Want the most people to see this

[Jyoung20]

I'll be checking my mags today!!!

[Linda661]

The perk of free ad for 90 days on LCSC is a great idea!!!!! Big question though: which reputable LC research facility should we talk about the donations going to???? Maybe that's common knowledge, but I haven't done much with advocacy area yet so I'm new to this kind of info. A pointer to a link or two to become better informed would help lots in that regard.

Have to hand the whole "big picture" to folks out in these parts, especially for a new area of their support. I find that people (store mgrs.) don't put much of their own effort into taking the ball and running with it about this sort of stuff -- best to have the whole picture outlined for them so all they have to do is go through the motions to be successful with it. Sad, but true: unless your already passionate about a cause because it has affected you personally, it's darn hard to get much spark out of people.

I am most likely to try reaching the corporate giving departments of chains in our area as a start (particularly with Nov. as a target campaign month): I've found that's the best way to get some sort of cooperation from local stores. I've ended up doing both, but it helps if the head office is considering the idea first -- the local managers get locked into who they support to any degree of difference locally by corporate dictate around here.

Thanks,

Linda

[teresag]

Now I get it, Katie. It seemed unlikely somehow that you wouldn't be familiar with them - I should have known. (duh)

[joanie55]

My response from Coldwater Creek:

Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 18:27:48 GMT

Dear Ms. Wallach:

Thank you for your very articulate email regarding our support of the

Susan G. Komen Foundation. Your opinion is important to us and we

appreciate your taking the time to write with your concerns.

Correspondingly, Coldwater Creek supports and donates corporate dollars

to many organizations which fund causes from cancer research to

wildlife preservation. Each year, we budget for our charitable donations to

be allocated to pre-selected organizations. Since the majority of our

employees are women, we strive to make women's health issues a top

priority.

Your comments regarding lung cancer have been shared with our corporate

office and will be reviewed by the appropriate department.

If we may be of any further assistance to you, please email us at

coldwatercreek.com or call us toll-free at (800) 510-2808. We are available

7 days a week for your convenience and we welcome any additional

suggestions you may have.

Sincerely,

Cheryl V.

Coldwater Creek

Customer Service

[Ry]

I am working on the goodie-bag committee for the Boston Walk so I have been looking at lots of websites of various companies to solicit donations for the bags and or money to fund the walk. Today I looked at Avon and was astonished at how much money they have donated for breast cancer. I just wish lung cancer could get a fraction of that.

[Maryanne]

Here is my response. I wonder if they really read it carefully as they said they "strive to make women health issues a top priority" duh, didn't I say LC is the number 1 cause of Cancer in woman. Seems to me they are giving the same responses. This response is the same as Joanie's they probably cut and paste it from previous posts.

Below is the respone I received today. I do really hope that it LC issues are "reviewed by the appropiate department"

Dear Ms. Lomberg:

Thank you for your very articulate email regarding our support of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Your opinion is important to us and we appreciate your taking the time to write with your concerns.

Correspondingly, Coldwater Creek supports and donates corporate dollars to many organizations which fund causes from cancer research to wildlife preservation. Each year, we budget for our charitable donations to be allocated to pre-selected organizations. Since the majority of our employees are women, we strive to make women's health issues a top priority.

Your comments regarding Lung Cancer have been shared with our corporate office and will be reviewed by the appropriate department.

If we may be of any further assistance to you, please email us at coldwatercreek.com or call us toll-free at (800) 510-2808. We are available 7 days a week for your convenience and we welcome any additional suggestions you may have.

Sincerely,

Cheryl V.

Coldwater Creek

Customer Service

[joanie55]

Maryann,

I also told them, LC kills more women than breast cancer. I just need to do something, I'm very frustrated!!!

Joan

[Debi]

Seems to me they are giving the same responses. This response is the same as Joanie's they probably cut and paste it from previous posts.

Well close Maryann! Most email programs that customer service centers use have 'canned' responses that in order to streamline costs, cut down on the typing that the Customer Service Rep does. For instance when they get an email regarding fundraising, they either have a 'hotkey' or a list of categories. They click on the appropriate one and voila, the reply is automatically written. The rep can add to it, change it around or just send it the way it is.

Again, it may possibly happen that enough emails may actually make it to the "appropriate department" (catch phrase here) but to be perfectly honest, that would surprise me, at least with catalog type companies. I don't mean to be a 'downer' but I think that as long as letters are being written, print them out, put a stamp on it, and stick it in a mailbox addressed to Corporate, maybe even the Marketing Department. In today's world, most company's Marketing Departments are the real decision makers.

Anyway, don't get discouraged with the responses you're getting. The right responses are out there somewhere!!

[Geri]

I too had the same email as Joanies.........must have been Fridays reply of choice!!

Geri

[Cindy RN]

Just sent mine-Will wait and see-Cindy

[elnodel]

I also received The Friday Reply -- at least, for an obviously canned response, it does talk about contacting corporate levels. I hope that, at least, we're stirring up the waters a bit.

Lots of interesting options to consider coming up here -- no time for me to think about it -- have to get dressed and ready for my grandson's bar mitzvah!

Ellen

[Linda661]

I also got the exact same reply as Joanie and Maryanne (word for word from the same person). When I sent my letter, I used the "contact us" link from Coldwater Creek's main website rather than Ginny's link. Took a few days to get a response that way too.

I figure, since this person generously offered for us to contact them anytime with any additional suggestions we may have, I'll contact again with a bit more specific info on LC (my first letter was rough and hurried.....I can put more thought into it now with good data from Lungevity website and things we have covered in here over time). I'll include Katie's offer about advertising as well in this one.

The purpose of letter #2 for me is basically more like a specific targeted proposal to the "appropriate corporate office" rather than simply making them aware of LC as a worthy cause this time around for me......give 'em something specific to say "yes" to, if you will. It's gonna' take me a few days to put this together in my mind so it's solid and I may uncover a few questions I need answers to along the way....

Let's just see what happens on the next round.....

Linda

P.S. Ry is onto something as well with Avon. Avon is a natural additional corporate target who should consider LC for funding by what they say they are all about on their website: our "women's issue" thread theme here could/should include them, I think -- they currently have a funding focus of breast cancer and domestic violence, yet they are supposedly all about women. They are doing a lot of giving to regional cancer hospitals as well (all over the place), that helps as many of these places also treat LC, but the funding is most likely not doing much LC influence.

For anyone interested in beginning to make Avon aware in a similar manner to what we are doing here with Coldwater Creek, the only e-mail "in" I can find right now is: info@avonfoundation.org. I'd advise that you check out Avon's website, giving history, and corporate values before you send a letter to them so you are informed about what they do and then use some of their own published corporate values in your letter (in addition to LC facts and figures).... it helps build a convincing case for them to consider it.

Personally, when I get to an Avon letter, I am not going to expect their Foundation to be anyone who can make an LC support decision (they can't/probably won't by the looks of their giving guidelines) -- after I make my case, I am going to ask for my letter to be forwarded to the appropriate department/decision-maker for consideration and "look forward to hearing from them in this matter".

[Kaffie]

It's all so frustrating,

Breast cancer for women

and prostate cancer for

men, those tend to get the

support around my area.

I'm thinking so many of these

corporations are somewhat intimidated

to be the first to actually offer

support to the "smoker's" cancer?

Geez, talk about ignorance

[cindi o'h]

Considering that lung cancer takes more lives each year than breast, prostate and colon cancer combined, it would be assumed that there would be some corporate executives lives have been touched in a personally tragic way by this disease.

Perhaps finding that executive may be a key to opening corporate pockets for sponsorship?

There are HUGE corporations out there which have allocated monies to be donated annually for charitable/community/health associations.

How do we get names, addresses, and influence to these organizations? Is there an inner circle? Is there a "master list"? Is fundraising is now offered as a major at some colleges and universities?

I would like to help to make a difference.

Cindi o'h

[Andrea]

Just my two cents worth from what I remember from Relay for Life two years ago--I was told by many businesses that there charity donations/budgets are done in January, so when we asked for donations in May, all of their funds were allocated already.

[Linda661]

I would suggest beginning by making the ripples like we are right now as a start: Coldwater Creek and Avon are two very good fits so far to the sponsorship of LC issues. It will begin to get attention by the sheer number of letters -- just watch the tone: keep them upbeat, praise the company's giving efforts and giving mission, be informative on the LC issue and facts.....the worst thing we can do is sound like a riotous mob to these people.....getting the ultimate funding support takes time, patience, and some savvy crafting, 'cause funding support is a very competitive thing (like it or not, it is....you win or lose based on your approach and I really don't care how good the cause is....been there, done that lots of times over); we can use our membership numbers here as an edge, but be patient on how that gets done effectively. I am currently following up on Katie's responses to attempt to craft one way to do this -- have an e-mail out to Lungevity with some questions so I can put together a solid proposal to Coldwater Creek and Avon as a start.....once we can deliver a success, we can duplicate how that happened elsewhere.

In the meantime, letters to these folks as outlined throughout this thread would help immensely. Also, anyone who can put in some research time to find other corporations who fit the bill for our efforts would be worthwhile. I also have this as question to Lungevity: want to know their wish list of corporations/Foundations for support -- trying to cut time on this if where to target our efforts is already known by someone else.

Unless someone already personally knows some executive in these companies, "cold call" letters to those folks are pretty worthless and usually never get to the exec. you address them to: they are opened by secretaries who file 13 them unless you are a personal friend/associate of the exec.

True that giving budgets are usually set up in Jan. with many funds earmarked for causes; bullsh*t that some funds aren't still available for giving throughout the year -- if nothing else, what we do now can affect next Jan. budgets -- again, patience and perserverance (sp?) on this gang......goal is LC support: do we really care if it's today or next Jan., if that's what it takes???? I know we all want it today, but I'd prefer that we all aren't sitting around next year still frustrated over this.

As soon as I hear from Lungevity, I'll give you some more ammo. to include in future letters and potentially where else we might go to enlist funding support.

Trying to help and I hope this is helping somehow....just isn't something you can do well in a few minutes and expect results,

Linda

[RandyW]

Donors

The Lung Cancer Alliance is profoundly grateful for the donations made by individuals, corporations, foundations and other organizations. Without this financial and in-kind support we simply could not serve our mission of eradicating lung cancer - this most lethal, stigmatized of all the cancers. Thank you for sustaining our patient support programs and enabling our work to raise lung cancer awareness to continue.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the hundreds of individuals who made contributions in honor of loved one. As a result of your generosity, thousands of dollars of absolutely critical funding support - approximately 1/3 of our overall funding - came to us in this way.

We would like to acknowledge the corporations and foundations that have served as partners, providing support to important Lung Cancer Alliance programs and initiatives:

Partners

American Legacy Foundation

AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP

Biomira, Inc

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

Eli Lilly & Company

EMD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

G.E. Healthcare

Genentech, Inc.

Health Policy R&D

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Motion Picture Association of America

Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation

OSI Pharmaceutics, Inc.

Pfizer Inc.

Sanofi-Aventis

Willams and Jensen

WilmerHale

We would also like express our sincere appreciation to the many companies, foundations and organizations which have made donations to the Lung Cancer Alliance during the past year:

Organizational Donors

A.C. Israel Foundation, Inc.

Advanced Surface Technologies

Alan Berry Design, Inc.

Amy and Barry Baker Family Fund

Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants, Inc.

Bank of America United Way Campaign

Bardeen-Greytak Family Foundation

Bay Medical Center

Birmingham Country Club

Blacks in Government

Boy Scout Troop No. 61

Brown Smith Wallace, LLC

Buckeye Packaging Co., Inc.

Business Services International, Inc.

Cave Spring Veterinary Clinic

Charlotte and Jospeh Gardner Foundation, Inc.

Cleveland Clinic Health System

Credit Suisse

Denver Area Folk Dancers

Disabled American Veterans

Distance Education Dept., Univerity of of Nebraska - Omaha

Doctors Hospital - Massillon, OH

Exeter Assembly

Fairfield Emblem Club No. 439

Federation of Rowan College Educators

Fleet

Ford Yacht Club

Fox Chase Cancer Center

Frontier Health

George Campbell Nisbet Foundation

Harris, Brown & Klemer, Inc.

Hinden & Sievers, LLP

Honors Bridge Club

Imclone Systems Incorporated

Infectious Diseases Society Of America

Institute for International Economics

Joseph Marchiano Lung Cancer Research Foundation

Judy and Mark Lerner Family Foundation

Kappa Sigma Fraternity

Kaskaskia College Federation of Teachers

Macy's West United Way Campaign

Maimonides Medical Center

Mark Krueger & Associates, Inc.

Merck Partnership for Giving

Microsoft

Montgomery Country Club Golf Association

National Endowment for Democracy

Nicole, Michael & Aidan Cadogan

Ocean City Golf Club

Off the Record Research

Order of the Eastern Star

Peer Music

Prudential Financial

Race For Breath

Roger Sherman Elementary School

Rowan University Department of Theatre

Safeco Insurance

Schmeltzer, Aptaker & Shepard, PC

Sellers Kuykendall

Shaw's Market

St. John's Mercy Medical Center

Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa

The Arlington Community Foundation

The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region

The Gates Corporation

The Longhill Charitable Foundation, Inc.

The Patterson Club

The Pleczynski Foundation

The Roybal Corporation

The Sunshine Club

The United Way

United Way of Pennsylvania

United Way of Elkhart County

United Way of Indiana

United Way of New York City

United Way of Silicon Valley

United Way of Los Angeles

US Alliance Credit Union

Utica National Insurance Group

Van Buren Public Schools

Vangaurd Charitable Endowment Program

Veterinary Clinic, Inc.

Volkswagon Credit, Inc.

The Washington Post

Wednesday Oyster Bay Men's Golf Club

Wharton-Smith, Inc.

Wilhide Draperies, Inc.

Woodworking Machinery Industry Association

[Guest kathleen]

OK. I have just read all of the posts regarding Cold Water Creek and Avon..........I hate it when large corporations send out "canned" responses.

I have not belonged to the message board very long, but I have an idea. I think sending thoughtful letters to CWC & AVON is great commending them for their support of Breast Cancer. But I think we need a bigger dog!

I think this topic needs to hit television. Someone like ABC..(amd if I recall correctly there was something on somewhat recently but its not enough!!!!).....with Peter Jennings and Dana Reeve passing within the last year I can't imagine someone like Date Line wouldn't do a story on this!

This is an IMPORTANT cause. People need to be educated about this and to realize its not an "unpopular cancer" because someone smoked. Or didn't smoke. or maybe they are elderly and unfortunately got the disease or maybe they are young and got it just because!!!

I'm all for breast cancer awareness! BUT We are AWARE thank you!!!! I hate to admit it, but I too thought only people who smoked got LC. Then my dear mother got it and since that time I have known several people who died from LC and never smoked! It has touched my heart because I had to learn the hard way. Even friends of mine who smoke are so unaware. They think it won't happen to them. Having gone through this with Mom, I can't imagine!

And it Cold Water Creek is so concerned with funding research to cure cancer for woman, why not go for the most deadly form of cancer?????????

The rest of the world needs to learn about this!

Maybe if Cold Water Creek and Avon are mentioned on national television for their canned responses, someone will sit up and take notice.

Ok, I realize I am probably sounding delusional. My Mother did in fact land in the hospital this week with mets to the brain. But I am fired up about this now!

No one deserves this disease and it is up to us to make a change!!!

I will gladly send my coupons for CWC but maybe we can get the networks/news more involved!

Ok. I will stop for now and write my letter to CWC and I promise not to vent so........