Yesterday was a very long day here at Turnbull Marketing Group. We stayed late to finish a client's photo book for an upcoming event. This Ohio-based aid agency wanted a special photo book to give to their large donors to say "thanks."
What a terrific idea! This agency is making huge improvements in its donor relations strategies. They know almost every single donor by name -- they even know their donors' kids' names. It helps that their list is fairly small, but still... I was impressed.
A photo book is a wonderful way to not only thank your donors but also show them the difference that they're making. And, it's affordable. A 6x8, wire-bound book (and we're talking beautiful wire binding, not el cheapo junk found in your office closet) runs only $10. There's no minimum purchase, so you can print as few or as many as you'd like.
Our client has decided to give away the books to its most generous donors. They'll offer the book to all their donors with a suggested minimum donation of $100.
The project fell into our laps fairly last minute and the event is December 6. We needed the layout done and at the printer's days before we even joined the project, so we decided to go with one of the "photo book" sources online and customize one of their templates to fit the clients' personality (branding). Print turnaround, shipping costs and available layouts all played a roll in determining who we chose to work with. For this project, we went with Apple's iPhoto book. We liked their design options and knew from past experience that the presentation is stunning. That being said, there are dozens of sites you can choose from.
Here are a few that are worth a second look:
Picaboo - They offer nonprofits 50% off all their prices. It takes a few days to get approval, so you need to plan ahead. The savings are worth it.
LuLu - They've been around a long time and know what they're doing. LuLu also offers some of the most flexibility in sizes, binding styles, and layouts. You can publish a kids' story book or even a paperback that you've written about the traumas and triumphs in your mission.
InkuBook - This is a relatively new company, but they have excellent turnaround time and reasonable prices. More choices in size and binding are coming soon. Keep your eye on them -- we like the potential.
Stay tuned for some tips on how to create a stunning photo book your donors will display, share, and appreciate. Think this is a great idea but are laughing because you have no time or staff for such foolishness? Contact us -- we love foolishness that makes your donors smile and keeps them giving.
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