodies, including Uncorked, a wine tasting guide by Women & Wine® and Sofitel®, and a one-year subscription to your choice of Cookie, Glamour, Gourmet, GQ or SELF magazine (a $12 value).

5. Change the Course of Someone’s Life
Not only will you raise awareness and provide life changing information about parenthood after cancer to your peers, but your support will allow Fertile Hope to empower cancer patients with the information they need to turn their parenthood after cancer dreams into reality!

Host an event and change someone’s life.

Fundraising Events in a Recession – Will You Still Attend?

Nonprofit organizations dedicate a lot of time and money every year to hosting fundraising events like Fertile Hope's acclaimed Hope Uncorked wine tasting events. We’ve always prided ourselves on hosting fun, fabulous events – not your usual rubber chicken dinners where you are stuck at a table with the people you work with all day - and like to think that even in a recession you will still attend. However, we don't want to pull it altogether only to have no one show up. One one hand, it feels extravagant in a bad economy. On the other hand, it can be a cost-effective way to multi-task - get together with friends; enjoy good food and an open bar (tickets are often less than you'd spend on a night of food and drinks out on the town); find a few steals on your favorite products in the silent auction; and support your favorite charity. What will you attend? Skip? Why?