2005 Nonprofit Achievement Award
Raymond Grace Honored with the DMANF 2005 Max L. Hart Nonprofit Achievement Award
On February 4, 2005 The Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation (DMANF) honored Raymond J. Grace, chairman, Creative Direct Response, Inc. with the 2005 Max L. Hart Nonprofit Achievement Award. The award was presented by Max Hart at the 2004 Washington Nonprofit Conference at the Capital Hilton.
Formerly known as the Nonprofit Achievement Award, the award was renamed for Max Hart of the Disabled Americans, who is a longtime advocate, supporter and champion of professionalism for the nonprofit fundraising community. The award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual in the nonprofit community.
The recipient of the 2005 Max L. Hart Nonprofit Achievement Award is Raymond J. Grace, chairman of Creative Direct Response, Inc. Grace was formerly president and principal owner CDR, an employee-owned (ESOP) company since 1995.
After graduation from Xavier University in 1966 and military service, Grace spent three years with Control Processing Systems and G.J. Meyer. He then joined Creative Mailing Consultants of America, Inc., as an account executive. One year later, he was named General Manager of the Agency, Lettershop, and List Divisions.
In 1982, he co-founded Creative Direct Response, Inc., with Jerry Kennedy and a staff of five. The company has grown to more than 55 employees. His 35-plus years in non-profit direct mail have been spent with hands-on experience in every phase of production, management and sales as they relate to lettershop, computers, lists, and the related service industries.
While he is primarily involved in developing and completing mailing programs for a wide range of philanthropic clients, Grace is also extremely knowledgeable in the areas of data processing systems, statistical analysis, forecasting, production, budgeting, and capabilities as they relate to direct mail fundraising programs. He worked in developing some of the original duplication removal and computer letter programs in the late 1960’s and 1970’s that are the foundation of that work being done in the direct mail industry today.
For the past 23 years, his vast experience in corporate management has included business planning, marketing, cost control, and financial analyses. With successful start-up and many turn-around campaigns for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and MADD Canada, Special Olympics International, The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, and the United States Olympic Committee, among others, Mr. Grace and Creative Direct Response, Inc. have developed a reputation for turning faltering fundraising campaigns into successes.
In 1984, Grace has also started a successful list brokerage and management business, National Fundraising Lists (NFL), as well as a highly successful consulting service in the Combined Federal Campaign in 1986. In FY2005, CDR and its related divisions will bill in excess of $45,000,000 which will place CDR in the top tier of direct response agencies dedicated solely to the non-profit field.
In 1992, Grace and partners formed Creative Direct Marketing International, Ltd. (CDMI) to take their fundraising skills into Europe. Grace, as Chairman of CDMI, was directly involved with the endeavor, which mailed successfully for more than ten years in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, and England and ultimately branched out into Asia through a cooperative venture. In 2002, Mr. Grace his partners sold their shares of CDMI to a Swiss company.
Grace continues to work with some of his favorite clients at CDR as Chairman but has turned over the day-to-day management and long-range direction to CDR’s new President Geoff Peters.
DMA Nonprofit Federation
1615 L Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036
202.861.2447
nonprofitfederation@the-dma.org
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