I’ve been teaching marketers the practice of content marketing for over 20 years. The idea with content marketing is a little different from advertising. For advertising, a company pays to promote their product or service in the form of an ad on someone else’s website, a television ad, a billboard, etc. With content marketing, the company creates valuable and relevant content to help …
Board Member Spotlight: Joe Pulizzi
One of my passions is golf. Ever since I got to the age where I couldn’t hit a fastball, golf became my sport of choice. Golf was the game where I spent two hours with my dad on a Saturday morning or four hours on a Sunday with my friends. Or a random nine holes somewhere on a discounted Wednesday afternoon. For the past 20 years I’ve been in a golf league (St. Bridget’s) where I had the …
What Would You Golf 100 Holes For?
I’m turning 50 this year. I’m taking it pretty well so far. The only new thing I have committed to is running my first marathon. I’m following a pretty strict training schedule so that I can actually finish the entire 26.2 miles. Another “marathon” I have done the past three years is Orange Effect’s 100 Holes of Golf fundraiser. Trust me, trying to complete 100 holes of golf in ONE day is …
Orange Blessings: Six Things I’m Thankful For
It’s that time of year. Each of us has the opportunity to sit back, close our eyes, and be aware of all the blessings in our lives. At Orange Effect Foundation (OEF) we are thankful for so much. I believe a list is in order (don’t you love listing blog posts). Well, here you go: This year marks the 8th year of OEF’s existence. Pam and I initially launched the concept in 2007 when we worked …
Orange Effect Board Member Spotlight: Joe Pulizzi
Today's spotlight is on Orange Effect Foundation co-founder and fundraising chair, Joe Pulizzi. What do you do for your day job? Most importantly, I do what my wife has for me on the calendar. I spend most of my days working with content creators trying to help them build a business for themselves (at The Tilt). This involves writing articles, producing podcasts and organizing events …
Never Giving Up
It was April of 2020. The world was in a bad situation because of COVID-19. There was a lot of pain in too many places. Small not-for-profits weren't spared. At the time, the Orange Effect Foundation raised money through its annual golf event (OEF Golf for Autism) and through generous individual and corporate donations. At that particular moment, many of the donations dried up. I'm sure you …
The Best Speech Therapy Example Is No Example At All
At The Orange Effect Foundation, the board does an amazing job of contributing to the newsletter and blog. It’s important to our business model and the community. This week, of course, is my turn. And as such, I was sitting at lunch with my oldest son asking him what he thought I should write. It went like this: Me – What should I write for OEF this week? Son – I don’t …
100 Holes of Golf Marathon
Last year, it was desperate times in the fundraising space. Of course, this was not only for Orange Effect Foundation, but for almost every not-for-profit organization who survived on in-person fundraisers. During and after the lockdowns, we were unsure whether we'd be able to run our biggest fundraiser in August, our annual OEF Golf for Autism. In addition, donations were harder to come by …
A Personalized Approach to Fundraising
I had the opportunity to participate in a study regarding making large contributions to non-profits and foundations. During the study, I found out that a lot of donors feel the same way I do...they just want to know that what they give is making an impact and is used for how it was intended. From that study, I received a call from the New York Times for an interview. During the interview, I …
How to Get Special Needs Children Started in Investing
As a father of a son on the autism spectrum, I was always looking for ways to interact with my son outside of his ongoing speech therapy sessions. Like many children on the spectrum, my son was fascinated with toys like LEGO bricks, but also with numbers. Since I had a passion for investing myself, I believed that would be a perfect area to bond, as well as learn, with my special needs’ …
We Made It Through the Rain
14th Annual Golf for Autism Four months ago, I didn’t think our annual Orange Effect Foundation Golf for Autism was going to happen. At that time, at least in Ohio, golf courses were closed and we were all on lockdown. As we made it through May, we believed we could hold a modified event. One that would be safe for everyone. What did that mean? Instead of our normal morning and …
The Day I Almost Gave Up on Orange Effect Foundation
When the lockdowns started in March of this year, I thought it would be the end of Orange Effect Foundation. Like many not-for-profits, OEF relies on corporations and individuals who generously donate to the cause. Much of that stopped in March. At the same time, we weren’t sure if our biggest annual fundraiser, the Golf for Autism, could even happen. If it was cancelled, the majority of our …
