About the author
Erica Waasdorp, President, A Direct Solution
Erica lives and breathes direct response and fundraising and can be considered a Philanthropyholic. Building partnerships and trying to find the best solution for members and donors and thus clients' needs are what Erica does best. Her multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural experience are of added value to those clients interested in raising money internationally and her experience in monthly giving has given her an edge for those clients who are ready to embark on this way of giving.
Erica Waasdorp started A Direct Solution in December of 2003 with more than twenty years of experience in direct marketing, from both sides of the desk, on the client side and the agency side. She has since worked with numerous non-profit clients on and off-Cape. She has helped several organizations with their annual fund campaigns, grantwriting, events and public relations.
Before starting her own business, Erica was Vice President Fundraising at DMW, a direct response fundraising agency in Plymouth. She was responsible for new business development, strategy and tactical execution. She helped her clients raise millions of dollars, acquiring and retaining thousands of their donors and members as well as starting and building sustainer programs.
On the client side, she was with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for seven years, last as Marketing Manager of Planned/Committed Giving. She raised $18 million a year (increased from $5 million) and directed acquisition, donor, monthly giving, major-donor and planned-giving programs in seven countries: US, Canada, UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia and South Africa. Her upgrade strategy for the monthly giving program in the UK won IFAW and their telemarketing agency the Gold UK DMA award and the Gold FEDMA Award in 1998.
Prior to working at IFAW, she worked with several companies in the Netherlands, including Readers Digest, Kluwer Academic Publishers and Reed Elsevier Seminars. Erica Waasdorp has a Marketing degree from Limburg Business College in the Netherlands as well as a degree in Public Relations (from the Dutch Public Relations Association NGPR) and Advertising from the International Advertising Association (IAA). Besides English, Erica Waasdorp speaks four other languages: Dutch, German, French and Spanish.
Erica Waasdorp is a member of the Direct Marketing Fund Raisers Association, Professionals in Development Cape Cod, DMA Non-Profit Federation, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Philanthropy Partners of Cape Cod, American Business Women's Association, National Association of Professional Women and Biltmore Who’s Who.
Erica Waasdorp writes, edits and advises various direct-marketing and national and international fund raising publications. She is a columnist for the Dutch Fundraising magazine.
She has moderated sessions and spoken at several nonprofit conferences, ranging from fundamentals of fundraising, to international fundraising, to monthly giving. She spoke at the New England Museum Association workshop, the New England Association for Health Care Philanthropy (NEAHP), the Massachusetts AFP Conference in Boston and Business Connect in Hyannis, Boston Fundraising Summit, National Catholic Development Conference, Philanthropy Day on Cape Cod, and more.
Erica Waasdorp was Co-Chair for Philanthropy Day on Cape Cod 2007, 2008 and co-chaired the 2007 DMA Nonprofit Federation Conference in Washington DC. She served on the Planning Committee for Philanthropy Day and the DMA Nonprofit Federation in Washington DC for numerous years and helped plan speakers for the Bridge Conference in Washington DC 2009 and 2010. She most recently spoke at the AFP Rhode Island Conference in May 2010. and she managed the Featured Speakers for the AFP/DMAW Bridge Conference in Washington DC July 2010. She just published her first book on monthly giving, called Monthly Giving. The Sleeping Giant.